At the eastern end of the light-rail line in Mesa, Omar Torres and Howard Gaebel sell hot dogs, snacks and drinks to passersby in the summer heat. Their business, a hot-dog stand called Metro Dog, owes its existence to the light-rail system. Torres and Gaebel brag that they sell their products to hundreds of customers a day, most are getting on and off the train.
Metro Dog is an example of the positive impact the system had on local businesses, something its advocates at Valley Metro have talked up since the beginning of construction in 2005.