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Broke Phoenix to Pay $14 Million Per 53 Passenger Light Rail Car ($260 Million Total) for Light Rail to Airport

I can hear the Phoenix light rail lovers and planning elites saying, “Deficit, what deficit?  We don’t care about no stinking $244 million deficit.”  Rome burns and Phoenix is cutting services (including bus and light rail service) left and right while raising taxes because of its $244 million deficit, but its investment in the light rail money pit continues at full speed.  The 4.8 mile extension of the light rail to service Phoenix Sky Harbor airport has a projected cost of $1.1 billion.  The Phoenix big spenders continue to live by the motto “its only money, but it’s not our money.”  The light rail  money is no object types must not know that Phoenix, Arizona and the United States are teetering on bankruptcy because they spend money they do not have.

In what appears to be an insult to American workers and businesses during these tough economic times, Phoenix will buy the light rail cars from a Canadian company rather than a U.S. company.  Valley Metro will enter into a $260 million contract with a Canadian firm, Bombardier Transportation Holdings USA, for 18 train cars and a maintenance facility.  That equates to $14,444,444 for each 36 foot long 53 passenger rail car.  I don’t know anything about the cost of rail cars, but that seems to be an extraordinarily high cost per car.

See “Phoenix unveils design of PHX Sky Train cars for Sky Harbor International Airport.”

See also “We’re too broke to be this stupid – Beleaguered taxpayers may finally put a stop to the sheer waste of government spending”

Metro Light Rail Cuts Hours, Hikes Waits While Phoenix City Council Flunks Math Test

Valley Metro will reduce its light rail service to save $1.6 million in operating expenses.  Metro has $33 million to spend lose for its fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010.

The Phoenix City Councel voted to pay $27 million that it does not have to Veolia Transportation so Veolia will cancel its current bus service contract with Phoenix and enter into a new five year contract that will cost Phoenix $388 million.  Veolia is one of three contractors that provide bus related services to Phoenix such as drivers and bus maintenance.  Phoenix has eliminated bus routes and cut bus services because of its massive $244 million budget deficit.

The Phoenix City Council is struggling with new math and bus service.  While saving some money and cutting bus services, the Phoenix City Council has concluded that paying $27 million now plus an additional $388 million over five years equals $5 million per year savings.  A a regional vice president for Veolia said:

“What the new contract will do is save the city $25 million over five years.”

Under the old math $25 million saved – a $27 million termination fee = a $2 million loss, but who’s paying attention?

Arizona Planners Unaware of Massive State & Phoenix Budget Deficits Causing Cities to Reduce Bus Services Plan to Expand Light Rail

The State of Arizona is $3.2 billion in the whole.  Phoenix has a budget deficit of $244 million.  Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, the three cities that participate in the 20 mile light rail system, are cutting bus services because of lack of funds.  Buses serve more people and cost substantially less than light rail.  A group of rail huggers is putting its head in the sand and planning on the future expansion of the Phoenix area light rail system.

Isn’t the goal of public transportation to move people?  Why would any city ever pay for light rail over bus service.  Buses are mobile and their routes can be adjusted to meet changes to maximize the number of riders and the areas served.  Light rail is fixed and cannot change its route to go where the riders are and take them to where they want to go.  Why would any responsible intelligent person ever chose rail over buses for transportation in a sprawling urban environment?  See the story in the Arizona Republic.

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