Funds for Rural Road connector delayed until 2026

- Advertisement -

Tempe currently has funding for the construction of a short-trip streetcar system circulating Mill and Ash avenues in downtown. However, funds for a hoped-for rapid bus system traveling south on Rural Road to Chandler Boulevard have been deferred as result of revenue cuts to Proposition 400, Metro representatives said.

Marc Soronson, vice president of HDR Engineering and Metro’s manager of corridor planning, said a bus rapid-transit route on Rural Road will still be on the recommended project list, even though it may not be built in the near future.

“Funding for this element of the project has gone away,” Soronson said. “Even though bus rapid transit is still showing up in the plan, revenues to actually construct and operate the bus rapid transit have been lost.”

Economic reality hasn’t altogether dampened optimism, however.

Although city of Tempe representatives said funds will not be available until 2026, residents remained hopeful about the additional system.

“It would be nice to reduce the traffic congestion and get people to use public transportation,” Ahwatukee resident Ed Celaya said at a public meeting Oct. 6 at the Desert Breeze police substation. “I think it would really benefit the community.”

At a previous light rail meeting, this one held in downtown Tempe, Metro board members and Tempe transit officials said they have identified what they believe to be the most efficient route for a modern streetcar circling Mill and Ash avenues, running across University Drive and Rio Salado Parkway.

“They’ve reviewed it and we talked about why the loop option was preferable, as opposed to an Ash Avenue or Mill Avenue double-track system only,” Soronson said.

Originally, Metro was considering a two-way streetcar system running only on either Mill or Ash. After discovering a water line that would need to be moved, in addition to other utility structures in planned construction paths, a one-way loop was developed for the area.

“This is also seen, more or less, as a starter line to be able to connect to the Third and Mill (Avenue) light rail station, in addition to becoming a starter line for a streetcar system within the (south) Tempe and (west) Chandler area,” Soronson said.

Residents questioned the new modern streetcar, described as a “hybrid of the light rail and a bus,” asking city officials why more Orbit buses would not be implemented instead.

Soronson said streetcar-system construction would be minimal, compared to light rail, and would be more attractive to residents. The streetcar would operate on tracks in one lane of traffic, obeying signals just as motorists do.

“The stations would be much smaller than light-rail stations,” he said. “We spent quite a bit of time looking at where the utilities are, so we don’t (have to) spend time moving those during construction, with as little disruption to the surrounding businesses as possible.”

Operational costs for the streetcar are estimated at $3.1 million annually for the 2.6-mile system, and are the city of Tempe’s responsibility.

At the Desert Breeze meeting, Metro CEO Stephen Banta said light-rail ridership has almost doubled, and he is optimistic about implementing projects that will eventually connect, forming a “total transit network.”

“We’re not here to compete with other modes, or to compete a streetcar against a bus,” Banta said. “We are here to try to work with the economy we’ve been dealt recently, and that’s building smaller (connecting) segments.”

Banta said there is still time for public comment.

“We need (public) support,” he said, “We will not be successful if we don’t do it with…the end user, in mind.”

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Advertisment

Latest e-Edition

Advertisment
Advertisment

Follow Us

2,648FansLike
953FollowersFollow

Weekly Email Newsletter

Latest

Join Our Family...

Wrangler Newsletter

One email

Once a week

Unsubscribe anytime

Welcome to The Wrangler Community!