46. Make a B Line to South Central

Juliana: 00:00

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your daily commute?

Ricky: 00:03

Or how transportation impacts the community you call home?

Juliana: 00:06

Maybe you want to explore outside your community and don't know where to start.

Ricky: 00:10

Well, you're in luck because this is where you hop on.

Juliana: 00:13

I'm Julianna Vazquez-Keating.

Ricky: 00:14

And I'm Ricky Tejada.

Juliana: 00:16

We work for Valley Metro and together we'll discover all the ways that public transit enhances lives across the cities we serve.

Ricky: 00:23

And we might even make some new friends along the way.

Juliana: 00:26

Welcome to Storylines. Ricky, can you believe we're just days away from the opening of the South Central extension and Downtown Hub?

Ricky: 00:36

I can't believe it's almost here. June 7th is gonna be a big day for both Valley Metro, the City of Phoenix, and the region, And we're celebrating at three unique locations across the new alignment. So you can hop on the light rail when service begins and visit all three.

Juliana: 00:49

It is going to be a lot of fun, and this celebration is made possible in part to our platinum sponsors, Alternate Concepts Inc. AECOM and Kiewit.

Ricky: 00:57

For this episode, we're talking all things South Central Extension and Downtown Hub. We bought in someone from the City of Phoenix to talk about the extension and what it means for the South Central community.

Markus: 01:11

Markus Coleman Light Rail Administrator for the City of Phoenix.

Juliana: 01:16

Valley Metro works closely with our member cities on light rail expansions, and this extension has been in development for several years. What specific factors led the City of Phoenix to prioritize the South Central corridor for this light rail extension?

Markus: 01:30

Well, just like you said, South Central has been one that's been in the planning phases for years. But as the City of Phoenix looked to renew our transportation tax, which was our Proposition 104 or T-2050, we felt that there was an opportunity for us to look at our light rail service or high capacity transit service throughout the Valley. And when we looked at that, we really looked at where of our transit dependent, resident side and constituents at. South Phoenix and West Phoenix has some of the highest rider ships that we have in the region as far as for our bus service that we provide. And so we reflected that in the way that we prioritized our high capacity transit, really wanting to make sure that not only did we answer the question for ridership, but we also answered the question for access. Making sure that we could get people to places of worship, workplaces and also higher education as well as, you know, South Phoenix and certain areas in West Phoenix are considered to be in a food desert. So being able to get them to quality food, quality healthcare, those things are important to our mayor and our council. Not only the mayor and council that we have sitting currently, but also our prior mayor and councils. As you see, our transportation in the region has had a long legacy of supporters, through our local, state and federal levels. And so, that really gave us the power that we needed to have the financial backing to prioritize the South Central Light Rail extension.

Ricky: 03:01

As the light rail administrator, you oversee all light rail expansion projects. Can you walk us through your personal involvement with this extension specifically?

Markus: 03:10

Wow. So. That's a really interesting question. And the reason I say that's an interesting question is because when I started my career with the City of Phoenix, transportation is not where I thought I wanted to be. However, development is where I thought I always knew I wanted to be. I started, in the development services department with the City of Phoenix. I worked there for about 15 years. And then in 2008, we had a reduction in workforce that moved me over to the public transit department. And so that's how I got my first taste of transit service planning, the way that we operate. And then when the opportunity for light rail administrator came to be, it was the perfect combination of the skills that I had from a development side as well as, the knowledge that I had gained, from the bus side of providing service. And so. To be able to put all of that to use, not only just to put it to use in a career field, but to put it to use in a career field that is going to directly impact the area that I grew up, the area that I currently live, the area that I raised, my children, my family lives there, majority of my family is there. That was, the quintessential plateau of where, a peak of where I could ever see my skills leading me to. And the reason I say that is because I love the work that I do. I love the people that I get to work with. Anyone who works with me knows that I say we do difficult things every day and we make it look easy. But more so than that, we have the opportunity to work on projects that will outlive us. That will hopefully outlive the next generation behind us and provide benefits to my children's children, How often does someone get the opportunity as they walk this earth to have their fingerprints placed on something that will be impactful for years to come? Whether you agree with light rail, whether you don't agree with light rail. This will be transformable to the South Phoenix residents. This will provide opportunities to those residents, and this is really going to change the dynamics of the capabilities of an area. And so that really touches home to me because I'm able to hold my head proud in my community and know that what I'm doing will have a direct impact on their lives and their ability to advance.

