It’s the one year anniversary of Valley Metro Streetcar! Hosts Brittany and Alex are celebrating by talking to Tempe Mayor Corey Woods about the success of the service. Then, Mesa Mayor John Giles joins the podcast to discuss where the streetcar could go next.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your daily commute or how transportation impacts the community you call home? Maybe you wanna explore outside your community and don't know where to start. Well, you are in luck because this is where you hop on.

I'm Brittany Hoffman and I work in communications for Valley Metro. In this podcast, we'll discover all the ways that public transit enhances lives across the Valley . Welcome to Storylines.

Hi, welcome back to another episode of Storylines. We got a big show in store for you today with some major guests, but first I'd like to toss it over to my guest co-host.

Hi, my name is Alex Tsotsos. I work in marketing as the website guy. I've been in with the Storylines podcast from the beginning as a producer, but this is the first time on the mic as co-host, and I'm happy to be here. And I'd have to say, Brittany, this is a really big show and I'm very excited.

Can you believe streetcar has been in service for a whole year?

It's only been a year and already those lean green machines have become just part of the landscape in downtown Tempe.

I know, Alex. Streetcar has proven itself to be a crucial part of life in Tempe. Students are using it to get to class, it connects to light rail...

It's a great way to get to ASU Gammage and Tempe Beach Park…

It's just been a real success story. So Alex, you were at the opening ceremony for streetcar. What was it like?

It was honestly a lot of fun. We got to see the new streetcar, we got to take some of the first official rides, and, maybe a little humble brag here, I got to shake the hand of Tempe Mayor Corey Woods.

Well, speaking of Mayor Woods he is already a friend of the show. We've had him on a previous episode of Storylines, and he is here again. So, without further ado, let's talk to Mayor Woods about the past, present, and future of streetcar in Tempe.

My name is Corey Woods. I'm the Mayor of the City of Tempe.

Mayor Woods, thank you very much for being on the show. In fact, this is sort of a special occasion for us. You are officially the first non-Valley Metro employee to be on the podcast twice.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know I'm, I gonna, gonna cause any, unrest over at Valley Metro for doing this, or are they gonna kind of give me side eye next time I walk through the office?

I doubt it. I doubt it.

Okay, good. All right.

You’re a member of good standing.

Okay. If I'm a member in good standing, then I'm good. I'm comfortable going forward with this interview.

Fantastic. So, we just wanted to say congratulations, it's yet another accomplishment in your distinguished career.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. I love, love being on the podcast. One day I dream of having my own, probably when I'm not in politics anymore and I have time to myself again.

We'll be there.

All right! You could, you could be on my podcast! How's that?

There we go. There we go. So, I remember meeting you very briefly during the streetcar event. It was a bright, sunny day. You gave a great speech. So how would you say the first year of streetcar has been in Tempe? Has the promise paid off?

Absolutely. I mean, since launching back in May of 2022, the ridership has just absolutely exceeded expectations. The streetcar in the first year alone has exceeded more than a half a million rides, and I see people of all ages and backgrounds riding it each and every day.

I see people who are clearly going to a show at Gammage. I see students at Arizona State University. I see people working in and around the downtown using it to get around during the day. So, it's been a huge success in the city of Tempe, and I'm very excited that it's here and that we're even talking about a possible extension.

City of Tempe prides itself on being mobility friendly. So how does Streetcar enhance the city's identity of Tempe in Motion?

It largely does because we are a city that talks about having a robust multimodal transportation system. We recognize that with, you know, Tempe now being the ninth largest city in the state, Maricopa County's the fastest growing county in the entire country. People have to have ways to get around without the use of a single use automobile.

And so, we are a leader when it comes to providing other opportunities such as light rail, modern streetcar, bicycle paths, and of course just the ability to walk around our community. That is the biggest thing for us. It's making sure that people don't have to ride in a single use automobile if that is what they choose not to do.

We have a lot of our younger people who are very much sustainability focused and they really wanna make sure that they are, contributing to us having a low carbon footprint. And obviously riding the streetcar or the light rail is a great way to get around town and to get around our entire community without the use of a car.

