Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff advocates for transit investment, rides Tempe streetcar
Jul 19, 2024, 7:07 PM
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff gets on Tempe streetcar during a visit to the Valley on Friday. (City of Tempe photo)
(City of Tempe photo)
PHOENIX — Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff visited the Valley on Friday and discussed several issues, including public transit in Tempe and Mesa.
His visit came amidst calls for President Joe Biden to quit his reelection bid, which could set up Vice President Kamala Harris for a campaign of her own. Emhoff did not respond directly to those reports, but he called Biden a “true patriot.”
“We need to have his back right now,” Emhoff said at an event in Scottsdale before traveling to Tempe.
Emhoff, a lawyer, took a ride on the Tempe streetcar ahead of its extension to Main Street in Mesa. It currently stops near Marina Heights on Tempe Town Lake. The extension was made possible thanks to a $15.9 million federal grant.
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“President Biden and Vice President Harris understand how important it is that everyone has access to reliable public transportation,” Emhoff said in a release. “This grant will improve transportation access for low-income, underrepresented and transit-dependent populations in both Tempe and Mesa.
“It will enhance the quality of life for residents by providing a more convenient, frequent, one-seat ride across the Valley Metro Streetcar Corridor. And it will create good-paying jobs — including union jobs — right here in the Phoenix metro area.”
Tempe has the highest per capita transit ridership and is the most densely populated city in the metro Phoenix area, noting in the release 10 million rides have been taken in the city over a two-year period. Many of those rides are taken by Arizona State University students.
“Tempe is a strong advocate for transit with good reasons. Our community relies on it. Businesses want it. And it brings economic development,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said. “In the future, even more people will rely on streetcar, light rail, buses and bikes for convenience and cost savings.”
The streetcar extension — and other transit investments — were deemed necessary, as the Maricopa Association of Governments predicted Tempe’s population will grow by 70,000 by 2025.
