PHOENIX — South Phoenix businesses said they have seen new faces from the light rail and are still building back up after years of light rail construction along Central Avenue.
The light rail opened its South Phoenix community extension last June following a long wait for the expansion that brought stress to local businesses for years.
During construction, ABC15 heard from a Phoenix group who said the project was causing more harm than good.
The expansion added over five miles of rail to the Valley Metro system.
Wednesday, Valley Metro said a year after the grand opening, 20 percent of their ridership is along the South-Central corridor.
Print shop, Old School City, has been anchored in South Phoenix for more than 50 years and at South Plaza at Central and Baseline for the past four decades.
“Old School City has been here since '73, 1980 here in the plaza,” Owner Willie Aguilar said. “We’ve been here before light rail, and we'll be here after light rail. For us, it's a learning curve. How can we benefit from it?”
Just half a mile south, Red Velvet Bakery opened its doors during the light rail construction and has expanded their business to add breakfast, drinks and a community co-working space.
"I want people to know that we are here…and we have survived construction,” Owner Myesha Harris said. "We’re getting more customers that we didn’t see over the last two years because no one wanted to come down Central Avenue.”
ABC15's Lillian Donahue talked with Valley Metro and local businesses about what the last year has been like. Watch the full report in the video player above.
