Phoenix merchants hopeful after light rail work ends
By Stacey Watson-Gullo · July 9, 2008 · Print This Article
PHOENIX — With a collective sigh, Downtown business owners are looking forward to the return of more customers now that light rail construction is wrapping up in their area.
For months, they have been dogged by noise and road restrictions while crews install a billion-dollar mass transit system connecting Tempe to west Phoenix.
Construction on the 20-mile track will continue through the grand opening in December 2008, but it will no longer affect traffic in downtown Phoenix.
Businesses such as the Old Spaghetti Factory are eager to see if the light rail shuttles in new customers. The restaurant, located in Phoenix since 1972, has maintained a steady flow of local customers, manager Adam Wilcox says.
It’s been tough to thrive during the light rail project, he adds, but “we get more complaints about the heat than the construction.”
The restaurant has run a few summer promotions to keep its clientele. They offer free Italian soda on Thursdays to anyone with an ASU ID card. They have also listed their restaurant in brochures of local hotels for a little extra advertising.
Cheuvront Wine & Cheese Bar, meanwhile, has experienced a sizeable decrease in customers. Manager David Jepsen says the restaurant has maintained a good flow of local residents during the hectic construction, but not as many customers from the outskirts. He says he is excited for the light rail to be completed and bring in a new stream of customers.
CVS Pharmacy, at the intersection of McDowell and Central Avenue, has also experienced a small relapse in customers.
“There has been a lot of customer complaints involving how to get out of the parking lot due to all the construction on Central Avenue,” says cashier Margie Loza.
CVS expects a large increase in customers in the next few weeks, once the construction is finished. They too are excited for the increase in business that the light rail should provide. Being a bus passenger herself, Loza said that she is excited that soon she will be able to travel to her necessary destinations more quickly.
The light rail is expected to carry an estimated 5,000 passengers per hour, according to Valley Metro, the county’s transit authority. The trains will operate for approximately 20 hours per day, seven days a week, and are expected to arrive at stations every 10 to 20 minutes.
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