Juliana: 05:30

Yeah, and I think that's one of those things that you bring such a unique perspective at. Not only as you know, somebody that works for the City of Phoenix, but also somebody that grew up in South Phoenix. How do you think that shaped your approach to this project and your understanding of its impact on the community, because I know that you know these business owners, you know these residents, you're out there talking to them every day. How do you think that's impacted your work?

Markus: 05:53

Oh, it's impacted me tremendously. One thing I would say is I don't just live in South Phoenix. I'm from South Phoenix, and the reason I say that is I tease my children all the time. I say, oh, you guys live in South Phoenix. You're not from South Phoenix. Being from a place means that you are connected to the fiber of that place. You're connected to the culture of that place, and I'm very active in my community and so, being in this position to do this job is really, I would say helped not only myself, but helped the community to put a name and a face and make it more personal, I can't tell you how many businesses and stakeholders that reach out to me personally because they have that longstanding relationship with me and tell me either positive stories or negative stories. They ask for help, for guidance. And that's because they know that not only will I be there in a work capacity, but I'm there also in a community capacity. You know, I'm sitting at the restaurants, I'm eating food. They'll come up, ask me questions, I'm shopping at the grocery stores. They'll come up and ask me questions. And it's a double-edged sword, right? Because they also hold me accountable, And I like that. I like the fact that I get to be in a position to where I'll get honest feedback. And that honest feedback hopefully leads to a better designed, a better constructed and a better utilized system at the end because we know that your hardest critics, make you your sharpest tools. So really feel blessed to be in the position that I am to serve the community.

Ricky: 07:26

For listeners who aren't familiar with the area, how would you describe the cultural significance and unique character of South Phoenix? And how does this extension honor that?

Markus: 07:35

It's interesting when you talk about South Phoenix and you talk about the culture because it is definitely a microcosm of the Valley. And I mean, you go into South Phoenix, you know that you're in South Phoenix. One of the things that's unique about South Phoenix that a lot of people don't know is that South Phoenix wasn't annexed until the City of Phoenix until the early fifties. And so a lot of the infrastructure that you see in South Phoenix was built when South Phoenix was still part of the county. And so, a lot of that infrastructure doesn't necessarily meet some of our standards and codes that we have in place today, But this is the way that, you know, people were able to build and to grow in that area. Also, kind of a dark past of the City of Phoenix. But we had deed restrictions throughout a lot of, Phoenix. So north of the river bottom. There are several deed restrictions that wouldn't allow for people of color to own property. And so when you look at the melting pot of cultures that you see that take place in South Phoenix, a lot of that happened organically just because of people wanting to have ownership and wanting to actually look out for their community and their following generations. And so if you wanted to own a home, you had to purchase in South Phoenix if you were a person of color. And that's not just black and brown, that's Asian as well. And so, I mean, you'll see that in a lot of these deeds now if you start to do those researches, that they had those restrictions there. And so, I feel that the project is honoring because unlike the I-17 project that took out some of our historical neighborhoods, Golden Gables and, the Campitos and stuff like that, you know, and then you have the, airport and the airport extension, you know, hit Golden Gate and others as well. The South Central Light Rail extension has really gone above and beyond to make sure that we're doing this project with the community and not to the community. Now, I'll be the first to admit that we haven't gotten every step correct. But I will say that our heart has been in the right place since the word go on this project, and we've done more on this project and set a tone on this project that we've never done on any of the other projects, even from a federal support standpoint, our ability to do some of the land use planning. that was supported by the FTA and supported by our local, T-2050 dollars really helped not only just put tracks in the ground, but really helped to guide what does the community see for a vision, for them over the next 35, 45 years. And then how does the city implement policy that will make that come to fruition? So those are some of the things that I would say is definitely unique to this project in the way that we've been able to implement it.

