City opts for seat at Valley light-rail planning table

Scottsdale will join the group that oversees the Valley’s light-rail plans in order to pursue future study of running a transit system up Scottsdale Road.

The City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to become the seventh city to be part of Valley Metro Rail, or METRO, despite hearing from a number of residents opposing the city’s pursuit of light rail or modern streetcars.

Council members said they wanted the possibility of Scottsdale becoming involved in a new study of a proposed 2-mile light-rail extension route on Rural Road, south from University Drive. The city’s cost will be $50,000 a year to participate in METRO planning and policy-making.

“We need to be part of the policy discussion and know what other cities are doing,” Mayor Mary Manross said. “At the end of the day, we are connected to neighbors.”

Councilman Bob Littlefield cast the only dissenting vote. “If light rail is not about congestion, why should we spend one dime to keep the option open?” Littlefield asked.

He was referring to comments made by the city’s Transportation Master Plan’s consultant, HDR Engineering senior vice president Charles Hales, that light rail or streetcar was not needed to relieve Scottsdale Road congestion. The plan, however, encouraged further study.

After the council agreed to join the group, a separate motion to eliminate light rail as an option on Scottsdale Road failed on 3-4 vote, with Councilmen Jim Lane and Tony Nelssen joining Littlefield in supporting the motion.

The Tempe South study is under way and expected to take two years to complete, said John Farry, a METRO spokesman. The federally defined Tempe South study will be used in selecting final alignment and high-capacity transit that may or may not be light rail, Farry said. Public meetings are set to start early next year.

While voters have approved a light-rail extension on Rural Road, the study area encompasses a larger area roughly bordered by Kyrene Road, Loop 101 and Chandler Boulevard.

“Once Scottsdale is fully on board, we’ll sit down and have a discussion about what it is they want to look at, and determine what additional costs would be involved at looking at anything beyond what the Tempe South study is currently looking at,” Farry said.

Today, no extensions are planned in Scottsdale.

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

Also Tuesday, the council agreed not to pursue a reversible lane on Indian School Road and not to expand Scottsdale and Pima roads to six lanes north of Happy Valley Road.

A final vote to adopt the Transportation Master Plan is expected in January.