So, it very much plays into who we are as the City of Tempe, and who we want to continue to be moving forward.

So, people are using streetcar, but what are they saying about it?

They've told me that they love it. The people that I've talked to have just said, it's just such a convenient way to get around town. They find that the system runs on time first and foremost. I mean, that's the biggest thing when people are using, public transportation systems, is they wanna make sure that there's reliability and they can count on them being there when they need it.

And so, I've heard that on a regular basis that they feel the system runs on time. It's a very smooth ride. They're comfortable while riding the system and have very pleasant experiences while they're actually physically on one of the streetcars. And so, everything I've heard has been overwhelmingly positive.

Well, and we love to hear that. Obviously, people hopping on, loving the system. That's what we love to hear here at Valley Metro. Now, the streetcar was born out of a public-private partnership, so how is the business community enhancing or embracing the streetcar?

The operators on Mill Avenue and the merchants have been incredibly supportive. As a matter of fact, they were the groups, the landlords and property owners in the downtown that helped to make up the funding gap.

And that is something that we really wanna see. You put in a bus route, Corey, at any given moment in time, because of funding and because of other circumstances, that route can be changed. But when you're actually laying down track, physically in the street, it shows the property owners that, it shows the merchants that the City of Tempe is truly committed to their success.

And we're committed to the ability to have people ride around, through public transportation and without the use of an automobile if that's how they choose to move about. So, the business community in the City of Tempe and especially right in the downtown area, has been nothing but supportive of this, and I can't thank them enough.

Streetcar was greatly helped by Prop 400 funding. How important is it for the region that this proposition gets extended?

It's critically important, as Mayor Giles has talked about in many public interviews and public statements. It's not just simply about our transportation future, it's about our economic development future. As the Valley continues to grow and more Fortune 500 companies and employers, the semiconductor industry, all of these great people come out to Arizona because they recognize who we are and where we are going collectively, it's critically important to make sure that we have Prop 400 E in place to make sure that our transportation future is secured, but once again, also our economic development future.

A lot of the money that we get for road maintenance and street maintenance is also provided through Prop 400 E. And so, we need this to happen If we're gonna continue to provide high quality roads, the ability to make sure that people can get to and from their job and to different communities throughout the Valley and not be sitting in traffic for 25, 35, 45 minutes.

Because I mean, if that, happens and we don't get this across the finish line, that is what's going to begin to take place. And when that begins to take place, that means employers are not going to wanna continue to relocate to Arizona or expand their existing operations. So, I couldn't agree more with Mayor Giles in the position that he's taken on behalf of all of the mayors, prop 400 E is a critical part of what we need to do moving forward, and it's something we desperately need to get across the finish line.

You mentioned earlier, you're looking forward to expanding streetcar, where would you like to see the route go next?

So, we're currently engaged in a 2 million study along with the City of Mesa to potentially expand the streetcar going east on Rio Salado all the way out to the Cubs Stadium. And so that would create a true regional system with the cities of Tempe and Mesa being joined together by yet another form of public transportation.

Obviously, you know, Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa are the light rail cities, so I would really love to welcome Mesa on board as being under the streetcar city. And I just really, you know, want to thank Mayor Giles and Council Member Heredia and the entire Mesa City Council for seeing the tremendous value and benefit of streetcar in their community.

So, lots to look forward to on the future of streetcar, but let's take a moment and look backwards. What's your favorite streetcar moment over the past year?

Look, as mayor, the launch is always the most exciting part. It's when you actually see it coming to fruition, when you see all the construction taking place. I mean, there's still the promise of something happening, but it's not the actual thing. So, the day that it actually launched, and I was able to jump on for an inaugural ride myself was the biggest moment for me.

It was like, it is finally here. This project that we've been talking about for the better part of over a decade is finally here in the City of Tempe. And of course, I have to say, big shout out to council member Shannon Ellis, who I served on council with for six years. she and I are good friends. We were great friends back then. We are still friends to this day, and she was really the visionary on the city council with immediately recognizing the value that modern streetcar could add to the downtown area.

