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October 26, 2004
Valley needs better buses
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Jamar Younger
Editor-In-Chief |
The Phoenix metropolitan area has everything in common with other major metropolitan areas in the U.S. It has a booming population, an above average economy, a vibrant night life (thanks to the recently instituted 2 a.m. last call), and every other amenity that could be asked for in a bustling urban environment.
There is, however, one element of city life that the Valley lacks: a viable public transportation system. This element keeps Phoenix from competing with other big city regions in terms of offering choices and flexibility for residents.
Proposition 400 would help to bring that element to the Valley. This proposition would continue the existing half-cent sales tax that is already devoted to transportation. The tax would help fund a $15.8 million transportation plan for the Maricopa county region.
That plan includes 27 additional miles of light rail, 2100 new buses, 40 new bus routes, 38 park and ride lots, and 1200 new bus pullouts. The plan would also build new, or improve, 344 miles of freeways, 275 miles of arterial streets, and 34 intersections.
Why does Phoenix and the surrounding suburbs need 27 extra miles of light rail and 40 extra bus routes? There are a few reasons.
First of all, not everybody in the Valley is fortunate enough to own a car. Some people (like college students) can’t afford to pay a car payment and car insurance. These people will not benefit from new freeways (or even the existing ones). Neither will people whose cars break down. And the current bus system is not suitable to meet the needs of a region this size.
Secondly, those people who can afford car payments and car insurance are probably getting tired of sitting in gridlocked traffic every time they commute to and from work. The idea of leaving their car at home and taking an express bus or a light rail to work might end up sounding like a plausible idea.
It happens in a lot of other big cities, where people routinely commute to work using local bus, train, and subway systems. If people in those cities do drive, then it is usually to the nearest train or subway station.
Lastly, the Valley is literally too big not to have a reliable transportation system. By itself, Phoenix is approximately 475 square miles. That is larger than Los Angeles (469 square miles) and New York City (303 square miles). People who live on the outskirts of the city and lack reliable transportation continue to have a limited amount of access to the cultural activities and events that take place across the Valley.
More freeways are not the answer. Some people, mostly real estate developers, see the construction of more freeways as an opportunity to build more subdivisions, shopping centers, and office parks. Building new freeways and new homes, however, in a smog-infested area already suffering from a drought, does not sound too alluring.
An improved transit system, in conjunction with new freeways, could be just what metropolitan Phoenix needs to enhance the quality of urban life and add that missing element.
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