[Source: Cecilia Chan, Arizona Republic] — A proposal for commuter rail service that would carry passengers between downtown Phoenix and Wickenburg is picking up steam. The Maricopa Association of Governments Executive Committee this week hired URS to come up with detailed options to implement commuter service along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway line on the Grand Avenue corridor. The firm, which is based in San Francisco and has an office in Phoenix, also will look at such components as cost and potential ridership. “It would allow people who live here to travel quickly to the urban center, which is Tempe, Mesa, and downtown Phoenix,” said Peoria Councilman Ron Aames, who sits on the MAG Transportation Policy Committee. Aames said that the population of Maricopa County is expected to double over the next 25 years and that “we need to move things forward to reduce congestion and pollution. It’s a win-win all around.”
The study will commence in the next six to eight weeks and take a year to complete, said Kevin Wallace, MAG Transit Program manager. Meetings to solicit public input and provide updates will be held as the study develops, he said. The study will look at what capital improvements are needed, where to site stations and how to tie commuter rail in with buses and light rail. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 