Jordan Schneider
Policy Analyst
Arizona is one of the nation's fastest growing states, with much of the growth occurring in the "Sun Corridor" between Phoenix and Tucson. That growth has clogged the sole high-capacity transportation connection between the two cities, Interstate 10. Connecting Phoenix and Tucson documents the benefits of adding intercity rail as a new transportation option for Sun Corridor residents, including cleaner air, less time wasted in traffic, and new opportunities for jobs and economic growth.
Policy Analyst
Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group
Executive Director, Arizona PIRG Education Fund
Over the past few decades, explosive population growth in Phoenix and Tucson has led the two cities to grow increasingly interconnected, socially and economically. It has also resulted in increasing traffic congestion problems, particularly on Interstate 10, which connects the two cities. Phoenix, Tucson, and the cities between them along I-10 compose Arizona’s “Sun Corridor”—the fastest-growing region in the state. With this growth expected to continue in years to come, Arizonans face a pressing need for improved transportation options. Passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson can help meet the future transportation needs of the Sun Corridor.
Intercity rail between Phoenix and Tucson will reduce pollution, save time, and play an important role in building and sustaining a strong economy for the region, all while giving Arizonans appealing new transportation choices.
Arizona is ready for intercity rail.
Intercity rail will require significant public investment, but will deliver substantial benefits for the state’s economy and quality of life, as evidenced in other western states that have built intercity and commuter rail lines.
Based on the short-term intercity rail alternatives outlined by ADOT in previous studies, Arizona’s intercity rail system can be expected to move more than 1.2 million people through the Sun Corridor each year. By building a line between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona can expect to achieve the following benefits:
Economic benefits—By improving interconnectivity between Phoenix and Tucson, intercity rail will make the Sun Corridor a more attractive place for both employers and workers.
Benefits for train riders—Intercity rail will provide significant benefits for its riders, who will help pay for its operation through fares.
Benefits for drivers—Even Arizonans who rarely or never set foot on an intercity rail train will experience significant benefits from the rail line.
Air quality benefits—Intercity rail service will likely reduce smog-related emissions by 1,500 pounds per year in the Sun Corridor and carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 33,500 tons per year.
Safety improvements—Based on national transportation safety statistics, intercity rail could be expected to prevent approximately 1,990 injuries over 30 years. It would also significantly reduce traffic fatalities on I-10, which numbered more than 80 between 2000 and 2005. Intercity rail can also be expected to reduce the economic impacts—in health care costs, lost productive time, and property damage—of traffic accidents.
Transportation system benefits—Arizona could experience a greater reduction in vehicle use, traffic congestion and pollution if intercity rail encourages more Arizonans to use existing and proposed transit systems such as Valley Metro, the Tucson modern streetcar, and commuter rail. In addition, the infrastructure investments made in the Phoenix-Tucson corridor could reduce the ultimate costs of providing commuter rail service by sharing stations and other infrastructure between the two services.
Policy Recommendations
Arizona needs to complete the ADOT Passenger Rail Corridor Study as quickly as possible and move forward with construction of intercity rail between Phoenix and Tucson.
Policy Analyst
Tony Dutzik is associate director and senior policy analyst with Frontier Group. His research and ideas on climate, energy and transportation policy have helped shape public policy debates across the U.S., and have earned coverage in media outlets from the New York Times to National Public Radio. A former journalist, Tony lives and works in Boston.
Diane directs the policy and campaign priorities for Arizona PIRG. She helped lead members of the Coalition for Transportation Choices advocating for Proposition 104 in Phoenix—one of the boldest investments in public transportation passed in the nation. Diane is the recipient of recent awards from the Phoenix Business Journal, the League of Women Voters of Arizona and the Arizona League of Conservation Voters. Diane was previously the executive director of Illinois PIRG, and an assistant organizing director with the Student PIRGs.