The city of Mesa is prepping for a future extension of the Valley Metro Light Rail throughout its downtown retail center affectionately referred to by one resident as the heart of the community.

Mesa City Council at its May 18 meeting unanimously approved a motion to approve a 2.7-mile light rail extension from Sycamore Road east on Main Street to Mesa Drive with construction tentatively to begin in 2012.

Light rail is a form of public transportation utilizing electricity to power three to four rail cars along a dedicated, right-of-way path usually crossing streets, roads and highways.

City council also approved a measure identifying light rail as the city’s preferred mode of public transportation for the area directly east of Mesa Drive extending to Gilbert Road.

"It puts us on the track to move down the corridor to be looking at light rail as opposed to BRT (bus rapid transit) or some other mode of transportation," said City Manager Christopher Brady prior to the May 18 vote. "You are choosing light rail to be the mode of transportation to Gilbert Road."

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith recused himself from voting on item 10b, which was for the light rail transportation study extending to Gilbert Road.

"The reason we have two items is that I have an ownership interest in some property that is east of Mesa Drive," he said of items 10a and 10b at the council meeting. "I will be voting on item 10a since it does not affect my property."

Mr. Brady described the motion as asking staff to do a transportation study looking at future expansions of light rail to Gilbert Road, but noted there is no funding for the expansion.

But funding for the approved Main Street to Mesa Drive extension is coming from Proposition 400 — which is a half-cent sales tax passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 — and Federal Transit Administration funding, according to a press release.

Several Mesa residents and business owners spoke to the city council during the May 18 public hearing, but while all supported light rail as a mode of public transportation, most did not support the proposed Main Street route.

Stephen Anderson of Mesa called into question light rail running through Mesa’s epicenter being considered "pedestrian friendly," which he says was a common term used in the 12 public meetings held on the matter since April 7, 2007.

"Pedestrian friendly, frankly I don’t see how you can have that with light rail right down the center of the Main Street," he told council. "A unique downtown, yeah, it would be unique with a rail down the center."

Mesa resident Steve Allen agrees, but also pointed out other options for the route ought to be explored.

"It would not be a good thing to destroy Main Street in essence just to put in light rail to serve the city’s art center," he explained to council.

Mr. Allen said a route on First Street would, he claims, be a natural fit because of the close proximity to the Mesa Convention Center, Marriott Hotel and the Mesa Main Library.

"I think there are far more people in the city of Mesa that would use the light rail to get to the library, the convention center and the Marriott Hotel than there are that would necessarily go to the arts center," he pointed out.

Terry McCook — who co-owns Fiber Factory, 216 W. Main Street — said at the May 20 council meeting that she attended all 12 public outreach meetings regarding the preferred route of light rail through downtown Mesa.

"I have not heard all of these positive comments that Mr. Cleavenger mentions," she said of Dan Cleavenger, Mesa’s transportation director, prefacing statements to the public hearing. "Mostly I have heard concerns, negative comments (and) questions that no one has answered."

Although the city of Mesa is not paying for any of the light rail extensions, Ms. McCook questioned why so much money is planned to be allocated for a project that will only benefit so few of Mesa’s population.

"The light rail is designed to serve only a very, very small percentage of Mesa’s population," she said. "Library, police, fire protection (and) public recreation serve all of the residents and benefit the businesses that make their home in your community."

John Richards, a downtown Mesa business owner, agreed the public meetings did not do a very good job of explaining the pros and cons of the project and often, in his opinion, left questions unanswered.

"It is true that the concerns that are being addressed are not being answered by the people running these meetings," he said at the council meeting. "The people in the downtown district — or the businesses along Main Street — are going to shoulder the burden directly."

Mr. Richards asked if the city was going to assist Main Street business owners and was assured Valley Metro will take steps to assist business owners from Marc Soronson, the light rail project manager.

"Are we going to survive this?" Mr. Richards asked. "It is the benefit of the whole community, I get that."

Richard Tracy, a downtown Mesa business owner, said at the council meeting he was a proponent for light rail — just not down the pike of downtown Mesa’s retail corridor.

"I am very positive about light rail. I am very positive about the opportunity that Mesa has; however, I don’t see it going down Main Street," he told council. "Light rail could continue into Gilbert in the next phase, but I am suggesting that right now you vote ‘yes’ I want light rail and ‘no’ we don’t want it down Main Street at the present time."

Arizona State University student and Mesa resident David Crummy said light rail coming through Main Street in downtown Mesa is imperative to the city’s growth and fiscal future.

"It would be a pity to live through two or three years of construction, but if that is the price we have to pay for the future of Mesa, I am sure council and the city can work to help the businesses to survive this short ordeal," he told council.

Mr. Crummy said he moved to Mesa because of the light rail. Mr. Crummy was among three others who were in support of the proposed alignment, but was the only one to speak.

"It is important that we bring more people to Mesa, and that is not going to happen unless we can bring people to downtown Mesa where our heart is," he pointed out.

Kyle Jones, Mesa’s vice mayor representing District 4, said during the May 18 meeting the city of Mesa will not be coming out of pocket to pay for the 2.7-mile extension.

"The funding of this has absolutely no correlation with our other city services because this is coming from Prop. 400 money and federal funding," he said following public comment during the May 18 public hearing. "If we don’t use that Prop. 400 money it’s going to go somewhere else in the Valley."

The cost of the project is expected to hover around $194 million, a press release states.

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