And seeing the benefits of building a starter line because a lot of people, there was a lot of criticism back then of people going, well, I don't understand this… but if not for council member Ellis's leadership and for her vision, we would not be here today celebrating. And I would not be on here doing this podcast. So, I wanna say thank you to her 'cause I'm once again the first person other than a Valley Metro employee to do this podcast on two separate occasions.

Other thing is just frankly seeing. The people riding the streetcar each and every day. And as I said, it's not just seeing people ride it, it's the diversity and the demographics of the people riding it. That also makes me incredibly happy. It's not just college students, it's people of all different ages. I see people in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, riding the streetcar each and every day.

And so, for me, that's a favorite streetcar moment every day I have the opportunity to be mayor and walk around the city of Tempe.

Now, you mentioned that people from all walks of life are getting on the streetcar and getting to where they need to be, and it's happening every single day. Does the streetcar still seem new to you or is it just more like an everyday fact of life? This is the way things are now.

It still seems new to me actually. I mean, it's been 11 months in operation now. Nearly a full year, and there is still the new car smell kind of thing. Not to add, you know, a car into this mix. I feel like I just committed some form of blasphemy, but I honestly do, still feel like it's a newer form of transportation to the East Valley and to the greater Phoenix metro area. So, it still does have a new feel, but it is also though now part of our fabric here in the city. I mean, as an example, one of the things that people had to first get very used to was driving behind the street cars, driving on the tracks and getting used to how to control your car, as you were driving on those tracks. But I'm not hearing those concerns anymore. So, while it's still new to me and I still have the excitement about seeing it operate every day, I feel like to most of our residents, it's just another part of what the city of Tempe is all about.

And what we're going to continue to look like as we move forward.

Streetcar is clearly a success in Tempe. You're excited for its future. Is there anything else you wanna share with residents or people in the Valley to come and explore streetcar?

I just would want people to, if you're riding it, continue to ride it. If you haven't had a chance to take a ride on it yet, I would encourage you to do so. it's a very fun, enjoyable ride, and obviously whatever public support people are willing to voice, not just for the existing streetcar, but on that extension that I talked about with Mesa, that possible extension. I would love to hear it.

I mean, the fact of the matter is those are things that people want to hear. Is there regional support for this idea? And I believe that there truly is. But what I really would love is to hear more and more people talking about it. Whether it's sending me and my council in email, or the council in Mesa in email are going on social media and talking about your excitement about the eastbound expansion of streetcar over to Wrigleyville. I think that's something that I would love to see and love to hear more of.

Brittany, you came from broadcasting. I came from broadcasting. And we both know there are easy interviews and there are hard ones. Mayor Woods is a very easy interview.

No doubt. He loves talking about Tempe. He loves talking about streetcar, so it makes sense that we've had him on the podcast twice. How many times we'll have 'em on in the future? No one knows, so stay tuned. But that's not the only mayor we have on this episode of Storylines.

That's right Brittany, when we come back from the break, we'll talk to the mayor of Mesa about what he hopes streetcar will do for his city.

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Streetcar has truly made its name and a home in the City of Tempe. Mayor Woods let us know. Now we're gonna hear from another mayor who hopes that streetcar will extend into his city and have the same impact.

My name is John Giles and I'm the proud mayor of Mesa, Arizona.

Mayor Giles, thank you very much for being on the podcast. It's always great to have another Mesa mayor on the show. We had Scott Smith as our CEO. What benefits has Mesa already seen with public transit?

Mesa has already reaped quite a good reward from participating in the light rail. This was a decision that, Mayor Hawker and then Mayor Smith and their councils, you know, exercised some faith on with fingers crossed that they would pay dividends for Mesa. And we now have the benefit of hindsight and some time to come to the conclusion that really was a good decision.

When I was a kid growing up in Mesa, the downtown was very vibrant. The downtown business district was the place you went if you needed to buy anything, you know, from a car to a pair of pants to a screwdriver. But, with the development of shopping malls and freeways, you know, as good as both of those things are, it had a really, a devastating impact on our downtown.

