The map of planned light rail extensions includes an eventual line going through the Dreamy Draw to Paradise Valley Mall. This extension is last in line, and when the economic downturn forced an adjustment in plans, its target date was moved to 2030. Since that's after the 2025 expiration of Proposition 400, the proposed line is essentially unfunded.

With that level of uncertainty, it's time to reconsider the northeast extension. While northeast Phoenix deserves a connection to light rail, laying track through the Dreamy Draw may not be the best way to go. On such a route, the train would be traveling through two or three miles of desert preserve. That might be convenient for hikers and mountain bikers, but it means than several miles of track would have no potential for transit-oriented development. We'd bear all the costs of light rail construction and miss some of the rewards. In addition, unless ADOT agrees to sacrifice some lanes of SR51, I see no way to build this line without consuming more desert land in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.

With those challenges in mind, it's time to rethink the northeast extension and contemplate a more modest alternative in the form of a "Biltmore Spur." The area around 24th Street and Camelback is a dense, thriving area for commerce and housing. It is already a destination and would become even more attractive with a rail link.

A spur could run from two possible locations: 1) Central/Camelback or Central/Indian School with a line running east-west 2) 24th St. / Washington with a line running north-south and serving transit-dependent populations a few miles south of the Biltmore district. The line could terminate at 24th Street and Camelback, but if a park-and-ride is desired, the large plot of city-owned land near 24th Street and Lincoln Drive might be a suitable alternative.

While I'm normally skeptical about BRT, it might work as a means of connecting the rail terminus on a Biltmore spur to northeast Phoenix.