Weiers: Prop 479 renewal crucial for roads to meet growth

What was once considered a quiet town in the West Valley, has turned into a central hub for sports, tourism, and culture. The transformation of Glendale over the past two decades is greatly due to the investment in roads and freeways throughout Maricopa County.

The Glendale Sports and Entertainment District, which includes Desert Diamond Arena, Westgate, Tanger Outlets, State Farm Stadium and Camelback Ranch attract fans and residents from across the Valley and state due to the ease of traveling by car or public transportation to Glendale.

This connectivity has been a leading factor when attracting mega events such as the Super Bowl and Final Four. Without the four decades of investment and planning, the Valley would be disconnected and congested like other large metro areas in the nation.

But we cannot let critical funding for local roads and freeways expire. Renewing our existing investment in transportation funding this November is not only important for maintaining infrastructure but for keeping residents and first responders safe across the Valley.

Proposition 479 will allow the county to invest in expanding roads and highways so friends and family can travel more safely across the Valley. This investment will continue to reduce congestion and ensure that first responders can get to us as quickly as possible.

Protecting residents’ quality of life is important to me. Congested freeways and decaying roads unfortunately lead to more accidents. Without this funding source, roads and traffic will only get worse.

Since the predecessor of Prop 479 was passed 40 years ago, the West Valley has seen tremendous growth. We were fortunate to have the foresight and strategic vision to build out a transportation plan to support this growth and serve residents.

Along the Loop 101, 30 million people visit the Sports and Entertainment District each year, enjoying easy access to dozens of entertainment options including concerts in the arena and stadium, Topgolf, Chicken N Pickle, PopStroke, Dave & Busters and more.

These investments have allowed West Valley residents to travel with more ease and have attracted major employers and industries to the region.

Take Loop 303 for example. There was nearly zero business activity west of Litchfield Road in Glendale when the Loop 303 freeway was planned, and eventually built. Now, Glendale enjoys more than 20 million square feet of advanced manufacturing and distribution services that are operational today, with an additional 10 million square feet currently in the construction process and more economic growth is being built.

Red Bull North America, White Claw, Nestle, PUMA, and William Sonoma are just a few of the quality employers that have recently opened facilities in Glendale’s booming industrial district.

Prop 479 is the most important question voters in Maricopa County will be see on the ballot in November. It is sound public policy and the fiscally conservative approach to investing in transportation and infrastructure.