Mayor, city leaders ride light rail into Mesa

Light rail rolled into Mesa with the city's first passengers Wednesday morning — an inaugural ride kicked off with Mayor Scott Smith behind the wheel.

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City and business leaders gathered early in the morning for a 25-minute preview ride from Valley Metro light rail's operations facility in east Phoenix through Tempe and then onto Mesa's .96-mile of rail to the East Valley's end-of-line station at Sycamore and Main Street.

Templar: Mesa's light-rail future depends on more track

Smith, an experienced pilot, got behind the wheel of the train and drove it through the first half-mile to the end of the maintenance yard.

“Is everyone still alive?" he said to the curious crowd of a couple of dozen as he stepped back from the driver's seat.

"That was fun," he added, comparing it to an X-Box game. "No one should get paid for actually doing that."

Driver Carmon Wright took over as the train continued into Mesa - honking lightly as it passed intersections and onlookers.

The train pulled out onto Washington Street from the depot and onto tracks largely in the middle of busy roads, over Tempe Town Lake and looping around Arizona State University. It smoothly sped up to as much as 40 mph, matching speed limits. Average speeds are 22 mph, including stops.

City officials hailed the coming rail, even though its trip through Mesa isn't even a full mile. Smith, who was among leaders who recently visited Denver and tested the light rail there, said it could change people's daily routines.

"People don't realize, but it changes their habits," Smith said.

Addressing a crowd after debarking the train around 10 a.m., Smith said, "This is the start of something great. Light rail changes a community."

City and Valley Metro officials predict that it will draw business to the area, alleviate freeway congestion and rush-hour stress, and help residents reduce gasoline consumption.

City Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh, whose district includes the rail line, called the ride "incredibly smooth" and said he'd already made plans to take it to ASU games since it passes right by Sun Devil Stadium.

The ride was "thrilling," said Stephanie Wright, co-chairwoman of the Mesa Grande Alliance, which advocates on behalf of west Mesa residents. She said the area needs the help to prompt an economic upturn, and many residents are eager for the new option to get to work or sporting events.

Mesa is still studying with Valley Metro whether to expand the rail three miles into Mesa, and whether that expansion should go directly through downtown Main Street, or be diverted to First Avenue or First Street through downtown.

Crystal Russell, chairwoman of the Downtown Mesa Association, said businesses already struggling downtown could go out of business if they have to suffer through construction - causing Mesa to end up with chain stores instead of the unique shops it has now. She argued that First Avenue is a better route to prevent harm to Main Street and help develop the side streets to become an extension of the downtown business core.

"It's going to be very painful for the downtown people, especially those on Main Street," she said. "Main Street right now is struggling."

But Smith said that diverting the rail from Main Street could also alter the downtown, and make First Avenue the "new downtown."

As the train traveled toward Mesa, he joined other passengers and debated the future of rail, arguing that ultimately it should go all the way to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, a key economic niche for the city.

Sally Downey, superintendent of the East Valley Institute of Technology, predicted that light rail will bring more adult students to a growing number of night training programs offered at the Mesa campus, located just east of the end of the line at Longmore and Main Street.