Auditor general would study light rail expansion in Maricopa County and report by 2027

The auditor general, working with an independent transportation research group, would review light rail expansion in Maricopa County and report the findings. The report goes to the Governor, the Senate president, and the House speaker, with copies to the secretary of state, the Phoenix mayor, and each Phoenix city council member. The review may not assume that any type of transit is better than another. The report is due on or before December 31, 2027, and the act is repealed from and after June 30, 2028.

The review would compare light rail with other transit and estimate how construction would affect nearby businesses. The comparison covers autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, including bus rapid transit, passenger vans, and shuttles, on costs, environmental impact per dollar, long-term economic benefits, flexibility, and maintenance and replacement costs. The review must estimate possible lost revenue, job cuts, relocation, or closure for small and locally owned businesses near proposed lines, and how construction could affect visibility, access, parking, and traffic. It must give policy recommendations and say whether state participation in light rail expansion should continue, change, or end. State participation means appropriating state money, issuing state bonds or guarantees, Department of Transportation approvals or matching money, or state permits.