Glendale votes against developing Valley Metro light rail
Oct 24, 2017, 4:35 AM | Updated: 10:05 am
(Facebook/Valley Metro)
(Facebook/Valley Metro)
PHOENIX — The Valley Metro light rail will not be rolling into a west Phoenix city anytime soon.
The Glendale City Council voted last week to end a study that explored payment options and development plans to implement the light rail in the city, according to KJZZ.
Councilman Jamie Aldama, who was one of the three to vote in favor of the light rail, told KJZZ that this decision could hurt Glendale economically.
“I have property owners here, developers that are just sitting on vacant properties,” Aldama said. “They say we’re not gonna do anything until we have certainty that [the] light rail’s coming.”
But councilman Ray Malnar, one of the four members who voted to stop the study, said he did so after hearing complaints from other Glendale residents.
“The comments that I get from my constituents is ‘this is gonna cost more money than the value that we will get out of it,'” he said.
Councilwoman Lauren Tolmachoff voted to hold off on the decision until Nov. 7, but Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers did not find that option appealing, according to KJZZ.
“We owe it to our business owners…to make a decision on what we’re gonna do with their lives,” Weiers said.