Juliana: 10:25

And I think community voice has played such a big role in this project from our construction and advisory board to just the community groups that we work with, and they've been so actively involved, and I think that's what makes this project unique.

Markus: 10:39

Oh definitely, I would say the community is, the biggest key of this, right? The community, they're the ones who are paying for this project ultimately, and at the end of the day, they're the ones who will utilize this infrastructure improvement. And so having their voices be reflected, and the artwork that we have along the corridor, I think it's a total of 18 artists, 14 of them, which are local to Phoenix, Arizona. Some of them even being first time public artists. Really going through a mentorship program to understand how to apply and to do, some of these public art that's not only just building, for this project that's building a career path, hiring within the local areas, you know, having those priority areas and bringing people into a trade that they didn't have prior experience and knowledge. Working through an apprenticeship program, now you set career paths that go well beyond just the light rail project. You know, these are transferable skills that they can use for development, whether it be commercial, residential, other industries out there. That's really changing the face of what, South Phoenix is going to feel and look like for the future. And so, you know, that community aspect of it is so key into why we do what we do and how we do it. I can't express that enough.

Juliana: 11:57

So what specific benefits do you anticipate this will bring to the area in terms of mobility, economic development, community connection?

Markus: 12:06

I'm gonna tell a personal story on this one. I have two daughters, and my oldest daughter is getting ready to graduate this Friday actually from ASU. We're A Sun Devil's house, My youngest daughter is trying her best to not make it a Sun Devil's house, but we still got time to work on her. And one of the things that we talked about is, you know, investments for the future, you know, and we talked about the cost of the living expenses that we've seen increase over the years here in Phoenix and one of them being even purchasing a home. And that's something that's been a goal of hers and a dream of hers for a very long time. And I support that, and we look around and the house prices are just so astronomical. It's hard for someone, you know, barely coming outta college to be able to afford a home. And so what I look at though, is when we sit down and we did a finance worksheet, you know, and I suggest everyone do this at one point in your life, it's definitely eye-opening to see how much I spend on In and Out Burger and Chipotle. But, in all seriousness, We did a financial worksheet and part of that worksheet, she, you know, has a car payment and the gas that she spends, insurance, maintenance, all those things. And when we subtracted that out, of that financial worksheet and said, okay, if you just got a copper pass and utilize transit to get around to the majority of your places, understanding you may still have a couple of uber rides here or there, but you were having those even with your car because, you know, we are very strict home. We don't believe in drinking and driving. If you're gonna be doing those things, you plan ahead so that you don't get caught in a bad situation or bad scenario. But while doing that, it made some things that looked, not feasible and made it attainable. You know, some of these home prices, you can actually be able to, it'll be a starter home, a small home. But that's the whole point of it, so that's just an example of how this type of investment in the South Central extension specifically will help those generations to achieve, you know, that American dream, or, be able to have more control over their future.

Ricky: 14:18

Congratulations to your daughter, by the way. Graduating college is no easy feat.

Markus: 14:23

It is not, it took me three times to do it.

Juliana: 14:28

You're here now though.

Markus: 14:32

Yeah.

Ricky: 14:34

So Valley Metro is working closely with your team at the City of Phoenix to plan the big opening celebration to celebrate the start of service for this extension. Are there any aspects of the opening celebration you're most excited about, and what can residents expect?

