Our light rail is a ‘fright’ rail

We hear a lot about “sustainability” these days, don’t we? Certainly transportation gets a lot of attention when it comes to sustainability because the development of roadways and the combustion of motor fuel is not sustainable.

Cities that take responsibility for transportation sustainability are often healthier places to live. Greenways for bike commutes and the construction of safe sidewalks ensure that we can get around using physical activity. We’re healthier as a result of sustainable transportation.

With one exception.

In October 1985, Maricopa County voters approved a sales tax increase to ensure a $5 million annual budget for regional transit service expansion. This set the stage for the development of a light rail which launched in 2008. Had I been eligible to vote at the time, I would have voted for that tax increase too.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have known that on Sunday the 28th of May, 2017, I would be assaulted on this light rail during a commute from Tempe to downtown Phoenix. I wouldn’t have known that my light rail car would be shot at during October of that year, and I would have been surprised to find out that within a year of THAT, I’d be accosted by a violent rider who takes issue with my attempt to help a passenger who had fallen - out of her wheelchair onto ME during a sudden stop at 38th Street.

Nope, I wouldn’t have known any of these things. Nor would my students — few of whom were around in 1985. And yet, fast-forward to 2018 and I hear their stories — many worse than mine. One of my athletes was groped during his commute to class. Several of my male students have evaded fistfights or have been reluctantly instrumental in breaking them up. My female students know better than to ride alone - certainly not after sunset.

I know that many readers do not want to know this but our light rail system here in the Valley is a mobile homeless shelter. It is unsafe and I hate using it. In a place where mental illness is high and social services are short, we built a freely-accessible, air-conditioned lodging that is minimally patrolled and maximally abused. This is not sustainable. This is not healthy.

Consequently, I now stand by those who want to put the brakes on light rail growth. If we could enjoy a safe, comfortable commute on our light rail, we’d remove cars from the road, improve our air quality, and perhaps develop economic focal points centered on light rail stops. But ten years into our effort and millions of dollars later, all we’ve done is to concentrate some of the most dangerous and volatile residents of our city into a system that threatens our students, intimidates our visitors, and is no healthier or more sustainable than taking a car.