Voters deserve chance to halt transit extension

It has been 17 months since our group, 4 Lanes or No Train, organized to oppose the light-rail project along Central Avenue in south Phoenix. Coming together to oppose the project wasn’t easy. No one in our group has any experience in politics and we weren’t even sure how we could express our concerns.

What we did know was that no one told us of the negative effects light rail would have on the south Phoenix community. It was never mentioned by the city in any of the literature proposing the expansion of the light rail in Proposition 104 that:

The proposed light rail line would reduce Central Avenue from four lanes to two.

Construction of the light-rail line would take at least four years to complete, a timeline that will force many of us into bankruptcy or to relocate.

The completed project will restrict access to businesses along Central Avenue.

These were just some of our concerns. As we learned more about light rail, we discovered its exorbitant cost (over $140 million per mile) and that it offers slower transit service than our current bus system. We also found out that we are not alone. As more facts have emerged, light-rail expansion is now opposed by residents and community groups throughout the city.

Over 5,000 residents in May signed our petition opposing the south Phoenix project and asked the city council to reconsider. We held packed community meetings where residents were overwhelmingly against the project. But instead of listening to our concerns, the politicians and special interests that profit from light rail have doubled down on their deceit.

Contrary to lies being told by politicians, Valley Metro and rich special interests, we are not being led by the Koch brothers or any other group. It is incredibly insulting that the politicians making these false attacks have never even bothered to meet with us or attend our forums. They attack our motives without addressing the concerns we have raised. This is probably to avoid scrutiny that these same elected officials have received hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years in contributions from contractors and developers who will financially benefit from light rail. That is the master that they serve, not the residents of south Phoenix.

Since city hall has ignored our concerns and is determined to railroad south Phoenix, our group decided to propose an initiative that will give voters the opportunity to decide the future of the light rail. The Building a Better Phoenix Act is simple: Instead of spending our tax dollars on the disastrous expansion of light rail, the money would be used for much-needed infrastructure improvements throughout the city.

Ending the expansion of light rail will free up billions that can be spent on fixing streets and sidewalks, expanding bus and Dial-a-Ride service, improved lighting and other needed transportation projects. And to ensure that residents can’t be manipulated in the future, a citizens transportation committee will be tasked with soliciting public input and reviewing all future transportation expenditures made by the city.

Building a Better Phoenix is committed to exposing the truth about the light rail and giving residents a better choice. We have also decided that our committee will not accept one dollar from the Koch brothers or any affiliate group to pay for the 20,510 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. This likely won’t end the lies about our group, but it is a decision that we feel strongly about.

This will be an uphill climb, but we are motivated and will not back down to the greedy politicians, contractors and special interests that want to ruin our community. The destructive expansion of light rail must be stopped.

Jade Contreras and Byron Waldrep are the chairman and treasurer for Building a Better Phoenix. Contreras is a student from south Phoenix and Waldrep is the manager of a south Phoenix fish-and-chips shop. Reach them at southmountain4lanesnotrain@gmail .com.