Frustrated with Congress' inability to fund a six-year transportation bill, Mayor Greg Stanton is backing an August sales tax measure to expand light rail. Stanton also discusses climate change and water rights in the article and accompanying videos
With transit ridership on the rise and vehicle miles traveled having peaked in 2007, Democrat Mayor Greg Stanton, elected in 2011, is backing an August vote to increase the city sales tax to improve transportation in the nation's sixth largest city, though he calls it the fifth in the a wide-ranging, 25-minute interview with James Hohmann of The Washington Post that includes renewable energy, urban growth and coping with the drought. It includes Q&A with the audience.
Most importantly, he said that cities can't count on the financial help from Washington, D.C. that they city enjoyed in the past, which is the central topic of this "PowerPost."
"Historically, he said, a city like Phoenix could count on the federal government to pick up 75 to 80 percent of the cost," writes Hohmann. "He’s working on the assumption that they will only put forward about 30 percent – “if we’re lucky.”
After the City Council approved a 30-year "$30 billion wish list" on March 3, "residents will vote as soon as August on a 0.70 percent sales tax...that would be in place from 2016 through 2050 to fund transportation," wrote Brenna Goth of The Arizona Republic.
Phoenix's current transit sales tax of 0.4 percent, approved by 65 percent of Phoenix voters in 2000, will expire in 2020.
The proposed plan includes up to 117 miles of new high-capacity transit like light rail, bus rapid transit or streetcars. About $2.4 billion would help maintain major city streets while adding new bicycle lanes and street lights.
Climate change
"Phoenix is becoming increasingly urban, and Stanton wants to plan for the long term and to prepare for climate change," writes Hohmann. Climate change and water rights can by accessed directly in a short, second video on the interview.
Statewide, it’s definitely a hard sell,” he said, noting that Arizona is a Republican-leaning state. “Whether people conveniently or otherwise may not want to believe in climate change, it’s real … and we better get on top of it.”
Water wars?
"One thing we can't allow to occur is to have our friends in Southern California have access to water that rightfully belongs to the people of Arizona," he tells Hohmann.
Reelection?
Both the transportation sales tax and the mayoral election will be held on August 25. A prediction has already been made as to the outcome on one of those votes.
Hat tip: by Katie Pearce of Streetsblog USA.
FULL STORY: Phoenix Mayor: Cities adjusting to less federal money for transportation

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.

Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.

Opinion: Connecticut Vision Zero Bill A Step in the Right Direction
The proposed legislation could energize efforts to eliminate fatal crashes and fix the structural flaws that make roads inherently more dangerous.

Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.

Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.