PHOENIX — Phoenix residents have voted three times over the last 20 years to pay for a light rail line that reaches into Tempe and Mesa.
Now Phoenix residents are voting for a fourth time on light rail, but this time they're being asked to stop the lines in their tracks.
A "yes" vote on Prop. 105 on Aug. 27 would ban all light rail expansions. Phoenix tax dollars earmarked for light rail would instead be diverted to other transit improvements in the city.
A "no" vote on Prop. 105 would allow light rail expansions to move ahead.
On this weekend's "Sunday Square Off," we debate the initiative:
- For the "yes" side, Jeremiah Cota, of Building a Better Phoenix, which put the initiative on the ballot.
- On the "no" side, Shannon Scutari, a transportation and sustainability consultant.
We discuss:
- Why a systemwide ban is needed when the opposition to light rail is focused on the South Phoenix extension.
- How light rail has affected businesses and communities.
- Questions about the language in the ballot initiative. Why is it retroactive to 2018, and how would future light-rail improvements be paid for if Prop 105 passes.
Prop. 105 grew out of protests of the South Phoenix extension.
Business owners, residents and outside groups question the cost and impact of the extension south along central avenue. from downtown to baseline road.
Light-rail supporters argue true 26-mile system is a vital part of the Valley's transportation system and economy
"Sunday Square Off" airs at 8 a.m. Sundays on 12 News, after NBC's "Meet the Press" with Chuck Todd.