Valley magazine writers get a ride on the rail

The magazine writers and editors who rode the new Metro Light Rail system Friday from Tempe to Mesa and back were a giddy group, gawking at the sights, grinning and clearly delighted to be among the first to try the new train.

The 20-mile, $1.4 billion line has about a five-mile segment in Tempe and one mile in Mesa. Tempe is paying $143 million for its stretch; Mesa, $20.5 million.

"When I called and invited the magazine folks to ride the light rail, invariably they were all giggly and thrilled and said they couldn't wait," Tempe Marketing Director Kris Baxter said. "This thing is just fun, and it's new and everyone can't wait to get on it."

Sue Berliner publishes Sweat Magazine and she couldn't stop smiling as the light rail cars quietly, smoothly, slipped out of the Tempe station at the new transit building.

"This is awesome, great, I love it!" Berliner said as the train swept by Tempe Butte and Sun Devil Stadium and everyone aboard stared at the sights as if for the first time.

"We know that when people come to big athletic events in this part of the Valley - like the Rock N' Roll Marathon - they'll be glad to ride the light rail. These are runners, bike riders, people who appreciate the idea of not driving, of using mass transit. It will be big with them."

Phoenix Magazine Managing Editor Stephanie Paterik said she was thoroughly enjoying her light-rail ride.

"We're planning our light-rail coverage for December-we know it's going to be a huge thing for the city," Paterik said as the train traveled across Rural Road and turned southeast on Terrace Road, passing apartments and a strip mall. "This is really a quiet, smooth ride, and feels like we're traveling in a very big, safe train, which I guess we are."

The train cars are big indeed - each is 90 feet long and weighs 100,000 pounds - and they glide smoothly down the tracks.

Phoenix Magazine Associate Editor Adam Klawonn said, "I've been eager to see this thing in action."

"I've been thinking of (the transit systems) in San Francisco and Portland and I wanted to see if we'd be on the same level. Would we be a cheap copy or something sleek? But this is nice! And we're on it before there's any chewing gun under the seats . . . "

Not everyone on the train was a magazine type. Eugene Marchese, President of Constellation Property Group was along because he is developing a property that will be right next to the line.

"It's brilliant! It's fantastic!" Marchese said, eagerly looking out the window. "This is going to be a momentous, wonderful thing for the whole Valley, and people just can't guess how good it will be."

"And we get to ride it first!"

The light rail line opens to the public Dec. 27.

Sweat Magazine publisher Sue Berliner called the light rail ride experience Friday, "great, awesome'' and predicted riders would flock to the new system when it opens in December.