Support, too, is there for South Mountain Freeway

Corinne Purtill
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 8, 2005 12:30 PM

Every morning at 5:30 a.m., Richard Liederer boards a shuttle van in Ahwatukee Foothills for the long drive to work. In darkness, the van crawls up Interstate 10 and through downtown Phoenix and the West Valley to the Palo Verde nuclear plant. The commute takes 90 to 115 minutes each way.

By his estimate, the proposed South Mountain Freeway connecting Ahwatukee to the West Valley could shave up to 30 minutes off his commute. Does he support the project? You bet he does.

"I've been waiting for this for 20 years," he said.  

Liederer is among the large yet relatively silent proportion of Ahwatukee residents in favor of the proposed South Mountain Freeway.

Though the freeway's outspoken critics have forcefully asserted their views at public meetings and through the media, many of their neighbors in Ahwatukee want to see the freeway built to relieve traffic on Interstate 10.

Studies show that the project's advocates could even be a majority in Ahwatukee.

Some of them are worried that the attention paid the detractors could overshadow the need for the project.

"I almost feel like we need to make posters and go and demonstrate in favor of it," said Lynn Johnson. "We have been very silent, but I know we're not alone."

In April 2001, Phoenix commissioned a survey of residents who commute to work from Ahwatukee on the South Mountain Freeway. The study found that 57 percent of the 304 residents interviewed were in favor of building the freeway along Pecos Road. Of residents who lived within 1 mile of Pecos, less than half - 44 percent - were against the alignment.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Maricopa Association of Governments, which controls the freeway's funding, have not surveyed Ahwatukee residents on the matter.

If those results are still an accurate reflection of Ahwatukee opinions, the supporters are a largely silent majority. Of about 2,000 public comments submitted in the last month, 70 percent were against building the freeway, said Theresa Gunn, a consultant working for ADOT.

The vast majority were from Ahwatukee residents who attended a meeting at the Grace Inn last month, she said. Comments received after similar open houses in Avondale and Laveen were three-to-one in favor of the project.

ADOT is occasionally contacted by Ahwatukee residents who want the freeway, particularly commuters fed up with delays on I-10 or residents who live farther from Pecos, spokesman Matt Burdick said.

Supporters said they were baffled by the public outcry against the 20-year-old proposal, which existed long before most Ahwatukee residents moved into their homes.

"I just don't understand them. We need it, Phoenix needs it, the Valley needs it," said Gene Cox, a resident since 1987. "Most of the people I've talked to would like to see the freeway built. They just don't have the time or energy to attend meetings and holler and scream."

Proponents said they would use the freeway to reach the West Valley for work or leisure. Almost half of respondents to an informal online poll conducted by the Ahwatukee Republic during the past week said they would use the freeway regularly or occasionally. "Paul McCartney doesn't come very often, but when he does I want to get to it," said Pamela Bradfield, referring to events at the Glendale Arena.

Bradfield lives just one block north of Pecos Road. If the freeway goes through, she'll be able to see it from her windows, a fact she knew when she bought her home in 2003.

"I live just as close as can be and it doesn't bother me, and I didn't know I was the exception," she said.

Like others in favor of the freeway, she said it was necessary to relieve increasing congestion on I-10. Residents also said they wanted more exit options from Ahwatukee, which currently can only be accessed through I-10.

"If there was any kind of disaster where we needed to evacuate quickly, our surface streets are pitiful," Johnson said. "Whenever there has been a freeway diversion (on I-10), it just totally cripples our community."

Many said they were embarrassed or frustrated by what Bradfield termed the "hysteria" of the freeway's opponents. Ahwatukee's vocal and often emotional opposition to the plans has drawn scorn from those in and outside the community.

Pointing to communities across the Valley that have been forced to absorb freeways, some residents said that Ahwatukee would have to learn to do the same.

"We can't sit back and say, 'I don't want it in my backyard,'" said Chuck Corbin, an resident of Ahwatukee for 18 years. "At some point, we've got to do what's best for all of the people."


• About this two-day series: In Thursday's Ahwatukee Republic we talked with residents who are against the South Mountain Freeway. Read that story at ahwatukee.azcentral.com.