Subject: West Valley mayors eye light-rail route changes 
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 8:31 PM

West Valley mayors eye light-rail route changes 
Jonathan J. Higuera
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 12, 2006 12:00 AM 
WEST VALLEY - Light-rail extension plans may have been approved after an
exhaustive process, but several West Valley mayors would not mind seeing the
plans revisited if it would help alleviate traffic woes in their gridlocked
cities.

Their opinions came after it was revealed the Maricopa Association of
Governments is studying the feasibility and need to change future routes.
While that study will not be complete until next year, several mayors said
it would be worth the effort to revise the routes if a case can be made that
the currently proposed extension lines will not meet traffic and population
needs when finished.

Currently, plans call for running light rail along Interstate 10 west to
79th Avenue. Another West Valley route calls for it to go to downtown
Glendale. Both those extensions are scheduled to be in place sometime
between 2016 and 2020, according to Valley Metro plans.

But Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs recently said she would like to see it go
to the new Cardinals Stadium, possibly bypassing downtown Glendale. She also
likes the idea of running it to Arizona State University West on the
Phoenix-Glendale border at 47th Avenue and Thunderbird Road. Another change
being studied would continue a route along I-10 further west, possibly to
Loop 101 and north to Cardinals Stadium.

If any changes were made, they would require a lengthy process of approvals
and review.

"I'm sure we could change the plans, but it would take a majority of MAG to
agree to it," said Goodyear Mayor Jim Cavanaugh, who chairs MAG's executive
committee. "It has impacts beyond light rail. It might also change surface
streets and freeway plans. But if it shows that it is a better thought
process than other options, then we as representatives of the people should
consider it."

He added that any changes will be contested.

"Many people will be concerned about changing a plan approved a couple of
years ago - and only six months into it," Cavanaugh said.

Changing the routes would require amending the Regional Transportation Plan.
To do that, MAG would need to get approval from numerous agencies and
municipalities, including Valley Metro, the state Board of Transportation,
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Indian communities and cities and
towns, said Dana Tranberg, a lobbyist for the city of Glendale who works
with MAG and Valley Metro. The high threshold to change the plans should not
deter officials from pursuing options, she said, noting Glendale's growth.

"There is going to be significant employment around the stadium area that we
are anticipating," she said. "Those factors will be considered when we get
all that information together."

Avondale Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers would likely favor extending light rail
farther west along I-10, but has a lot of unanswered questions. Her
community borders I-10 starting at 99th Avenue.