by Emily Gersema – Jul. 16, 2011
The Arizona Republic
Metro light rail held two open houses recently in a neighborhood west of the state Capitol to address residents’ questions about its recommended 11-mile west extension, but turnout was small.
The proposal under consideration by Metro’s advisory board involves laying track on Jefferson Street beginning at Central Avenue, then past the Capitol and state buildings to the Black Canyon Freeway. It would proceed north to Interstate 10 and then run west to 79th Avenue.
While at one of the open houses on Wednesday, Terry Gruver of Metro light rail said officials have had to use a different tactic to connect with residents in the St. Matthew Neighborhood: walking door to door.
To draw residents to the open houses at Neighborhood Ministries, 19th Avenue and Van Buren Street, Metro officials left door hangers at the homes along Jefferson Street from 19th Avenue to the Black Canyon Freeway, Gruver said. The hangers were written in English and Spanish.
St. Matthew Neighborhood is the largest residential area that would be affected by the proposal. The rest of the route would parallel freeways. But Metro is facing some difficulties communicating with the St. Matthew neighbors that it did not encounter when proposing the current line, which runs from Phoenix to Tempe and Mesa.
The high-poverty St. Matthew Neighborhood, sandwiched by Fillmore and Jackson streets, the Black Canyon Freeway and 19th Avenue, is comprised primarily of renters and some homeowners. Most residents are Latino blue-collar workers, and many of them speak no English. Many do not have computers at home, which for Metro means e-mail updates are ineffective.
One neighbor, John Maurin, opposes the extension because he believes it will hurt the historic homes in the neighborhood. He collected 250 petition signatures to oppose Metro’s idea. Some businesses along the Black Canyon Freeway are on his side, as is the group, Downtown Voices Coalition.
Ian Danley, a pastor for Neighborhood Ministries, said the neighborhood this year put together an action committee to discuss issues such as light rail.
The committee will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Neighborhood Ministries.
Danley said turnout at the committee meetings has been good, drawing about 25 to 40 people each time. He said the committee plans to start a working group focused on studying light rail and its impact.
Gruver said Metro officials expect the proposal will go to a City Council vote sometime late in the fall or early next year.