A Not So Light Rail

I had lunch at Portland's on Central a few weeks ago and I was pleased to see that most of the construction barriers were down.  However, without the barriers, I got my first good look at that small section of post-construction Central Avenue and realized that cars aren't going to be able to cross the tracks.  I guess that should have been obvious, but I can drive across railroad tracks in other parts of downtown, and I never imagined that Central would become a the state's longest No Left Turn lane. 

I made it to my lunch at Portlands, but I had to turn right and go to third street, then turn right again and get back on Roosevelt, cross Central at the light and sneak around Trinity Church.  Portlands was empty. 

I'm starting to worry about some of my downtown lunch spots.  I oftentimes host meetings in the Renaissance building and then bring a group down to Tom's Tavern.  I sheepishly ask Mike if I can get a table for ten and he rolls his eyes and does his best to help me out.  I brought in a group of six last Friday and we had our choice of tables.  I asked him about business, and it's clear that the construction is a real problem. My friends at Honeybears on Central are struggling as well.

Now we learn from today's Republic that Jordan's, a fixture in Downtown Phoenix for 60 years, is closing.   

These businesses are independently owned.  The guy who clears your table is the same guy who has his name on the mortgage.  Isn't that one of the factors that makes a downtown great?

Sure, the city offers help in the form of signage and loans but that's not going to offset a 50% decrease in business.

Maybe light rail will be successful.  But one thing's for sure; a lot of fine people are being hurt in the process. 

Comments

[vet66]

So begins the steady decline in the urban area as the 'light rail' hollows out the infrastructure. Riding the nostalgia rail will allow people a view of what used to be as they go forward to the 'end of the line!'

Present day Phoenix reminds me of Los Angeles a few decades ago. Phoenix is now one long corridor from Black Canyon heading through Phoenix towards Tucson, ultimately ending in Nogales. All we need now is another International airport in the Picacho area to take the heat off Phoenix and give FEDEX and UPS another place to land. Come to think of it, that would almost be at the junction of I-10 and I-8.

Meanwhile, in the 'burbs..

[netrootsdemocrat]

A Republican bemoaning the closure of local mom and pop businesses? Wow, that's a first. Hey, corporate America will just fill the vacuum with chain restaurants. Isn't this a good thing? Isn't that the natural order of the "free" enterprise system? Only the strong survive. The marketplace at work, right?

[Travis]

NetBlondeRootsDemocrat:

Isn't it just like a Democrat to not care the least about ANY BUSINESS that is destroyed - not by the free market - but by liberal idiocy that is deluded enough to think that a slow moving train clogging up the city streets is going to somehow clean the air? How stupid do you have to be to think that lightrail is "free market"? You've mistaken it for "free public money". The delusion of the Democrats has no shame and evidently no end.

[The Klute]

Travis,

You forgot the babies. We eat babies too. Using the silverware we buy at pennies on the dollar from failed restaurants!

Muahahahahaha!

[NICK]

Cars cross the tracks on San Diego streets.

what happened here?

[Faith]

Re: Honey Bears - if the City took down those stupid gates closing off Willo from the east, it would be easier to get in and out without using Central.

I have to deal with the constant construction on Central every day but nothing frustates me more than those damn gates.

[rory]

I agree Faith. Public streets should be just that, public.

[Joe]

There's quite a difference between a free marketplace and the govt running earthmovers up and down in front of your business for a few years.

[KPR]

Funny you were eating at 'Portlands'; while it is too late to put a stop to light rail in PHX, all undecided on the issue should pay a visit to, or begin reading about light rail in PDX.

The first light rail tracks were laid in Portland about 20 years ago. Since, various local, county and state governments have, often at different times, wanted the lines expanded. Nearly every time expansion has been put to a vote of the people, the governed have rejected the plan. Yet Tri-Met and the city and other agencies find ways around the votes and manage to spend and build anyway.

Today there are a grand total of 2 auto bridges connecting Portland to the state of Washington. Both are heavily clogged, esp. the I-5 bridge and its pitiful 6 total lanes of traffic. Yet residents were told that if we do not agree to build a new light rail line and bridge from Ore to Wash, we will not replace the Interstate bridge for at least 30 years.

Our roads (30 years ago the pride of the west coast) are crumbling; our freeways and major highways feature 4 TOTAL lanes for traffic; and we are busy paying to turn streets into bike only routes.

Jack Bodanski blogs (and does so quite well) about PDX issues. If you care to see what may be in the future for Phoenix, give it a look - just don't go looking for info in the 'Oregonian'. Were it a sane paper, it would find its bias shocking.

[ron]

Have you seen the insanity in front of the Chase Field and the US Airways Arena?

The light rail runs east on Jefferson in front of the both of these venues. That is great getting to the game.

However, to get back home you are going to have to walk to Washington to catch the westbound train.

This isn't going to work for those who are handicapped. I became aware of this because I take a handicapped "little brother" to about half a dozen games a year. I am still going to have to drive down because he can't walk to Washington and I know that the wheelchairs at the ball park can't leave the grounds.

This is progress???