And so, we had this amazing 150-year-old, very historic, very authentic downtown that was literally on life support. There was no activity. And so light rail has been successful in Mesa as a transportation system absolutely. And more and more each day. But I would argue that it's been even more successful as a redevelopment project.

These great bones that we had downtown, these amazing buildings, this very character filled neighborhood has now been brought back to life. Prior to light rail, we went 30, 40 years without issuing a single residential building permit in downtown Mesa. Since the arrival of light rail, we've already have several hundred new housing units in place that are beautiful and well amenitized as well as some great, affordable housing projects along the light rail corridor as well.

Downtown Mesa has truly become a new mecca center that people are visiting.

Second Saturdays are a big hit now with, you know, the revitalization of the art scene down there. It truly has been exponential in the benefits that light rail has brought to your city. But now there's a city to the west that has a little thing called streetcar. Are you guys interested in that?

A hundred percent. I'm very envious of the Tempe Streetcar. Nothing against light rail, but I really like streetcar and the way it interacts with the street and the infrastructure that's necessary. And it just seems like there's a lot of things to like about streetcar.

And I love the Tempe Streetcar because it, really hits, you know, some wonderful locations in Tempe and it connects, some great locations, in and around ASU and Mill Avenue and other, places that people really want to be. It includes them in transit and so I'm anxious for Mesa to participate in that.

It would be wonderful. We've got, in West Mesa along the Dobson Road corridor along Rio Salado Parkway, and then out into our Fiesta District, there's some wonderful locations there. I think most people have known about how really amazing the Mesa Asian District is, for example. And then when you get out to Southern and you've got the largest hospital in the state, Banner Desert Hospital, the largest community college in the state, Mesa Community College, you've got the Fiesta District, Fiesta Mall is on the cusp being redeveloped right now. That’s gonna be one or two things that are very amazing. And then you go down to Sloan Park and Sloan Park sells out, you know, 16,000 seats every spring training game.

So, these are some, really hot locations, and there's a lot of residential development that is coming in all along that corridor as well. So, if you can take these amazing locations in Mesa that people really are anxious to get to and connect them with all of the amazing locations already on the tempe streetcar route, that's gonna be a very successful transit line, so we would love to be a part of that.

Proposition 400 was vital to bringing streetcar to Tempe. Prop 400 E is under consideration. How important is that to the possible expansion of streetcar for Mesa and in general?

It is the way to do that. It's vital. So the, the extension of Proposition 400 is the way that we would expand the streetcar into Mesa. So it can't be overemphasized how important that is. We're all very aware of the economic benefits that that we've seen so far in Proposition 400.

And so, we're all very nervous with the prospect that we don't have a plan in place to continue to find a way to fund transportation infrastructure and continue to make, to attract all these amazing investments to the Valley. And so, it would be hard to overstate the importance of Proposition 400 extension.

I mean, already just along the transit corridor, we've seen over billion and a half dollars in private investment that's been attracted to the area, not to mention the quality of life, you know, and the human resources that have been attracted as a result of that investment.

Mayor Giles, what's the biggest benefit that you see with Streetcar being in Mesa? I mean, are we looking just at traffic mitigation? Are we looking to really bring those audiences to, the landmarks in along the Dobson corridor?

What's number one on the list as far as the biggest benefit?

Cities are changing, you know? Downtown Mesa is changing. People, as you know, are becoming less dependent on vehicles. They're looking for a more urban environment. They're looking for growth that goes up and is more dense and is less tied to dependency on vehicles.

Currently we're estimating about a 50% growth in population along, you know, in the areas of Mesa that we're talking about. So, once you factor in the environmental concerns, you know, along with just the frustration of adding that much more congestion to the existing infrastructure, it's more than obvious that we need to look for ways to expand transit. And the streetcar is really the perfect solution to that situation. We wanna keep the momentum going in that part of our town. We wanna keep the momentum going with the energy around transit, with responding to people's desire to be less auto dependent and fit into an urban environment more.

