The future looks promising for Chandler and south Tempe residents who feel out-of-the-loop when it comes to public-transportation opportunities.
With light rail ridership up 40 percent over projected numbers, less costly alternatives to extending light rail to Chandler will soon be in on the table, resulting from a two-year Valley Metro Rail study of the Tempe area.
“We really want to provide a connection to the light rail starter line in downtown Tempe,” Wulf Grote, director of project development for the Valley Metro Rail, said. “We’re trying to wrap things up to put some recommendations on the table.”
A two-year study lent insight into possible transit options being evaluated for south Tempe residents. The study was conducted on the Tempe commute corridor, an area covering streets in between the 202 freeways and Kyrene Road to Loop 101.
“One was the high capacity transit corridor (the 2.5-mile area), and the other was the bus rapid transit project that was supposed to go all the way to north Scottsdale, through Tempe and into Chandler,” Grote said.
Chandler and Tempe residents caught a glimpse of the alternative transit routes during a High Capacity Transit meeting at the community room of Chandler Fashion Center. Board members revealed evaluations of a two-year study, researching the development of Metro Light Rail services in the Tempe and Chandler area.
Many residents who attended the meeting were enthusiastic about future projects.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits of a modern streetcar system,” Tempe resident Ben Suber said.
“I think it would be very beneficial to the Tempe and Chandler communities.”
Kent Dibble, an engineer in Tempe, said the bus rapid-transit system is attractive because it has the potential to be implemented much sooner that a modern streetcar project.
Funding is now under way for the streetcar system, providing quicker access to the light rail than city busses currently provide. Funding for phase 1 of the projected streetcar extension is complete, Grote said.
The modern streetcar option would travel on Mill or Ash avenues from the existing light rail starter line and potentially end at Southern Avenue. Ash Avenue north of University has recently been added as a possible alignment option for the streetcar project as a result of public inquiry.
The bus rapid transit project consists of a bus line running down Rural Road to parts of Chandler, with stops approximately every mile.
“Bus rapid transit is basically using buses that don’t stop as frequently and have special stations,” Grote said. “They may have different street signs than residential traffic.”
Although council members are moving forward on these alternative transportation modes, Grote said paths in the Tempe corridor are still subject to change.
“Things are not yet final,” he said.
