Council to continue reversible-lane debate

The reversible lanes that run through Phoenix won a reprieve of at least nine months as the Phoenix City Council decided Tuesday to study the issue further.

Phoenix will reconsider whether to eliminate the lanes next June, just before the council's summer break. The unanimous vote for a new study period came after a divided council could not agree whether to keep the lanes or to disband them.

"I'm not a real fan of these reversible lanes," said Councilman Claude Mattox, one of three council members who were undecided on the issue Tuesday. "But right now I'm reluctant to make a change until we know where we go from here."

Among other issues, council members said they want to see how the opening of the light-rail system in December changes traffic patterns in central Phoenix.

Council members appeared concerned that a report from city staffers about the effect of the lanes was incomplete, a concern shared by some community leaders.

"We may be rushing into this without adequate data," said Don Keuth, president of the Phoenix Community Alliance.

But they also acknowledged the concerns of dozens of neighbors who spoke out against the lanes on Tuesday. Residents of nearby neighborhoods say the lanes are dangerous, causing a disproportionate amount of crashes and diminishing their quality of life.

The lanes operate on weekdays during peak travel times, from McDowell Road to Northern Avenue on Seventh Avenue and from McDowell to Dunlap Avenue on Seventh Street.