So if you have all of those reasons, it just leads to the conclusion that this is an idea that we have to be very enthusiastic about, have to elevate to the top of our agenda, and work very hard to make it become a reality.

Everyone loves a big shiny train. Everyone would love streetcar coming. How important is it that the bus network also complements our rail system?

We talk about the importance of last mile. We talk about if we really wanna reduce dependency on vehicles, transit is important. Light rail, streetcar's important, but it's not the only solution. I love our, our Gilbert Road light rail station because it's also a hub for buses as well. When you go there, you can really see the interdependence, you know, between transit, being part of the solution. But it, you have to be collaborating with, with other multimodal, you know, approaches to, to transportation for it to really be effective.

Mayor Giles, this is obviously for people in Mesa. They wanna hear from you for what's coming in the future for transit, but also just across the region. I know that you were part of the MAG group that compiled the Prop 400 extension. What does transit not only mean to Mesa, but the region?

Transit generally, and just the regional half cent sales tax, you know, to support transportation, including transit. As I said earlier, it's hard to overstate the significance of it. All of the big, exciting things that have happened in Maricopa County, all of the big, employers that have come to Maricopa County, all of the big events, anything that we are bragging about, you can draw a direct line to that and Proposition 400.

And we continue to be the fastest growing county in the United States. You know, people are, are beating a path to come here. Apparently, we're doing some things right, but it also creates tremendous pressure for us to plan, in preparation for the continued growth that we're gonna experience. Transportation infrastructure is critical to us maintaining the quality of life that we have.

I love going to, Southern California. I love the weather. It's always a boring, you know, perfect day in Southern California, but you couldn't pay me, you know, enough money to live there. And part of the reason why there's just too many damn people and it's too, too damn congested, right?

A lot of times in Arizona, if we wanna see what our future is, we look to California, and I don't like what I see. So, we have to stay ahead of the traffic congestion situation if we're gonna continue to grow.

This is already one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. I think it's number five. Coincidentally, Phoenix is the fifth largest city. So we can't ignore the need to try to stay as far ahead of this growth as we can.

So I hope and pray that the folks in the legislature, you know, can set aside partisanship and any bias they might have against transit and, and allow us to, get this in front of the people.

Also, for environmental reasons, we are on the cusp right now of a really, you know, the hammer from the EPA is gonna come down on the Phoenix region pretty soon unless we can get ahead of this, respond to this ozone non-attainment situation that we have. We haven't talked about that nearly enough.

So, we've got to, be better adapters of electric vehicles. We've gotta find ways to reduce diesel in our area, and we've got to find ways for transit to be a viable option for more people. Unless we do that, we're going to, the growth in our area is going, the feds are gonna shut it down.

So, it, it's a very real problem and luckily, we've got a lot of great people coming up with solutions and, and hopefully Prop 400 will be back on, on the ballot very quickly.

You can hear the passion in Mayor Giles's voice Brittany. Streetcar would be a major benefit in his city, but this sort of thing doesn't just happen. Prop 400 will be a big part of what makes this project a reality.

It's not just streetcar, Alex. Prop 400 covers all of Maricopa County. So, when you think transportation, think Prop 400. And you know what? Mayor Giles put it best. Maricopa County is going to continue to grow. What are we gonna look like? Is it gonna be gridlocked like LA or are we gonna have plenty of modes of transportation and options available for people to get around? It's definitely something to think about.

Well, two mayors, one show… is that some sort of transit agency podcast record?

You know, there aren't that many transit agency podcasts around, so I think we've got the crown for now!

Yes, go us! We're number one! Definitely check out every episode of Storylines ‘cause that's where you're gonna get all the transit information.

Time to pop the champagne!

Thanks for joining us on this episode of Storylines. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For Valley Metro, I'm Alex.

I'm Brittany.

Thanks for riding with us.

We'll meet you at the next stop. Storylines is produced by Alex Tsotsos and Dane Ryals. Peter Corkery is the executive producer. I'm Brittany Hoffman. Thanks for listening.