Despite some concerns raised, South Phoenix residents voiced support for light rail extension plans laid out by Valley Metro Officials at an open house at Lowell Elementary School Thursday night.
A public meeting Thursday detailed plans to expand the light rail from Central Avenue and Jefferson Street to Central Avenue and Baseline Road. It is slated for completion in 2023.
Grant manager for Valley Metro South Central Transit Marcus Coleman explained the reasoning behind the new outreach programs.
“When we have projects of this magnitude it is very important we get community input and feedback,” Coleman said.
The South Central extension is now one-third of the way through its initial design process. The design process is expected to last from now until 2019 when construction is supposed to begin.
Early in the presentation Marisa, a community member who declined to give her last name, asked for the crowd to raise their hands in support of the new light rail extension. The room appeared to be in favor of the extensions.
Complaints by community members were raised about potential increases in traffic and crime around the light rail stops. The new stations are planned to reduce Central Avenue down to one and a half lanes with the half-lane to allow space for bikes, stalled cars, and bus stops.
Valley Metro Project Manager Jim Webb said this is being done to better control traffic.
“We’ve got as many as two left and right through lanes at major intersections,” he said. “You’ll see these sporadically throughout in order to mitigate traffic.”
Comparisons were drawn to issues at the 19th and Dunlap avenue stations, which the Arizona Republic reported experienced an increase in crime following the light rail extension in that area.
Webb responded to issues of crime as well.
“We definitely want to have our patrons feel safe both at the stations and near the stations so we’ve stepped up a program called Respect the Ride with the City of Phoenix to help enforcement and education with the public,” Webb said.
Ryan Fickenscher, a Phoenix resident, was enthusiastic about the new stops.
“[This expansion] is 90 percent of what it needs to be, but we hope in the next 10 years or so they get to that other 10 percent,” Fickenscher said. “We think the community is cautiously optimistic, it’s just that this area has been ignored for so long so they’re unsure about this project.”
The road expansions at Seventh and Southern avenues, as well as along Interstate 17 and Seventh Street, were also discussed. Additional lanes will be added to these areas with construction commencing in early 2019.
Marcus Coleman was also confident about the project.
“This should spur development in a neglected area and should really help revitalize the neighborhood,” he said.
Coleman also explained how various nonprofit groups such as Chicanos Por La Causa, The Vitalyst, and National Council of La Raza were planning on putting funds into the community along the light rail route.
The ultimate goal of the expansions is to have two light rail tracks that join at a central hub in downtown Phoenix. One track will go on a north and south route and will run from the Metrocenter Mall to Baseline Road and Central Avenue. The other will run in an east and west route between Gilbert Road and Main Street in Mesa to the State Capitol.
Other meetings similar to this will be scheduled in the future, including a meeting unveiling the artists who will be involved in the South Central Extension on Feb. 3 from 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. at 4848 S. 2nd St., Phoenix. More meetings will be planned as the design process continues.
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All of the public meeting materials can be found here along with other information regarding the extension.
Contact the reporter at jspevace@asu.edu.
Correction: January 19, 2018
An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported 17th street will be expanded. The story has been updated to reflect the correct road, Seventh Street, will be expanded.
