Since I lived the first 30 years of my life in Phoenix, I find this story both laugh-out-loud funny and absolutely appalling. Is this the kind of forethought we can expect in the Triangle, should a light rail system be approved by those with utopian transporation dreams? Let’s hope not. From The Arizona Republic:
In its first six months of operation, Metro spent $1.2 million on power, 40 percent more than projected.
Much of the cost went toward cooling trains and equipment as the air-conditioning bill soared.
Gee, who could have anticipated that power would be a huge expense in one of the hottest cities in the country. Hmm.
Meantime, Triangle elected officials are trying to figure out when is the best time to get voters to approve a sales tax hike for transit, which includes buses and rail. Expanding the bus system is a valid idea, but rail simply isn’t a good transportation tool for an area with a suburban-urban lifestyle that people obviously like. So what is the answer to our transportation issues? The Locke Foundation has created an excellent guide.
