Latest news with #Proposition479
Axios
09-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Light rail service to south Phoenix gets underway
Light rail in the Valley entered a new era over the weekend when the first train traversed the system's south Phoenix expansion. The big picture: A 5.5-mile extension that runs south along Central Avenue from downtown Phoenix opened Saturday. The extension has eight stations, with Central and Baseline Road marking the end of the line. The light rail system now has 35 miles of track. Federal funds covered about half the cost of the $1.3 billion project, with revenue from the Proposition 400 transportation tax and the city paying for much of the rest. Why it matters: About 44% of area residents have limited or no access to cars, according to Valley Metro. Jessica Mefford-Miller, CEO of Valley Metro, which runs the light rail system, noted the new line is a bridge across the Salt River, making it "a literal" and "symbolic connection" between south Phoenix and the rest of the metro area. Valley Metro expects the extension to add more than 8,000 daily riders to the system, which averages about 32,000 boardings per day. Driving the news: A large crowd gathered Saturday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "I believe the expansion will do justice for the people out here. Providing opportunities to get downtown, and also for people downtown to come down here," an attendee named Lindsay told ABC15. Zoom in: The south Phoenix extension was not the only major change to the light rail over the weekend. The system is now separated into A and B lines, with the former running east to west from downtown Mesa to downtown Phoenix, and the latter north to south from Metro Parkway to south Phoenix. Riders can switch lines at the new downtown Phoenix transit hub, which also opened Saturday. There are 14 new trains, which will now arrive at stations every 12 minutes, down from 15. Catch up quick: Construction began in 2019 and was originally expected to be completed in 2023, but the pandemic and other factors meant delays. What they're saying: "This is us really growing up in the world," Mefford-Miller told Axios. The intrigue: When Republican lawmakers referred Proposition 479 — the renewal of the regional transportation tax — to the 2024 ballot, they included a provision prohibiting the money from being used to extend light rail. Yes, but: Cities can still use local and federal funds to lay more tracks. What's next: Valley Metro, which runs the light rail system, has grand expansion plans. The Capitol Extension will run along Washington and Jefferson streets to 15th Avenue next to the Arizona Supreme Court. An environmental review and design processes are underway. The I-10 West Extension will connect to the Capitol area and will largely run along the freeway median, ending at the Desert Sky Transit Center at Thomas Road and 79th Avenue. That project is still in the planning phase. Valley Metro is also looking to expand the Tempe streetcar system into Mesa.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The $14.9 billion you paid for road projects could end up outside Arizona
As working Arizonans who care deeply about our communities, we watched with pride as voters approved Proposition 479 last November, extending Maricopa County's transportation funding for another 20 years. This landmark investment will generate $14.9 billion for critical transportation infrastructure, creating more than 31,000 jobs annually and saving businesses $1.6 billion each year through improved efficiency. But securing funding is just the first step. How we spend these taxpayer dollars matters just as much as the projects themselves. For critical public investments like roads to truly benefit Arizona, a few key principles must guide spending. First, we must build projects once and do them right. When properly skilled construction workers earn fair wages for their challenging jobs, the result is quality work that lasts. Second, Arizona must prioritize heat safety. With weeks of 110-degree temperatures becoming commonplace, our workers need proper hydration, shade access and rest breaks. While Phoenix and Tucson recently passed heat safety ordinances for city contractors, we need comprehensive statewide protections. Yet multiple bills addressing heat safety have failed in our Legislature, even as heat-related deaths continue to increase. Arizona has no heat standard requirement, so the Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health uses the federal 'general duty' clause and an 'emphasis program' to encourage worker safety compliance. It isn't enough. Third, we need meaningful oversight for government-funded projects. Unlike neighboring states, Arizona's minimal public works standards create a troubling accountability gap for taxpayer dollars. Without requirements for in-state hiring on taxpayer-funded projects, Arizona dollars frequently flow out of state instead of strengthening our local economy. The absence of comprehensive verification systems also allows contractors to operate without proper training documentation, skip essential safety protocols like regular drug testing and pay wages that drive skilled workers away from these critical professions. These oversight