The ASU student-run newspaper, The State Press, posted in its Monday 30 June 2008 edition an opinion piece on the new light rail. The piece was rather critical of the whole project, using hearsay as basis for its argument.
Okay, okay, we know what the arguments against light rail are. They were brought up when the system was under planning back a few years ago. And the same arguments were brought up at the 2004 election when the new Regional Transportation Plan was voted on and approved. Rather than restate fact - I mean opinion - let's get on and dismiss this article as hearsay (because that's what it is) piece by piece.
If the piece gets one thing right, it is how the Phoenix metropolitan area has grown. It is true that Phoenix sprawled out in the days of cheap energy, incorporating Wickenburg, Apache Junction, Casa Grande, and Buckeye to the endless sea that is Phoenix. Now, as $4/gallon gas is a reality and with no end in sight, those days are coming to a close. Couple that in with the hellish commutes from these places due to a freeway system that desperately needs expansion, and you have a nightmare. For those who can, more and more people are taking public transit as gas prices increase.
But, as I do with all articles that seemingly condemn METRO or any light rail system, I dismiss it because their ‘facts’ are based on hearsay and also on the basis that light rail will force them to change their unsustainable lifestyle in the suburbs – kicking and screaming, mind you – and live in dense development. Plus, it doesn’t make sense considering the days of cheap energy are gone and with the price of gas that knows no ends.
So are we good? If you don't like the system, please voice your opinions (as dissent, disagreement, and discourse are the cornerstones of democracy), but please get your facts straight. It does such a tremendous disservice to those who are looking forward to having an alternate to unsustainable living.
Cheers-
Edward Jensen
3 comments:
Of all the misguided statements in the editorial, this one is by far the most ridiculous:
"Arizona is no New York — and we don't want it to be. Our sprawling structures, backyard swimming pools and palm trees make the Valley an oasis in this desert, and shooting a light-rail through its heart will spoil the illusion."
This resistance to change sounds like it comes from Sun City rather than Tempe. The fact is that Phoenix has become the 5th largest city and the 13th largest metro area. It's time to upgrade the urban core and its transportation infrastructure to match that status. That doesn't mean copying New York, but it means implementing appropriate solutions for a lower-density city. Light rail is appropriate here, just as it has been in Minneapolis, Denver, Dallas, and other lower-density cities. Pretending we can continue with business as usual in an era of +$4 gas is hopelessly out of touch with reality.
The issue is that we have two competing forces here: the urban centers vs. suburban Phoenix and greater Arizona. This is compounded further when leaders influential in transportation come from the latter.
"Cities, to thrive in the 21st century, must separate themselves politically from their surrounding areas." -Jane Jacobs (1916-2006)
I agree with David about how misguided the "spoil the illusion" statement is.. Another one I find interesting is;
"but here in Arizona we build out, not up, and a light-rail system just doesn't make sense."
Why would we continue to only build out when there is clearly a need and a demand for the convenience of a more urban lifestyle. I do love this state and am glad we have options. But, the narrow-mindedness of this article surprises me coming from a student run paper. From what I can tell, MANY students have embraced the idea of light rail.
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