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Arizona Air Quality


colin

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Quite the paradox:

Here in the state we have Phoenix, which received an "F" from the EPA this year on particulate air quality while we also have Flagstaff and, yes, Tucson (http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/181284) which both received "A"s.

Is Phoenix just so large now that it can't help but have poor air quality, or is the mass transit expansion and the continued push to get the hell out of the car the solution? Or is just simple geography as the article suggests?

It is funny the the Daily Star ran this story on the same day they ran the story about the air quality warning tomorrow in the Valley.

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I would lean towards the latter, Phoenix sits in a giant bowl, enough for the bad air to settle over it. But It is also gigantic, congested, and a little more wasteful. It's kind of a republican paradise. All the nice, capitalist amenities, without any of the guilt. But with all the growth air quality is a concern. Especially on those uber hot days when it gets baked.

It does crack me up how anti-Phoenix the Star seems to be. Do they ever have nice stories about the valley? Does everyone in Tucson roll their eyes at the mention of Phoenix?

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haha I like the business park water fountainyness of Phoenix. You don't hear to much about Tucson at all up here. I think people in Tucson have second city syndrome. Coming from GR, I know the frustration that second city syndrome brings. It does make me sad when people demonize certain areas for things like that. Phoenix and Tucson should get along and work together, they could get far more accomplished if they did, instead of the sibling rivalry thing going on.

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That's fair.

I think it comes down to the fact that Tucsonans typically go to Phoenix at least a few times per year while Phoenicians can get through their whole lives without ever coming to Tucson. I think it's easier to criticize if you're seeing it often.

I end up somewhere in Phoenix at least once every three months, and I don't even really like it. I think I've been up there four times in the past three months, mostly for Phoenix-only events.

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I have to say tho, I need someone to give me a tour or Tucsons more redeeming parts. Because the time i've spent there has left me with a feeling of a very bland very stubborn mid sized city. I've actually spent a few nights there in the past couple of months, and other than being on campus have found little that separates it from any other Suburban midsized city. In fact downtown Tucson lags behind cities of like size or even smaller.

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Just let me know when, dude. There are lots of cool neighborhoods and stuff surrounding city, but you won't see any of it if you're just going A - B all the time and staying on the larger streets and, especially, the freeways.

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That happened in Houston years ago: the city and county failed to clean up, so the freeway dollars got cut.

It's difficult to not rely on federal money for transportation projects though, and it makes sense in the Phoenix area since several are federal highways and part of a much larger system. Also, it's one of those old but somehow forgotten American trade-offs, state versus federal: if the feds paid less, the state would have to pay more and the taxes would be higher. People here complain about the income tax, but I don't think I've ever paid more than $200-300 per year and I always get a good part of that back.

But also, I think, federal intervention is critical in regards to public transit. Local municipalities are typically resistant in funding the initial infrastructure required, especially when no actual return is expected for several years. Would the light rail have actually happened at all had the feds not thrown some money out?

I was in Phoenix this weekend, and ended up driving down Shea and then Scottsdale Road. I couldn't help but laugh at the bus stops. Most consisted of a sign and a 8x8' wall-less blue tent supported by thin poles. And that was the well-developed bus stops. The Valley's just isn't a public transit culture and would never fund any major improvements or investments in its infrastructure.

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