failures not only shortchange workers but ultimately cost taxpayers more through compromised quality and premature infrastructure failures. Fourth, we must respect skilled trades. With nearly 200,000 jobs available and 41% of Arizona construction workers expected to retire by 2031, our state faces a workforce crisis that's delaying projects and driving up costs. Gov. Katie Hobbs recently announced additional investment in apprenticeships, which is a step in the right direction to address Arizona's critical construction labor shortage. While these apprenticeship investments help build our talent pipeline, they must be paired with safer working conditions and competitive wages to be truly effective. Opinion: Proposition 479 is how we fight annoying traffic and potholes Without addressing dangerous heat conditions and ensuring fair compensation, we'll continue to train workers who leave for better opportunities in neighboring states. Even worse, without proper standards, out-of-state contractors routinely bring less-qualified workers from elsewhere, taking Arizona taxpayer money back to California or New Mexico or elsewhere when projects finish. The passage of Proposition 479 demonstrated Arizonans' commitment to building a better future. Now, it's time to ensure these dollars create not just roads and bridges, but good jobs, strong families and thriving communities. We call upon local, regional and state policymakers to enact changes ensuring that our infrastructure funding adheres to these principles. Together, let's strengthen oversight, improve safety standards, and put Arizona workers and businesses first. Building Arizona's tomorrow starts with the right foundations today. Build it once, and do it right. Herb Tiffany IV is a fourth-generation leader and project manager at Tiffany Construction. Jacob Irizarry is a heavy machine operator and a member of the Operating Engineers Local 12 in Phoenix. They are members of Rise Arizona, a coalition of construction companies and skilled trades professionals. Reach them at info@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Heat, lax oversight puts Phoenix area road projects at risk | Opinion
Axios
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
State Route 30 aims to relieve traffic congestion for booming West Valley
If you commute to and from the southwest Valley, the Phoenix area's next major freeway should make your drive a bit easier, though it'll be a while before it's a reality. The big picture: The West Valley is in the midst of a massive population boom and has some of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. State Route 30 will be the Valley's next new freeway. The Tres Rios Freeway, as SR 30 will also be known, will eventually run 29 miles south of Interstate 10, from the Durango Curve on Interstate 17 south of downtown Phoenix to State Route 85 in Buckeye. It aims to serve as a reliever for I-10. Why it matters: Rush-hour traffic on I-10 west of downtown Phoenix is often a bumper-to-bumper mess, which makes commuting a daunting prospect. That segment of I-10 is the most congested freeway in the region, critical for both commuters and commerce between the Valley and California, said John Bullen, assistant executive director for the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). Zoom in: SR 30 will have three segments: East — Durango Curve to Loop 202 Center — Loop 202 to Loop 303 West — Loop 303 to State Route 85 State of play: The first segment of SR 30 to go under construction will be the center, which MAG views as the most important of the three. Bullen told Axios the first stretch to be built will run from the Durango Curve to around 97th Avenue. Construction on that portion is expected to begin around early 2027, and will take two to three years. The full center segment could take as long as a decade to complete. Reality check: The full SR 30 project is likely to last at least 20 years, possibly longer, Bullen said. There's no timeline for construction of the eastern and western segments and the Arizona Department of Transportation is still acquiring some of the needed rights-of-way. Meanwhile, construction on the extension of Loop 303 south of I-10 will begin this summer and is expected to take three years, Bullen said. SR 30 will eventually link up with the extended Loop 303. By the numbers: Much of the funding for SR 30 will come from Proposition 479, the transportation sales tax extension that Maricopa County voters approved last November. The 20-year half-cent sales tax will fund 331 miles of new freeways and highways, in addition to 1,000 miles of new or improved arterial lane miles. It will also pay for nearly 12 new miles of light rail and over 28 miles of new bus service. MAG expects the projects funded by Prop. 479 to reduce the average afternoon commute by one-third and reduce congestion by 51,000 hours on critical freight corridors daily. What they're saying: "With Prop. 479 passing last year, now we're starting to talk about that State Route 30 and that being the I-10 reliever. That is critically important, not just to Buckeye and Goodyear and Avondale and Tolleson and Phoenix, but for commerce coming in and out of metro Phoenix," Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn told Axios recently.
