Phoenix neighborhood seeks LRT inclusion

With "galloping me-tooism" at work in a positive vein for light rail transit, Phoenix's Central City Village has approved a recommendation to extend LRT along a South Central Corridor to serve the neighborhood, citing the need to be included among planned LRT expansion plans.

Central City Village includes the part of Phoenix directly east of downtown, including Sky Harbor International Airport.

The Central City Village Planning Committee agreed to recommend the plan on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, selecting LRT as the preferred mode over streetcar and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) options under consideration.

Valley Metro representative Benjamin Limmer, the transit agency’s liaison with the planning committee, said Phoenix’s existing LRT operation, which began revenue service in December 2008, proved instructive as an example.

“It cost $1.4 billion to construct the line, and from that, we saw about $7 billion of economic activity adjacent to our line, so it was very successful in promoting development of all different types,” Limmer told local media. “While it costs more to construct upfront, ultimately is much more cost effective to build light rail.”