PHOENIX — Business owners along Indian School Road are raising alarms about a proposed West Valley light rail extension, saying years of construction could threaten their livelihoods.
Valley Metro's proposed West Valley light rail extension would connect near Indian School Road and 19th Avenue, stretching 10 miles down Indian School Road before turning south on 75th Avenue and extending to 91st Avenue. Construction is not expected to begin until 2032, with an opening planned for 2036.
Suzanne Johnsen, owner and veterinarian at Van Aken Pet Hospital near Indian School Road and 39th Avenue, has worked at the clinic for three decades. The clinic itself has operated for nearly 70 years. Johnsen said she expects the project to cost the business more than just its front-facing parking.
"It would potentially put us out of business."
Johnsen pointed to Valley Metro's South Central Extension as a cautionary example. Businesses along Central Avenue south of the Salt River said customers could not physically reach them during the more than five years of construction.
"A lot of our customers are landscapers so they had their trailers, it was difficult for them to come into our shop when the street was closed."
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Plans for the West Valley light rail extension are still fluid, according to Valley Metro.
In a statement, Valley Metro said it is reaching out directly to businesses along the corridor through the end of the year. The agency said it hopes to minimize construction impacts by working with industry experts and is offering an assistance program for affected businesses.
"Valley Metro is committed to engaging businesses along the West Phoenix Extension early and throughout the entire process. We are at their doors to understand their feedback and priorities. Their input will help shape future business assistance programs and inform design and construction.
In this early stage, Valley Metro is working closely with City of Phoenix and local and industry experts to identify opportunities to deliver the West Phoenix Extension as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. We will evaluate a range of approaches to advance a project that provides meaningful transportation benefits while seeking to minimize community and business impacts.
Our team is currently conducting direct outreach to businesses along the corridor, including in-person visits. We hope to complete an initial visit to businesses within a quarter mile of the corridor by the end of this calendar year. We are also developing a database of corridor businesses and gathering information to help inform future resources and support. Business preparedness programs will begin early, in 2027, well in advance of our traditional business assistance program timeline and in advance of design and construction.
We are building on lessons learned and best practices from previous light rail projects while recognizing that West Phoenix businesses and communities have their own needs and priorities. Feedback we receive now will help us tailor business assistance resources and support specifically for this corridor.
We encourage business owners to complete the West Phoenix Extension Business Summary Form, attend an upcoming project open house or contact our Community Engagement team using the information in the attached Business Assistance document. These opportunities allow businesses to connect directly with the project team, provide feedback and stay involved as planning continues"
Paul Lopez, a project manager with Valley Metro, said the agency is drawing on lessons from the South Central Extension.
"This is one of those projects where we want to harness what we learned at south central and try to get in front of it with the businesses and take advantage of that business assistance program that we have."
The existence of a business assistance program was news to Ellen Frisby of Larry Harker's Auto Repair, located on Indian School Road near 35th Avenue. Frisby said she fears three years of construction would put the shop out of business and plans to attend every public hearing in search of an alternative route.
"We're devastated, because we know the road is not wide enough, and a lot of business owners are going to lose their business."
The next community meeting is Saturday, Sept. 19 at 12:30 p.m. at the Maryvale Community Center.
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