By Gary Nelson | East Valley Tribune
The first leg of light rail opened in late 2008, traversing Tempe and poking only a mile or so into Mesa’s west side.
It was one of the most legendary roads in America.
Winding from Virginia to downtown Los Angeles, old U.S. 60 carried generations of families across the country and right through the neon-lit hearts of Tempe and Mesa.
The remains of that highway are now called Apache Boulevard in Tempe, and Main Street in Mesa. Aging motels, trailer parks, car-sales lots and auto repair shops are reminders of its heyday.
