Don’t know if you’ve noticed but there’s very little communication coming out of Metro Light Rail. Even the Arizona Passenger Rail Association, that has been a big backer, has not posted anything about it since July. It’s a political football in Mesa, as we saw last week.
I am looking forward to the service big time, and occasionally check the press releases on their web site, but don’t see a lot of positive media coverage.

Instead, I see a lot of Light Rail talk from the nay sayers. Take the letters to the Arizona Republic. It’s usually this variety:

“I think the light rail system will be the next on your list of flops….We are off on the right foot in ruining beautiful Central Avenue, and putting many small businesses out of business.”

The writer covers three issues in one sentence. (a) The Flops, in reference to the story on 08.21.07 about Arizona’s blunders that cost the taxpayer. (b) The holy mess down Central Ave, and (c) the business angle.

Very shrewd, or just very upset?

It begs a response not just from the folks at Light Rail, but from GPEC, and the promoters of small business. We’re just about a year away from the Light Rail launch, and I would like to see more education aimed at the different publics.

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