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Chandler Arizona


MJLO

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Colin all this is, is an eight story steel skeleton. They started building it about a year ago and then just stopped. So sitting next to Chandler Mall, is a steel frame. Something needs to go there. It's not aparments it aint nothin

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Chandler chosen as one of the best for senior living

I'm not sure I take much stock in this award from AARP for, among other things, having "urban renewal plans that favor mass transit [and] encourage walking." Frankly, I would have chosen Chandler for, with Dial-a-Ride, not requiring senior citizens to walk further than the mailbox.

Actually, I would probably have chosen Mesa for also having no property taxes and for keeping entertainment for younger people out of the city (and NIMBYism also creates entertainment for older people). :yahoo:

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Chandler is doing something neat: they've added queue jumper lanes!

It's a new lane between the right "through" lane and the right turn lane, like a widened bike lane, and it can only be used by buses and bicycles (but it's mainly for buses). When traffic gets congested approaching a light, buses can pull into the queue jumper lane and bypass all that traffic. They even get their own signal. Apparently the light rail will work the same way (although I think light rail really ought to have its own right-of-way).

Mesa is also considering putting queue jumper lanes along Main Street for the BRT line that will run "from the end of the light rail line east of Dobson Road to Power Road".

Making mass transit more attractive like this has to be a good thing.

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It's scary that Chandler has gone this long without even an express bus.

Light rail should have its own ROW to minimize delays, but this is pretty rare because it adds to the costs so much. Houston's was supposed to be separate, but that federal funding that would have made it possible was stopped by now disgraced, former Houston-area congressman Tom Delay. That'll be his legacy: all of the car (and ped)-train accidents that happen on Houston's tiny light rail line.

Arizona Avenue has that median, and it seems that they could do something to give the buses their own lane using that. Kind of like what New Orleans did with Canal Street Downtown.

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Yeah, I agree with you.

I think they should have just put the line along the 202 out to Mesa. Light rail systems in Denver and Dallas do this and they have very impressive ridership.

Your schedules keep better, which increases ridership, but I also think that people just like the idea of being off the roadway. Otherwise, it's too much like the bus.

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Here in northern San Diego county where the I-15 is overloaded, they're taking the whole bypass-traffic thing a step further by putting in on and off ramps ("direct-access ramps") to and from the HOV lanes in order to completely isolate buses and carpools from other freeway traffic. No more trying to move over in bumper-to-bumper traffic!

Here's a picture of what it will look like (I think the vantage point is Escondido, looking south):

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/projectinfo/f...ges/future1.jpg

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It's strange to me that more cities don't use the separated HOV lanes. Houston has for many years, possibly because they knew Houstonians would cheat otherwise, but it does work well in most situations.

The only thing is that sometimes there will be a wreck in it or a bus will break down. That wreaks havoc.

I love that rendering though. Cutting-edge California.

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My roommate and I are in our 20's looking around the Phoenix area for a good place to settle and call home.

We want a predominately progressive community setting, urban, safe, and easy access to mass transit

We're from Nashville, in a neighborhood that is one of the up and coming hoods'.

she wants to move to Phx to be closer to friends, i need a change in scenery.

so tell me whats Phoenix like?

Its larger than Nashville, but is it as cosmopolitan as Nashville?

The city here boasts as one of the strongest job markets in the country.

How is Phoenix's job market?

What are some universities in the area that I could research up on?

Especially schools in film making/studies :]

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

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My roommate and I are in our 20's looking around the Phoenix area for a good place to settle and call home.

We want a predominately progressive community setting, urban, safe, and easy access to mass transit

We're from Nashville, in a neighborhood that is one of the up and coming hoods'.

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Phoenix compared to Nashville,

One thing you have to realize is that Nashville is much much older than Phoenix. Nashville grew up before automobiles were widely utilized. Some of Phoenixs oldest neighborhoods date back only to the 1940's. So with that said, most of Phoenix's explosive growth has happened in the last 30 years, therefore the infrastructure almost everywhere you go is brand new, and centered around the suburban lifestyle that only in the past ten years or so has been frowned upon. What you won't find in Phoenix, that you find in Nashville is a strong central core. If that is your definition of cosmopolitan, you'll find it being developed, and not where it should be. The problem being the cities surrounding Phoenix compete just as hard for that urban developement, and high rise projects as the center city does. So it's more spread out.

What you WILL find in Phoenix if you're looking for it, comparable, or better than Nashville, Is some of the most exclusive shopping in the country. Public services that tend to be a model. New things, new developement everyday. World Class entertainment, sports, recreation, and a job market that is second to none. There is enough wealth in the area to attract some of the finer things in life, and as the city and surrounding areas develope i find it gets better. Due to the fact the city is so new, it's still developing in areas such as Arts, and nightlife. There is definately nightlife, but the only place you'll find it concentrated is in Tempe. As with culture, the area is so spread out, it's harder to find but it is there.

In terms of universities, there is ASU, which I believe now is the largest public university in the country. Other than that you have a handful of private universities geared towards "working adults", centered mainly on the west side of the valley, with a few exceptions.

Phoenix is an aquired taste, it took me over a year to start liking it. It has everything thing any other city of it's size has to offer, but it's just so suburban in nature, it still remains fairly obscure. It's worth mentioning how hard current leadership is working to break out of that stigma. It's the place people move to when they can't afford LA. It's got great malls, and burgeoning freeway network, and hotspots placed thruout. One thing someone from the eastern side of the country will have a hard time with is the landscape, it's very brown, and very dry. If you like the occasional rainstorm, get ready to never see one again, as they occur about as frequent as hale-bopp comet comes around. But if you like pretty people and a culture centered around physical fitness and the like. Temps are 75 and sunny during the non summer season and you'll love it here.

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Thanks for all the info.

Sorry if I might have construed my definition on "cosmopolitan". I simply meant it in the terms that it had larger city features such as you guys said nightlife, etc.

We actually have friends that live in Tempe and they love it.

So it isn't as urban as imagined?

I hate that, I always figure the bigger the city..the more urban it is.. you'd think it would go hand in hand.

Here in Nashville, we are in the middle of housing explosion and development and redevelopment of the central core as well as northern and southern business districts.

What is the minimum wage in AZ? Here is 5.75 x.x and I hate it.

What is Phoenix's economy consist of?

Here its Healthcare industry, tourism, music industry...etc.

Whats the avg. rent for a condo or apartment?

Here its about 500-1000 a month.

Anymore information would be very beneficial :D

Thanks

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  • 3 months later...

I know that, as well as the proximity of business to residences violating zoning laws, has come up in Tucson before as well.

Typically they can make exceptions through the city council. I would like to see them force density in the area: have a minimum for new construction.

Downtown Chandler would be so nice if it was just connected to the other Downtowns by transit.

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