TEMPE — Senate Bill 1750 was approved by Gov. Katie Hobbs in the recent legislative session, introducing three new funds that will support the growth and safety of public transportation and provide more accessible options for residents in Arizona.
Sen. John Kavanagh sponsored the bill after a recommendation from Sen. Dave Farnsworth. He said the state needs to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology.
“We needed to begin putting money aside for innovative, out-of-the-box transportation projects,” Kavanagh said.
New ideas include introducing 15-passenger vans in place of buses, expanding the use of self-driving vehicles and testing hovercraft. These new transportation options can help prevent drunk driving, solve rush hour congestion and give more people access to rides who are not close to bus stops, Kavanagh said.
The bill allocates $5 million among the three funds to increase public transportation options and improve accessibility, Kavanagh said.
“It’s important that we have money set aside and spending vehicles where we can invest in such promising technologies that can improve everybody’s lifestyle,” Kavanagh said.
Riders who frequently use public transportation gave their input on changes they hope to see and how accessible they find current options.
ASU student Neve Muller said she used to use public transportation at least four times a week, but now only uses it about once or twice, largely due to convenience.
“Public transportation is sort of convenient,” Muller said. “I go to Tempe a lot, and I feel like ever since they added that extra stop to get to Tempe from Downtown Phoenix, it sucks.”
Muller said she hopes to see more routes around Phoenix and throughout Maricopa County, rather than just one main line running East-West and North-South.
Another frequent rider and Arizona native, Imogen Siedare, said she uses public transportation around five to seven times a week, between Tempe and Phoenix.
“I would consider the transportation to be somewhat accessible and convenient,” Siedare said.
Contrary to Muller, Siedare believes the number of bus and light rail stops around the two cities has increased and that the system has expanded significantly since childhood.
Accessibility is not the only concern among riders. Muller said that although the light rail and buses are open to the public, she wishes it was cleaner and safer.
“I feel like the homeless people do need places to go, but it should be safer. Especially at night, I don’t feel safe taking it by myself,” Muller said.
Siedare expressed similar thoughts when asked about her comfort level on public transportation.
“I love using the light rail and find it a great public transport; however, there have been many times I’ve felt unsafe or uncomfortable,” Siedare said. “I think added security measures would make more college-aged students, especially women, feel more comfortable and open to using the light rail.”
Safety has long been an issue in transportation projects. However, Kavanagh said the bill is designed to determine what works and what does not, including which transportation options are most effective, how to present them efficiently to the public and how to improve upon previous systems.
This is just one bill passed out of the more than 260 that Hobbs added to the state legislature. Kavanagh said Arizona residents can expect public transportation to grow and evolve to better meet the state’s accessibility and safety needs.
Edited by Shi Bradley
