Senate approves bill to commission a new light‑rail feasibility study amid competing views on transit alternatives

The Arizona Senate passed Senate Bill 13 32, which calls for a comprehensive feasibility study of light‑rail expansion in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Senator Kavanaugh (speaker 13), who sponsored changes to the bill, urged an updated review given "recent advances in autonomous buses and vans" and said the study should be independent and up to date rather than relying on existing agency work. "Before the state spends billions of dollars," Kavanaugh said, "we can at least know what we're going into and have information to make a better decision." He removed a dollar-amount restriction and a prohibition on local or state spending pending a study to make the measure more acceptable to the governor's office.

Opponents said the bill risked duplicating work already done by Valley Metro and regional planning agencies and could delay projects that voters in Maricopa County had approved. Senator QB (speaker 8) argued that additional study requirements could "slow progress" and endanger federal funding tied to strict timelines, noting transit alternatives like autonomous vehicles may not be accessible or affordable for lower‑income residents. After discussion and roll-call votes, the clerk recorded the bill's passage and directed its transmission to the House.

The bill's supporters said an updated, unbiased study can inform future investment choices; its critics urged care to avoid undermining existing plans and funding streams.