April 28, 2010
The Railgate Affair
It was only a matter of time.
Some local maven – witnessing the way Sun Devil fans were forsaking their vehicles for the new light rail in Phoenix – has coined a new phenomenon.
Forget tailgating; railgating is now where it’s at.
In most major cities, the mass transit system does little more than shift commuters around, connecting the downtown with the rest of the metropolitan area.
But in Central Phoenix (CenPho), big tribes of people are gathering on the new trains – which link up downtown Phoenix to Tempe and Mesa (20 miles away) – and travelling en masse to restaurants, bars, and cultural events along the line. And yes, this definitely includes Sun Devils worshippers.
Even those who originally rallied against the light rail (its price tag was $1 billion) are now seeing it as a major catalyst, sparking new vigor into Central Phoenix. Rider numbers are reported to be at 33,000 a day (way above the projected 26,000). And apparently, less than a third of those people are using it just for work. That’s a lot of pleasure riders.
Businesses are capitalizing on this new stream of traffic – from Dave’s Electric Brewpub in Tempe to Matt’s Big Breakfast in downtown Phoenix. You can even pre-plan your LRT dining adventure by checking out PHX Rail Food, which reviews all the eateries along the line.
Nick Bastion is a realtor who is so enamored of the LRT he set up the blog Raillife.com. He is the inventor of the railgating pun. He thinks the practice will soon morph into an art form.
“There is no right or wrong way to Railgate,” he writes on his site, “just have fun.”
It’s a revitalization that has the New York Times taking note.
ONE Lexington, the landmark building situated on Central Avenue perched above light rail’s Osborn station, is synonymous with the new Central Phoenix s vitality. Think Midtown hub: its location is making access to the things you love about Central Phoenix – such as First Fridays (the art walk “block party” with more than 100 local artists and vendors held on the first Friday of the month) – that much easier. Steps away from the Financial Center, One Lexington is at the vanguard of the commute-no-more movement.
Come join the revolution.
