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AZ Central
In August, Phoenix voters will weigh in once again on the future of light rail.

A group of light-rail opponents dubbed Building a Better Phoenix collected enough signatures to force light rail back on the ballot.

Proponents of light rail tried tried to get the initiative kicked off the ballot in a legal challenge this week, but were unsuccessful.

Barring a successful appeal, the initiative will be in the hand of Phoenix voters.

Here's what it would do:

Which projects would be killed?

If passed, the Building a Better Phoenix Initiative would halt all light-rail spending and cancel all light-rail projects approved by voters in 2015.

Those extensions are:

South Central (connecting the current line to Baseline Road via Central Avenue).
Capitol/I-10 West (connecting current line to state Capitol and 79th Avenue park and ride.
Northwest Phase II (connecting current northwest line to Metrocenter Mall).
ASU West (connecting Metrocenter Mall to Arizona State University's West Campus).
West Phoenix/Camelback (connecting the current line to Grand Canyon University and 43rd Avenue and Camelback Road).
Northeast (connecting current line to Paradise Valley Mall).

The initiative would also forbid the city from funding any other future light rail extensions or fixed rail (commuter rail or Amtrak train).

Where will rail money go?

The funding for the planned light-rail extensions comes from three sources: countywide transportation tax revenue, federal grants and revenue from a city sales tax increase voters approved in 2015.

If the initiative passes, the city's sales tax revenue will divert to other transportation projects, including sidewalk improvements, road repairs and new bus systems. The Phoenix Citizens Transportation Commission will recommend how the money should be spent.

The federal grants and regional funding will be lost to the city.

[www.azcentral.com]