No to Pecos Road alignment

The Arizona Republic
Feb. 2, 2006 12:00 AM

Five years ago, when the Arizona Department of Transportation opened discussion with communities to be affected by the Loop 202 extension west of Interstate 10 and Pecos Road to an undetermined terminus at I-10 west of Phoenix, many of us in Ahwatukee attended the meeting. From this overture, the South Mountain Corridor Citizen Advisory Team was born in 2002 and has met in open meetings periodically since then.

The same over-worn "ground" and issues are raised and discussed limitedly along with shopworn videos from ADOT with ADOT leading the choir. No oral comment permitted by attending citizens. This in itself by ADOT design is questionable interaction in an open-meeting democratic process.

The core of ADOT's original loop freeway via Pecos Road from a dotted line on a map in 1988 was subsequent to the original publication of its intent of the greater Phoenix "loop" freeway traffic plan in 1986.

ADOT has fiddled for 20 years from the 1986 disclosed "loop" plan to the 1988 dotted line via Pecos Road on a map to beginning community talks in 2000 and finally SCAT formation in 2002.

It has purposefully misrepresented its true intent to citizens with regard to the loop from Pecos Road to I-10 west of Phoenix since 2000.

ADOT has pretended interest in citizen input. This has been and continues to be a fatuous, feckless charade. The purpose is to wear 'em down, wear 'em down, wear 'em down again, again, again, and then roll 'em to build the road, and to hell with community concern, interest and input.

In Ahwatukee, ADOT lost its window of opportunity to build the Pecos leg in 1990-92. Development raced ahead of ADOT's incompetence and insincerity to expedite their proposed plan. The dollars were there; they arbitrarily chose to use them elsewhere on routes 51, 101 and 202 east.

ADOT is a living disgrace of waste as an agency paid entirely with tax dollars, allowed to practice gross incompetence and mendacity. It expects us poor dumb citizens to suck their bait. Not now, ADOT. Not anymore, ADOT. And note in the future, ADOT, as far as Pecos Road alignment west of I-10, your opportunity here is over.

Neither Ahwatukee, nor Laveen, nor Avondale, Estrella nor any severely impacted community need suffer your tawdry 20-year soap opera. Bag it!

Greta C. Rogers is a 30-plus year resident of the Valley. The past 25 years have been spent in Ahwatukee. American history, international relations, fine art and community involvement occupy her free time.