You could laugh at the stupidity of some of the land use decisions made in the Phoenix area if they weren't so sad. Witness the struggles of Glendale and Phoenix as they try to figure out how to overcome the brutal mistake of placing University of Phoenix Stadium too far outside the urban core.
The issue reared its head as Glendale has expressed its interest in connecting the light rail system to the stadium, probably by running the train up the loop 101 from I-10. While this is a questionable decision because it uses light rail on freeways-- eliminating any opportunities for transit-oriented development on city streets, including Glendale's own downtown-- it also clearly exposes the stupidity of putting the football stadium so far away from the center of the metro area.
For those who have forgotten, Glendale ended up with the stadium after the initial site-- located in Tempe along what is now the light rail line-- was scuttled by concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration and the City of Phoenix that the stadium's proposed location in the stadium flight path was a hazard to jets taking off from the airport. The Glendale site ended up chosen almost by default as several other sites, including one in downtown Phoenix, dropped out of contention. (By the way, I have long argued that it was a positive move for downtown Phoenix that the stadium went elsewhere.)
So here we are in 2009. The stadium was built at 91st Avenue and Glendale just inside the Loop 101, where land was empty and cheap and accessible only by freeway. Meanwhile, light rail has initially proven quite successful, and places like Glendale and Mesa are clamoring for extensions into their cities. And now it's deemed a priority to bring light rail to the stadium, as Glendale and Phoenix attempt to marry the suburban, sprawled-out stadium with urban mass transit. While it's questionable how successful that arrangement will be, if it happens, there's no doubt it's going to be expensive-- the initial estimate for the additional track is $224 million.
So that's $224 million that strapped taxpayers could have avoided spending had our planners had some foresight just a few years ago and placed the stadium in Tempe or somewhere else on or near the light rail path. Hopefully future Phoenix-area land use decisions will be a little more informed now that light rail is here to stay.
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2 comments:
I wish the original Tempe site had worked out. It was central and along the path of light rail, but it would not have demolished an emerging arts district in the way that the Downtown Phoenix proposal would have.
With light rail an obvious success, we should see more businesses and attractions gravitate toward it, and to some extent we are. What's troubling, however, is when far-flung destinations expect light rail to come to them. This is true not only of the Glendale sports arenas, but also of the planned Gaylord resort in far southeast Mesa.
As regards the Glendale light rail route, ideally I'd like to see it serve both Downtown Glendale and the sports facilities. If a choice has to be made, however, I'd choose Downtown Glendale. A walkable district of independent businesses is timeless and will not go out of style if properly cared for. Sports venues, on the other hand, are always vulnerable to team relocations, player strikes, and even leagues going out of business. Imagine building a light rail line to a sports venue only to have no sports being played there?
Why Tempe? they have enough stuff going on. They don't need more crime and garbage. Downtown Phoenix needs the attention and the people. Glendale as well. They should just drop it somewhere in Scottsdale and upset all the rich people
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