Red Line to F-F-F-Florence!

I realize it's never going to happen in a million years, but I'm drooling just at the possibility that Pinal County might get public transportation.

Among the reasons it's never going to happen is backwards thinking like this:

But Deputy Pinal County Manager Ken Buchanan said the county first needs to improve and expand its roads and highways. "We're still working on roads, where they'll connect," he said. "Then, we'll talk about transit. What it's going to come down to is subsidizing transit."

You can't finish with the roads first as if they're an independent question. The more and better public transport you build, the less roads you need. But the more roads you build, the less people will think about, or want to use, public transportation.

I suspect quality public transportation, especially if done in conjunction with (coerced or voluntary) transit-oriented, rather than car-oriented, development would be an economic boon to the county. Reliable commuter rail would make Casa Grande or Florence a much more attractive place to live.