City council voted on Tuesday to put the fate of a comprehensive public transit plan in the hands of voters.
The amended proposal from the Citizens Committee of the Future of Phoenix Transportation calls for infrastructure repairs and light rail expansion and will be funded by a new 0.70 percent sales tax that will replace the current transit tax. The proposal originally called for a 0.73 percent sales tax.
“This plan will have a citywide impact,” said Martin Shultz, vice chair of the committee.
This tax, among other things, would generate $2.4 billion just for improvements on existing streets, he said. The plan would also add 15 miles of light rail tracks at a cost of $87.4 million per mile.
Related: Plan to expand and revamp public transport fails to clear city council subcommittee.
“The availability of transit is a major economic factor, it’s critical we add new stops,” committee member Andy Federhar said. “Transit expansion is about growth, not congestion. Every dollar communities invest in public transit, they get four back.”
The plan would also give $16 million to the police and fire departments and would continue to do so annually until the tax’s sunset date in 2020.
District 2 councilman Jim Waring, who voted against the proposal, questioned whether extending the light rail was the best choice for improving infrastructure.
“Wouldn’t more lanes on the freeway move more people for less money?” Waring said. “We won’t get credit for this anyways for 20 years.”
People from all over Phoenix were in attendance to voice their thoughts about the new project, with a strong majority of visitors in favor of the new proposed tax.
Related: Community members voice various concerns at new city transit developments.
In the audience was former councilman Claude Mattox, who spoke to the council in support of this project.
“You don’t let your house go after you buy it, you maintain it,” he said. “In the next 30-50 years, our population is going to double, we need to put in the infrastructure, and we need to let the people decide.”
Waring said that his constituents would never see any benefit from the light rail expanding but would still have to pay for part of it.
“Let’s let the tax payers recover from the recession, we can take a closer look at this and come back to it,” Waring said.
Shultz said the area’s population growth necessitated the plan.
“Transportation is effected by growth,” he said. “As we become more dense, freeways and streets won’t do the job. In the end we should be building all these modes to drive the economy.”
Becky Fenger, chair of No Tax For More Track, spoke in opposition of the plan. She cited a 2011 Valley Metro report, which reported that the light rail hasn’t significantly improved traffic or air quality.
District 5 councilman Daniel Valenzuela said he recognized the need and importance of the plan.
“This means street repair, this means filling pot holes, lighting,” he said. “It also means building streets, maybe even bridges, getting the light rail to places like Metro Center, to GCU. This is probably the most important vote that I’ve come across on this council, and I fully support it.”
Contact the reporter at Jzbuntin@asu.edu
