There have been rumors that the light rail would be expanding in to Scottsdale. With the recent construction on Scottsdale Rd and McDowell I also wondered if a light rail system would be going in sometime in the near future.
According to Vice Mayor Virginia Korte, it has been about 10 years since the city has had a significant dialogue about changes to mass transit. In many Scottsdale circles the mere mention of “light rail” sparks strong feelings. The general public sentiment is to keep it away although proponents say that not having a mass transit system will cause the city to fall behind the times.
A Scottsdale native and former mayoral candidate, John Washington has this to say about light rail coming to Scottsdale. “If you look at the data, light rail makes much less sense than investing in our existing bus system. It’s cheaper, more flexible, and won’t put any one out of business during a protracted construction stage.”
I certainly don’t want to spark a yelling match, but I would enjoy a solid debate about the pros and cons of adding a light rail or other mass transit system to Scottsdale. Do you think it will help or hurt property values of nearby homes if a system is ever put in to place? What are other options? Feel free to comment…
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