Markus: 14:51

I'm sure the listeners can hear me smiling, as you asking that question. I get excited whenever I think about the opening I definitely get excited just because this is a new resource that the South Phoenix residents have so long waited for and so long needed so that already gets my blood pumping. But when I think about the grand opening, there's two things that really bring a huge smile to my face. And anyone who knows me or heard me talk about it, they know this one is, the graphic that we've been using for the Cruisin’ Central. That really makes me smile because, you know, I grew up cruising Central. My parents grew up cruising Central. This is something that is, multiple generations have grown up. Whether you're in North Central, whether you're in South Central, you grew up cruising Central. That was a place to be, it was a place of gathering. It was a place of sharing. And, on that graphic it shows the downtown Phoenix in the background and the train is heading south, and then the glass of the train heading south. You can see the South Mountain and the antennas, and you know those antennas. It's crazy that something that's manmade would have such a impact on that community. I remember stories when I first started driving. My father would tell me, if you ever get lost, look for the antennas on top of the South Mountain and start driving that direction. Eventually you'll see a street that you recognize, and you'll be there. And I'm telling you, it's a beacon. It's a beacon of home, I think it's known throughout the Valley that, you know, you see those antennas, you automatically think South Phoenix, And so that makes me excited. And then the other part that makes me excited is the procession that we're gonna be doing, As part of that procession, we're gonna do a homage to the low rider community and the car community. We're gonna have low riders out there, which anyone who knows me knows I'm a classic car advocate. I have a low rider, I have a hot rod and we're gonna have hot rods out there as well. So it's gonna have, it's a little something for everyone as well as we're gonna be joined with, you know, local schools and local organizations. So it was really a time to showcase South Phoenix. And I think that's what makes me so excited about it is most of our openings we're showcasing, the light rail and investment. But this is like, we're showcasing South Phoenix and it really is kind of solidifying light rail as a part of South Phoenix, right? It's not just a thing that is placed along South Central, it is now a part of South Central. It's gonna be a part of that heartbeat of South Central and that really makes me excited.

Juliana: 17:29

And I think the community's excited too. I mean, we held two milestone celebrations and you could just feel the excitement just to have trains moving down there. So this celebration's gonna be huge and very much encapsulating the community and that's our goal, right? Like involve the community as much as we can because this is their project.

Markus: 17:47

Oh yeah. I mean, I would say that's one of the things that I compliment and I compliment Valley Metro on all the time, Is they really want to do a great job of making the community feel heard, making the community, feel that they are being embraced as well because you can hear someone and still not embrace 'em. And I think that Valley Metro definitely goes above the minimum and puts the maximum effort into making sure that community feels and knows that they're being embraced and that their thoughts and that their wants and desires are being considered at every step of these projects.

Ricky: 18:21

Is it safe to say that we'll see you out there with the Lowriders and the hot rods?

Markus: 18:26

It is safe to say that we will need to save one spot for me to park. 'cause I will, I'm never gonna miss an opportunity to bring a low rider out or old school out, so.

Ricky: 18:40

There you go.

Juliana: 18:42

Marcus was the biggest champion for a low rider show, so.

Markus: 18:46

Oh, yeah.

Juliana: 18:46

Of course we gotta include you.

Markus: 18:48

Oh yeah. When soon as I said, as soon as it said cruising, I'm like, oh, okay. We, this is what we gotta do. We gotta get, we, we gotta get it out there. And,, the thing I also wanna say real quick, because I hear a lot that goes around in the lot low rider community in some of the news that we've heard, recently, which is unfortunate that you have people who come out to some of these events and they're not in the right state of mind, right frame of mind. One thing I want people to know about the car community, and this is not just low rider, this is the car community. It is truly a community. You talk to these people who have hundreds of thousands of dollars into these cars. And you'll see 'em with their kids. You see 'em with their wives, their families, their uncles and nieces, theos and theas, you know, and it's great to see that we are still in a place to where as we bring in another transportation mode, we can still pay homage and still celebrate. This is not, a replacement. This is not we're taking away your vehicles from you or not. This is an and conversation. It's not a either or conversation. And so I really love the fact that I can be a car guy and I can still be all about public transportation and I can see the benefits of both. And I can get the opportunity to express that to people. 'Cause I walk into rooms where people are saying, hey, cars are most important. We need to keep our cars. And I can say, I understand that you, you need that and this is how transit can benefit you as you travel in your car. And then I talk to others and say, oh, we need less cars. And I said, like, I can understand that and appreciate that as well. And this is how transit can help benefit that. And this is how these corridors, as we shrink those corridors, how we can benefit that and make it more pedestrian friendly and more multimodal. And so, you know, it, it all works together. But I'm excited.

