Mesa Sets The Stage > Transformation in New Urban DTMesa Underway

Another well-written article about Mesa that appeared reporting on the recent SWTA Conference that wrapped up here two days ago at the Mesa Convention Center.
One thing that is nice to see is that Mesa Mayor John Giles can admit he was wrong . . .
Mesa Mayor John Giles said when the light rail line was proposed he was highly skeptical, saying it was just bringing a “Disneyland ride to a ghost town,” in downtown Mesa. But now that it’s open and bumped up the line’s monthly ridership from 90,000 to 180,000 and seeing all the life it brought into the area, he’s glad to admit he was wrong.
“I can’t think of anything else that I’ve been so delighted to be so wrong about,” he said.

 

That honest admission included by Joe Petrie On Feb 2, 2016 appeared in MassTransitMag 

Mesa Sets the Stage for Freedom Through Transit

The SWTA annual meeting brought together hundreds of transit professionals and vendors from nine states within the region to find ways to better their systems and find best practices to improve efficiency and safety in their communities. 
Coming into downtown Mesa down Main Street, you can see a transformation underway.
Getting off the Main/Center platform of the Valley Metro Light Rail Central Mesa Extension Joe Petrie noticed Main looks different than other areas of Mesa with its new light rail line moving people down the corridor while other roads are wide boulevards designed solely for car traffic and only a few winding sidewalks going past them. 
Downtown Mesa also saw its first new residential developments in downtown Mesa in 30 years. [Blogger's note: that's Encore On First at 25 West First Avenue].
Mesa is a standard example of most communities located in the south and west of the U.S., and its change made it a strong host for the 2016 South West Transit Association (SWTA) annual meeting.

While data from many sources shows that less than 10% of the population use public transportation, nonethess The conference is themed “Freedom Through Transit,” as transit officials show ways they improve communities and free people from their cars.
Though transit is chided by detractors as stealing freedom, panelist at the opening session said true multimodal systems give freedom because it gives everyone choices on how they move.
Scott Smith, who officially took over as interim CEO of Valley Metro Feb. 1, and is the former mayor of Mesa, said when planning the initial freeways in the valley in the 1980s transit was very politically unpopular in the region, but that sentiment of lost freedom from transit is waning as the argument if fixed guideway rail causes issues because it can’t be moved.
“Last time I checked, when they were planning the freeways they also weren’t planning on moving it either,” he said.
Maria Hyatt, public transit director for the city of Phoenix, said the addition of light rail in the area has been very effective in moving people and building development.
“Light rail is the best running bus system,” she said. “Light rail can move four times the people that our busiest bus routes can.”

Here's the clincher take-away from Joe Petrie's report
And with the success of the initial system, leaders said they’re seeing residents embrace projects including groups that would normally oppose such a project.
. . . projects like more affordable housing that's transit-oriented development and form-based zoning to support Creative Peacemaking?