Posts Tagged ‘Grand Avenue Rail Project’

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Kirby Hoyt: Historically, cities have been designed around their prevailing modes of transportation. When Phoenix was first conceived, there were two modes of transportation: the train (for long distance and shipping) and the horse-and-buggy (for local and hauling needs). The streets in Phoenix were designed in a grid that emanated from the railroad depot and ancillary buildings, kind of a play on the Law of the Indies. Within six years of the incorporation of Phoenix, the beginnings of an extensive streetcar system was put in place, with the first streetcar operating on six…

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Tweet Today’s post is by Bob Graham, president of the Grand Avenue Rail Project. For the last two years, steady progress has been made on the establishment of the Grand Avenue Rail Project (GARP). The project is envisioned as a way to use certain existing resources to create an attraction that will revitalize the Lower Grand Avenue business district. Awareness of GARP has grown in the downtown community, and we have received many positive comments. In this article, I will give a brief summary of the project for those who are not familiar with GARP, and follow that with the…

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Tweet I can’t believe it’s been one full year since Places, Spaces and Faces Community Dinner was started!  We started off small, but with fantastic participation at a quality venue, setting the standard for future events.  Kathleen Bartolomei, one of the original founders, had a brilliant suggestion at the first dinner which has helped sustain the dinners every month since.  She installed the tradition of voting for the best cook in the different categories (sweet, savory and later drinks) and the winners would help organize the next dinner.  “Built-in sustainability” she called it and boy she was right!  As the…

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January 02, 2011

New Year’s Resolutions for a Better Community

by: Jim McPherson

Tweet Today’s post is by Jim McPherson, a follow up to his guest post last week.  He helps us kick off the new year with some resolutions on how to improve Phoenix and concrete steps on how to get started.  Thanks Jim!… Happy New Year! Here in Phoenix, the sun is out, the sky is clear, and there’s a slight chill in the air.  Not bad, not bad at all.  It’s also that time of the year to resolve to improve upon the previous year.  It’s time to look forward and to move forward. Last week in my post, “Yes…

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Tweet Continuing this week of guest posts by top-notch Phoenix writers and thinkers, today’s post is by the Light Rail Blogger, Tony Arranaga.  Since 1995, Tony has worked in television newsrooms around the country. Tony started his career on the assignment desk at the West Coast Bureau for ABC News in Los Angeles. He then spent several years covering politics in both Tampa and Washington, D.C. before landing in Phoenix where he helped ABC 15/KNXV-TV grow a morning show audience. Tony’s new passion is mass transit and alternative transportation. He is the publisher of Light Rail Blogger – which talks…

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