Juliana: 20:40

I think Crusin’ Central really encapsulates that because you can cruise Central now with light rail. You can cruise Central on a bike. You can take your low rider down there. So I really like that theme because it just, it works so well with this area.

Markus: 20:52

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And I love the brightness of it. I love the vibrancy of rail, the color schemes that we have, the station art that we have. 'cause it really does reflect the vibrancy of the community.

Ricky: 21:08

Is there anything else you'd like our listeners to know about the South Central extension/Downtown Hub, or the future of the light rail in Phoenix?

Markus: 21:16

What I would like the listeners to know is that, while we've been constructing light rail we've been expanding light rail through certain areas of the Valley. This is an opportunity for you to get involved. This is an opportunity for you to ride the system, for you to experience the system. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to said, oh, I've heard this, or I've heard that about the system, and they've never ridden the system. Whether it be a good story or a negative story they've never ridden, here's an opportunity, here's an opportunity. Even if you're not a transit dependent person, you're a transit choice writer, here's an opportunity for you to take it to a ASU game. Specifically say ASU so to a ASU game and, and go support the Sun Devils, You can take it downtown to a Sun's game or to a concert, You can go to a, place of worship that maybe, you know, it took you a while to get to before. But the thing about light rail is, it's not a one size fit all. And I want the community to know that. And I understand, 'cause I get, I hear all the time people say, oh well, you know, why can't we just have a bus? Or why can't we have this or have that? It's not a one size fit all. But it is a tool that we have amongst all the other tools that we purposely make sure that they work together to get you from point A to point B safely. That's the first and foremost priority is to get you there safely and to get you there consistently. And so I really just want you to know that as we continue to expand light rail in the Valley, there's gonna be a lots of calls for actions. We want to hear what the community has to say. I'm begging you. Go to valleymetro.org. You can find a ton of information, not just about South Central, but about all of our future projects. You can give comment, you can say the things that you love about it, you can say the things that you have concern, and we read through those and we make sure that we, address those things and then that helps us. Like I said, your biggest critics help you become your sharpest tool. And so we really wanna make sure that we're doing this right and we're doing it. . In a way that reflects the community's needs and desires. And so, that's one thing I will definitely say. Be in the know. Be connected. Be informed valley metro.org and ride, ride, ride, ride.

Ricky: 23:37

And if you wanna see some classic cars in our first in service trip along the new extension, then we better see you there on Saturday, June 7th.

Juliana: 23:44

The celebration begins at 8:00 AM and runs until noon, so plenty of time to enjoy it.

Ricky: 23:51

You can join in on the fun at Baseline and Central Park and ride the Ed Pastor Transit Center on Broadway Road or at the new Downtown Hub at Cityscape.

Juliana: 23:59

Be sure to join us for food fun and a special commemorative copper card that will allow you to ride on the new two line system for free all day long. You can find out more at valley metro.org/opening

Ricky: 24:11

Thanks again to our Platinum Sponsors, Alternate Concepts Inc. AECOM and Kiewit for helping make this happen. That's it for this episode of Storylines. Remember to subscribe to us on your podcast app of choice, so you never miss an episode. For Valley Metro, I'm Ricky.

Juliana: 24:27

I'm Juliana.

Ricky: 24:28

Thanks for riding with us.

Juliana: 24:29

We'll meet you at the next stop. Storylines is produced by Alex Tsotsos Peter Corkery is the executive producer. For Ricky Tejada, I'm Julianna Vasquez-Keating, thanks for listening