New light rail line in Scottsdale may not be a pipe dream

Despite the idea being met with contention in the past, one local man has a plan to bring a new light rail line to the city of Scottsdale.

In an interview with Phoenix Business Journal, Sanjeev Ramchandra says his plan is to establish a light rail line from the current rail line running along Washington Street, through Papago Park, with stops at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden.  The line would end near the Scottsdale border at Galvin Parkway and McDowell Road.

According to Ramchandra, funding for the new rail line could come from the newly passed Proposition 104 sales tax increase and extension.

“I have created a plan to put light rail inside of Papago Park using Phoenix’s Prop. 104 funds as part of the regional transportation system,” Ramchandra said.

While Ramchandra doesn’t have a cost estimation for the construction of a new line, he believes the costs associated with the plan would be relatively inexpensive due to the affordability of utility relocation within the park.

The aim of Ramchandra’s plan would be to bolster customer traffic to the zoo and botanical garden, as well as assist with Scottsdale’s redevelopment efforts along McDowell Road where a number of local business have been forced to close.

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