Arizona Republic: “Veolia Transportation is laying off 20 people this month as a result of budget cuts Tempe made to its bus operations. . . . Restructuring and cuts to bus routes are estimated to save $1.2 million annually. Reductions to Tempe’s light-rail services are estimated to save $378,000 annually.”
Arizona Republic: “Phoenix City Council adopted a 2010-11 operating budget [of $3.05 billion] . . . . Phoenix has worked to manage a $277.3 million budget shortfall. . . . Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said the city has learned to do ‘more with less’ and that the results of this year’s budget process are good news. . . . ‘” Council woman Peggy Neely who voted against the budget said, “I worry if the current budget is even sustainable,” According to the Republic story, Neely “aid the city used several one-time financial transactions to balance the budget and is worried that revenue projections might not hold.”
Phoenix Business Journal: “Veolia Transportation [a subsidiary of a French ompany] has won a five-year, $386 million contract to provide bus management services to the city of Phoenix Public Transit Department, operating from the city’s north and south transit facilities.” Two questions:
Arizona Republic: “The Valley Metro board of directors on Thursday unanimously approved cuts in bus services because of declining revenues.”
Arizona Republic: “Imagine boarding a train in Queen Creek and arriving 35 minutes later at a restaurant on Tempe’s Mill Avenue, then hopping back on board for a 10-minute jaunt to Chase Stadium in downtown Phoenix. That could be possibile someday, say transit planners with the Maricopa Association of Governments. . . . So, what’s the hold up? Money.”
MAG wants to spend money that nobody has so people in Queen Creek can dine on Mill Avenue and watch Diamondback games? Why is that a reason to spend government money? What about people in Queen Creek who want to shop at the Scottsdale Fashion Mall or go watch a Cardinals football game in Glendale? Why doesn’t MAG want commuter rail for the people of Queen Creek for those destinations? Why would government spend taxpayer money to benefit a select few businesses in Tempe and downtown Phoenix? Aren’t there better ways to spend taxpayer money?
For more foolishness on this topic see “Regional planners recommend streetcar route in Tempe.” Now the big spenders of other people’s money that the governments do not have justify building tracks down the middle of streets because the streetcars would connect to the money pit known as the light rail. Note the bias for rail over buses. Rail/streetcars would come by 2016, ten years before the cheaper, more efficient and flexible bus. The story linked to starts:
“Regional transit planners are going to recommend to Tempe City Council that Tempe have a streetcar on Mill and Southern avenues by 2016 to connect the city to the light-rail. But Chandler may have to wait for a planned bus rapid transit route for the same purpose until 2026, according to a presentation by planners Tuesday.”