By Josh Kelety | Phoenix New Times
Roughly two years after the Phoenix City Council scuttled a proposed light rail line in west Phoenix, it’s looking like the plan might be getting revived.
Some quick background: In 2015, Phoenix voters approved a whopping $31 billion in funding to invest in transportation infrastructure, ranging from bike lanes to frequency bus routes, as part of a plan called Transportation 2050. Included in that was funding for an additional 42 miles of light rail track and stations, including a line to west Phoenix. The idea was to extend the existing light rail line on Camelback Road west past Grand Canyon University at North 35th Avenue.
But the theoretical west Phoenix route was effectively killed in 2019 after the Phoenix City Council voted to use an estimated $153 million that was originally intended for light rail development for road projects instead, according to the Arizona Republic. In a 5-3 vote, the council approved a citizen petition that sought to stop the west Phoenix line after business owners in west Phoenix objected to the project.
