The city of Phoenix introduced a new steering committee for the South Central light rail extension to address the increasingly controversial project’s future Thursday.
The committee, which includes members of the communities around the Central Avenue corridor, held its inaugural meeting at the South Mountain Community Center. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce members to one another and to allow the committee to get clarification as to what the city’s expectations will be for the group.
“This steering committee is tasked with creating a Transit Oriented Development plan specific to the South Central community and to help with the implementation of that plan,” Phoenix Planning and Development Director Alan Stephenson said. “It does not involve discussion or decisions about the design and/or construction of the light rail extension.”
On Sept. 26, the Phoenix City Council voted 6-2 to preserve the original South Central light rail extension plan. District 8 councilwoman Felicita Mendoza was among the members who voted yes, but with a stipulation that the South Central community have some representation at the meetings, as many residents felt their voices were not being heard.
Mendoza was in attendance on Thursday, and said, “by the looks of the meeting tonight, the community now has that representation.”
Another big reason for the steering committee is an increasing amount of disputes over what the construction of the extension would mean for the community. Opponents of the light rail submitted signatures to qualify an anti-extension ballot measure for March just this week.
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With many in the community feeling unheard, Phoenix officials sought out members of the South Central community to be a part of this steering committee. The hope is that the members will go to their communities and get the local feedback, taking it back with them to each meeting to help further inform the city officials as to what the community feels needs to be done.
“You (the committee) are here to teach us: what are the needs, what are the wants of this community?” District 7 councilman Michael Nowakowski said. “You will teach us about the different cultures around the community, so that we don’t interrupt this community, but we enhance it.”
The city of Phoenix received a grant of $2 million – the maximum allotment – from the Federal Transportation Administration to help with the extension. As a requirement of the grant, the city had to match federal dollars with $400,000, bringing the total value of the grant to $2.4 million.
The city is still being designed, which started in 2017, and is expected to move on to the construction stage in 2019. Construction is expected to be completed in 2023, according to Valley Metro Transit Planner Scott Miller.
“With the extension in 2023 we will go from a single line light rail system to a two-line light rail station that will connect not only the East and the West Valley, but would also extend from the south end to the north end of the Central Avenue corridor,” Miller said.
The steering committee is expected to meet on the fourth Thursday of each month, beginning in January. The city is hoping to alternate meeting locations between the southern and northern ends of the Central Avenue corridor so that it is easier for residents on either end to make it to a meeting.
Contact the reporter at bsimons2@asu.edu.
