SB1332 Now: light rail expansion; feasibility review (Kavanagh) seeks to undermine light rail by requiring a biased study and attempting to pit it against other forms of transportation. Requiring an analysis that compares light rail and autonomous or semiautonomous vehicles is an apples to oranges comparison and provides no real beneficial information or benefits to our communities. How would that information be appropriately used? We think it will not.
Light rail is not in competition with other forms of transportation but rather augments them and is especially important to coordinate with buses, plus it is a key component of our transit system in the Phoenix area. Light rail provides significant benefits and can help reduce congestion, provide affordable transportation for those who do not drive, provide air quality benefits by keeping some vehicles off the road, and help provide economic activity along light rail routes. The light rail in Phoenix also helps provide access to nature as the south central route allows more people to take light rail to the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area.
It's not like there are no studies on light rail either. Just visit the Valley Metro page and you will find several. And people use light rail. In FY 2025, the total annual rail ridership was 9,858,600.
The state does not fund light rail, so it has no business undercutting local efforts to provide a more complete transportation system.
Ask your representatives to vote NO on SB1332!
