Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee Meeting - April 16, 2025
Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee Meeting - April 16, 2025
The Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee met on April 16, 2025, at 6:15 PM. The meeting opened with approval of previous minutes, consideration of consent agenda items, discussion of Route Zero A modifications, presentations on trail heat safety and golf program updates, and public comments. Key decisions included postponing the Route Zero A change and approving junior golf card and golf fee ordinance amendments.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of the February 19, 2025 meeting.
- Approved items 2 through 4; item 5 (Route Zero A modifications) was pulled for separate discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tim Sarakovski: Criticized the Parks Board for not listening to public opposition to trail restrictions. He urged council members to visit Echo Canyon to see conditions firsthand and alleged that park rangers are not engaging with hikers. He called for charter changes to give elected officials more authority.
- Jerry Van Gas: Raised concerns about the Proposition A Parks and Preserve Initiative Fund, noting it dropped from over $60 million to $22 million in 18 months despite annual $40 million inflows and $85 million in expenditures last year. He demanded an independent outside audit and alleged misuse of funds.
Discussion Items
Item 5: Route Zero A Proposed Modifications
- Proposal: Reduce Route Zero A frequency from every 15 minutes to 30 minutes, effective July 20, 2025, in coordination with the June 7 launch of South Central Light Rail extension (12-minute frequency). Staff cited adequate capacity and light rail adjacency.
- Public Feedback: 65% of public comments opposed the reduction.
- Council Concerns: Councilwoman Hodge Washington questioned implementing the change in summer heat and transitioning riders; she requested a phased approach or later implementation. Councilwoman Pastor noted community opposition and urged phasing in fall/winter with better data and outreach.
- Staff Response: Agreed to hold the item, return with a revised implementation schedule and phased approach, and collect ridership data after light rail launch.
- No vote taken; staff will bring back a future proposal.
Item 7: Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Program
- Presentation: Parks and Fire departments updated on trail heat safety. The system includes 41,000 acres, 200+ miles of trails. Since 2021, extreme heat warning days trigger restrictions (8 a.m.–5 p.m.) on Camelback and Piestewa Peak trails. In March 2025, the Parks Board added three South Mountain trails (Hau Pau Loop, Holbert, Mormon) and a segment of the National Trail (6.71 miles total, out of 128 miles at South Mountain). Fire Department noted mountain rescues require 3–5 technical rescue companies, with firefighters carrying 30–40 lbs of gear; helicopter hoist operations limited above ~115°F.
- Public Comments:
- Tim Sarakovski: Opposed the restrictions, claimed the board ignored public opposition, and faulted firefighter and ranger performance.
- Mike Duffy (United Phoenix Firefighters Local 493): Supported restrictions, stated they save lives and protect firefighters, citing a boy’s death on South Mountain in 2024 and rescues trending down on restricted mountains.
- Council Discussion: Councilwoman Hodge Washington expressed gratitude, emphasized safety, and asked City Attorney to confirm Parks Board authority under charter (confirmed: board may open/close parks). Councilwoman Pastor questioned the time change from 9 a.m. to 8 a.m. (earlier buffer) and noted no fines for hikers who linger; she requested enhanced education and hotel industry partnerships. Councilman supported the board’s action, noting 71% of rescues involve locals and 50% involve comorbidities; he defended firefighters.
- No formal action by the subcommittee; members expressed support for the Parks Board’s decision.
Item 8: Phoenix Golf Program Update
- Presentation: Director Greg Light reported that eight city courses hosted 427,000 rounds in 2024, with 3.5 million rounds over 10 years. Facilities include free putting greens/chipping areas and $5 small buckets. The department proposed two actions: (A) restructure the Junior Golf Card – extend validity from 1 month to 12 months for the same $30 cost, plus a $5 daily fee for course access and 35 practice balls; (B) amend the golf fee ordinance to clarify legislative intent (no fee increase, but allows seasonal adjustments under a cap of 5% or CPI, whichever is lower).
- Council Questions: Councilwoman Pastor asked about fee determination and caps, confirming staff cannot exceed the benchmark without council approval.
- Council Support: Motion and second to adopt both recommendations.
- Vote: All ayes; approved.
Key Outcomes
- Route Zero A modifications: Postponed; staff will develop a phased implementation plan with community outreach and post-light-rail data collection.
- Trail Heat Safety: Subcommittee expressed support for the Parks Board’s recent restrictions; no vote taken.
- Junior Golf Card Program: Approved restructuring to 12-month validity and $5 daily fee.
- Golf Fee Ordinance: Approved amendment clarifying legislative intent, maintaining existing fee structure without increases.
Meeting Transcript
And we're not we're not health care providers. Um this is a sort of a way to contribute, and that's I think the part that's most meaningful to me. So thank you. Uh I think everybody else had said it before. Um so really it's just a matter of saying thank you for being a small part of this project. Uh I think everybody in this building does a lot of the work. Um we did a little bit of work here, and hopefully it just kind of brings enlightenment and love and joy, and uh everybody can walk by and just have a little smile on their face when they do it. So thank you all. That's it, welcome to the April 16th Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee meeting. I call the meeting to order, and with the city attorney please explain public comment. Thank you, madam chair. Members of the public may speak for up to two minutes to comment on agenda items to be discussed. Comments must be related to the agenda item and the action being considered by the subcommittee. General comments that go beyond the scope of the agenda item must be made in the call to the public session at the end of the agenda. The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation. Additionally, any member of the public who appears before the subcommittee in their capacity as a lobbyist must, as required by Phoenix City Code, disclose this fact before addressing the subcommittee. The city code requires speakers to present their comments in a respectful and courteous manner. Profane language threats or personal attacks on members of the public council members or staff are not allowed. A person who violates these rules will lose their opportunity to continue to speak. Thank you. And we do have an interpreter. I don't have the name of the interpreter. I'm guessing they're sitting downstairs. So if you could introduce yourself, thank you. Yes, madam chair. Good morning. This is Mario Guarajas. I'll be serving as today's Spanish interpreter. Yes, go ahead. Okay. Uh thank you. And um just gonna introduce myself now to our Spanish speakers. Um yes, we're not coming interpreted, lose habla hispana muchas. Yes, thank you, madam chair. Yes. All right. We now move on to approval of minutes for the February 19th, 2025 meeting. So we have a motion. So move that we approve the minutes. Second. Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. The next items, which are um two through five are in consent. And I believe councilwoman, you want to take five off for some questions. Yes, please. Okay, why don't we go ahead then make a motion on items two through four? I would like to move items two through four and pulling item five. Second. Second.
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