Findings: Light rail, streetcar not needed to relieve congestion

A light rail or streetcar system along Scottsdale Road is not needed to relieve congestion through the southern part of the city, but should be further studied and would fulfill the general plan by giving residents a choice on how to travel.

Those were the conclusions of HDR Engineering senior vice president Charles Hales, who presented his Transportation Master Plan recommendations to the Scottsdale City Council on Tuesday during a study session. No final decisions were made.

Hales said while Scottsdale’s transit-dependent population is small, people will ride high-capacity transit if it’s high quality. He said it’s been shown elsewhere that workers will ride bus-rapid transit to work and rail transit to places other than work. It could also lead to more development and connections to other cities.

“If it only had to do with taking cars off the road, we would do two to three projects in a year rather than 40,” Hales said after the meeting.

Hales’ conclusion that congestion relief would not be the primary reason for installing a fixed-rail line — at costs of between $60 million and $70 million a mile for light rail — did not sit well with the council members who are on the record opposing light rail.

“The answer is not fixed-rail, it’s buses,” said Councilman Bob Littlefield, saying light rail was uglier, disruptive and inflexible.

The transportation report recommends further study of light rail, modern streetcar and bus rapid transit along Scottsdale Road from the Tempe border through downtown, with the light-rail option using either Drinkwater or Goldwater boulevards through the downtown area. A majority of council members support keeping these options open.

The report does not give a recommendation on what option would be best for Scottsdale. Hales said all the options could work, but that it should be left up to the community to decide.

The council has agreed to call an election before selecting a high-capacity transit option for Scottsdale Road.

The initial 20-mile, $1.4 billion light-rail line through Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa is set to open in December 2008.

The council did not take a position Tuesday on the Indian School Road reversible lane concept between downtown and Loop 101. Another issue to be decided is whether to widen Scottsdale Road to six lanes between Pinnacle Peak and the Carefree Highway. The report also supports adding more bike lanes, roundabouts and public art and to not pursue a tunnel project under the Scottsdale Airport but rather improve access. Scottsdale is planning two open houses over the next week.

The tentative proposal had the council adopting the plan in November, but that could be pushed back to December or January, O’Connor said.