[Source: Ari Cohn, Tribune] -- Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross Thursday came out against light rail on Scottsdale Road and called for a bond issue election next year to finance tourism projects, including a Western heritage museum and a nature center in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. However, some of the proposals, particularly the bond issue, could be a tough sell to her fellow City Council members. Councilman Jim Lane said he wouldn’t rule out an election, but said he needed more information before making a decision. “I like to focus on core municipal functions,” Lane said. “That’s my primary thing.” During her annual State of the City speech, Manross called transportation “the No. 1 issue, without question.” But a $70 million-a-mile proposal to build light-rail transit on Scottsdale Road and connect it to a 20-mile system planned in adjacent cities is not the way to go, she said. Scottsdale has yet to see if light-rail projects in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa will be effective, Manross said. But downtown Scottsdale and Old Town are unique and need to be protected, she said. “Let there be no question about it, that while I support improved transit opportunities on our signature road, I do not support light rail on Scottsdale Road going through the heart of our downtown,” Manross said. She said construction is set to begin this summer on a Loop 101 car pool lane between Tatum Boulevard and Princess Drive to handle a bus rapid transit system. “Coupled with park-and-ride lots and other local transit connectors, (bus rapid transit) can fill an important transportation gap for our work force commuting to and from Scottsdale and help us reduce the number of cars on our local streets,” Manross said. The city’s transportation master plan is expected to be done this fall, she said, and Scottsdale expects to expand its network of bicycle, pedestrian and equestrian paths. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
