Phoenix, meet Tucson, then get to work on rail
Face it, Phoenix: You've always been jealous of your pretty little sister to the south.
No wonder. Tucson doesn't have to engage in debates over whether she has a soul. It's obvious.
WEIGH IN: On Phoenix-Tucson line
The lush desert is an integral part of a city that also knows how to honor its heritage. There's a statue of Pancho Villa in downtown, for crying out loud. Tucson didn't have to rename any freeways to make amends for insulting Native Americans.
But this isn't about gloating over the bounty of the Baja.
There's no question that Tucson got Mom's charm and looks and the Valley got Dad's money and power.
But for its own good, Phoenix (the whole generic metro area) needs to use its muscle to create a closer physical connection with Tucson — and Tucson needs to hold its nose and let it happen.
I'm talking about the I-10 corridor between the state's two largest metropolitan areas.
Right now, it is best known for problems.
There are enough idiot drivers to raise the stress level of even the most laid-back, chamomile-tea-swilling Tucsonan.
There are also deadly dust storms, which Tucson state Sen. Steve Farley, a Democrat, has been talking about since October 2013, when he was caught in one that killed three people near Picacho Peak.
Farley says a push from the new governor can get the state moving on agreements with landowners to address the problems created by vacant land that turns into powder when the wind blows.
But Gov.-Elect Doug Ducey didn't need the Baja to win office. He isn't likely to pay much attention to a Democratic lawmaker from Tucson unless the Phoenicians see some advantage.
So, see the advantage, Phoenix.
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The road runs both ways, and its importance to commerce in both metropolitan areas increases with population growth. The need to address dust storms is just one example.
Here's another: Efficient north-south corridors will be essential to making the most of the new trade office Arizona/Phoenix opened in Mexico City this fall.
The Arizona-Mexico border is more than a prop for the latest Sheriff Joe stunt. Gov. Jan Brewer never got it. She didn't even attend the launch of Arizona's Mexico City trade office; she was on a trade trip to Europe. No kidding.
Maybe Ducey can do better.
It isn't just international commerce that will suffer if the powers in the Valley ignore the needs of Interstate 10. Some say the drive from Phoenix to Tucson could take more than five hours each way in coming decades as traffic increases.
That brings us to a chimera that longtime residents of both urban areas put in the same category as Thomas the Tank Engine and the Hogwarts Express: a passenger rail line between Tucson and Phoenix.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is moving on this, and proposed routes will be ready for public comment this spring, according to Michael Kies, project manager for the rail study at ADOT.
There's no funding for a system that could cost up to $10 billion. If money were available — in a best-case scenario — Kies says we're eight to 10 years away from opening day.
Farley thinks we could do it quicker if the state courts private-sector investment with some kind of attractive deal. Sweeteners could include control of adjacent land, which will rise in value.
Don't forget: The person selling ice cream on that train can also control the air-conditioning.
Negotiating this should be a natural for Ducey, who sold himself to voters as the great private-sector business guy.
Getting this done means the Valley has to look south without rolling its eyes. It means Tucson has to risk becoming a bedroom community for the scions of the soulless north.
There's more baggage between these cities than you can carry on a commuter train. But there is also a shared interest that should transcend the silly stuff. Like it or not, closer connections will benefit both. So, get creative and build this railroad.
The great city to the north can look for some deep-pocket investors and take the heat for sweetheart deals with dark money vapor trails.
Tucson can shop for some great 1940s hats and dream of the interesting strangers she'll meet on the train.