Light Rail Blues - Part One

As a professional cab driver, I am really starting to become revolted by the traffic hassles being caused by the construction of a light rail system here in the Phoenix Metro area. As near I can tell, even when the first line of the system is completed, the situation will not improve to any great degree. Allow me to explain.

A long time ago, when the earth was green and the air was fresh, which is to say prior to World War II, Phoenix had a trolley system in the downtown area, with some extensions into what were then the suburbs. It was no technological wonder by any means, but it worked well at doing what it was designed to do: moving people from here to there in a relatively efficient and convenient manner. The tracks ran down the middle of various city streets, but were not much of an impediment to other street traffic, mostly because cars were not as widely common as they are today.

As our country in general, and Phoenix in particular, became more affluent, personal automobiles became more and more common, even for those in the lower socio-economic classes. So more and more and more people came to own more and more cars, competing for space on the city streets. But even though there were more and more people and more and more cars, there wasn't more and space on the city streets. For a while, this wasn't a problem, so nobody thought that something had to be done.

Over time, as the population of our fair city increased, so to did the population of automobiles. People, being people, are generally not content to stay where they are. They want to go places. And people, being people, are generally not content to be patient about getting to wherever it is they want to go. They want to leave now, and get there five minutes ago. I don't know why they wanted to be there five minutes ago. Surely nobody else would be there yet; they were probably stuck in traffic. So they'd just have to stand around and wait for everybody else to get there. But that's want they wanted.

Now cars, being cars, are more than happy to fulfill the function for which they have been designed, which is of course to move people from here to there. Right now. If properly cared for, they are more than willing to drop whatever it is that they do when they are not moving, and take their owners to wherever it is that their owners want to go. Right now. Of course, being cars and not time machines, they cannot get there five minutes ago. But, cars understand their shortcomings, and do not fret over the time concerns of their owners.

The natural result of all the people going places, and all the cars taking them there, was that our city streets became more and more crowded. The situation became intolerable. Something had to be done.

What was done was the trolley system was removed. I do not know exactly where this occured, but I'm pretty sure that the last trolley bell was rung in Phoenix over fifty years ago.

But of course, the population of both people and cars increased. Traffic became more and crowded. All the space created by the removal of the trolley was used up. People did not want to drive less; they wanted to drive more. They wanted to go now. And get there five minutes ago. Something had to be done.

So, about twenty years ago, or so, a comprehensive freeway system began to be built in the Metro area. Today, most places in the Phoenix Metro area are within just a few miles of a freeway on ramp. But of course, at the same time that more and more freeway miles were built, the population, people and cars, increased. More and more. And more. And then, of course, some more.

The freeways were becoming more and more crowded. But the sales tax enacted by a vote of the people, enabling the freeways to be built, expired. But people wanted more freeways. Something had to be done.

What was done was that additional funding was approved. But it came with a couple of caveats. The bus system was to be expanded. And a light rail system was to be built.

Now, I have written a brief thumbnail sketch of the situation, and to be fair, I may have gotten some of the facts wrong. But, as I understand it, the essence was that if people wanted more freeways, they would also have to have light rail.

I am not opposed to mass transit. I am also not opposed to light rail. I'm all for it. In theory. To be sure, I would much prefer a rapid transit system. But we are not getting "rapid transit." We are getting "light rail."

Our light rail system is being built at grade level. In the middle of the street. Along currently exisiting bus lines. Where traffic is already crowded.

But, something had to be done.
Will this being an improvement to our current traffic woes? I'll examine this issue in my next installment.

Meanwhile, try to increase your store of patience. Upgrade the sound system in your car, and buy more CDs. With longer songs. Maybe get some books on tape. Try walking short distances, or getting a bicycle.

Here's an idea, self-serving as it may be: call a cab. I'm all for that.

But don't imagine that travel times are going to get shorter any time soon.

Sincerely,

The Cab Guy