Arizona Republic:  “Imagine boarding a train in Queen Creek and arriving 35 minutes later at a restaurant on Tempe’s Mill Avenue, then hopping back on board for a 10-minute jaunt to Chase Stadium in downtown Phoenix.  That could be possibile someday, say transit planners with the Maricopa Association of Governments. . . . So, what’s the hold up? Money.”

MAG wants to spend money that nobody has so people in Queen Creek can dine on Mill Avenue and watch Diamondback games?  Why is that a reason to spend government money?  What about people in Queen Creek who want to shop at the Scottsdale Fashion Mall or go watch a Cardinals football game in Glendale?  Why doesn’t MAG want commuter rail for the people of Queen Creek for those destinations?  Why would government spend taxpayer money to benefit a select few businesses in Tempe and downtown Phoenix?  Aren’t there better ways to spend taxpayer money?

For more foolishness on this topic see “Regional planners recommend streetcar route in Tempe.”  Now the big spenders of other people’s money that the governments do not have justify building tracks down the middle of streets because the streetcars would connect to the money pit known as the light rail.  Note the bias for rail over buses.  Rail/streetcars would come by 2016, ten years before the cheaper, more efficient and flexible bus.  The story linked to starts:

“Regional transit planners are going to recommend to Tempe City Council that Tempe have a streetcar on Mill and Southern avenues by 2016 to connect the city to the light-rail. But Chandler may have to wait for a planned bus rapid transit route for the same purpose until 2026, according to a presentation by planners Tuesday.”

Related posts:

  1. Tempe & Valley Metro Train Police to Enforce Light Rail Fares in Tempe
  2. Arizona, Its Counties & Cities Have Massive Money Problems So Some Idiots Want Governments to Spend Money They Don’t Have to Build Passenger Rail from Wittmann to Queen Creek
  3. Arizona Planners Unaware of Massive State & Phoenix Budget Deficits Causing Cities to Reduce Bus Services Plan to Expand Light Rail
  4. Broke Phoenix to Pay $14 Million Per 53 Passenger Light Rail Car ($260 Million Total) for Light Rail to Airport
  5. Phoenix Valley Bus Riders Down 10 Million from Prior Year
  6. Bankrupt Phoenix Spends Taxpayer Money It Doesn’t Have to Build a Skate Park that Excludes Bikes
  7. California’s High Speed Rail to No Where a Monetary Black Hole for Bankrupt CA & US
  8. Phoenix Light-rail Expansion Plans Prove Divisive
  9. People Who Like to Spend Money Goverment Doesn’t Have on Economic Money Pits Now Wasting Money to Determine if Light Rail Should Expand to South Phoenix
  10. Mesa Unaware It Is Broke So It Plans to Borrow & Spend Taxpayers Money to Build an Annual Money Losing Sink Hole aka Extension of the Light Rail