As Phoenix Grows Denser, Can Transportation Keep Up?

By Steve Goldstein
Published: Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - 12:06pm
Updated: Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - 2:25pm

Audio icon Download mp3 (19.94 MB)

loop 202 south mountain freeway
Arizona Department of Transportation
An aerial view of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

Thirty-five years in the planning stage, the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is the latest to be built in the Valley. It creates a significant route for trucks to bypass gridlocked Interstate 10 and allows quicker access for residents to get from the East Valley to the West Valley.

Now, transportation planners are busy looking at what the next three decades could look like.

The Show spoke with Eric Anderson, executive director of the Maricopa Association of Governments, which leads the region’s transportation planning efforts.

Also part of the panel was Scott Smith, former Mesa mayor and CEO of Valley Metro — the county’s transit agency — who said transportation planning has to keep up with technology.

More Stories From KJZZ

Business Science The Show