Thelda Williams, Mark Mitchell and Dennis Kavanaugh

AZ We See It

Almost every movie that is set or filmed in Arizona features horses or cars. Janet Leigh drove through downtown Phoenix to open “Psycho.” The makers of “The Kingdom” turned Loop 202 into a Saudi Arabian highway for a high-speed chase. And where else would the Radiator Springs of “Cars” be located but Arizona?

So it’s gratifying to be recognized for a different kind of transportation: Valley Metro is hosting the American Public Transportation Association’s rail conference Sunday through Wednesday. More than 2,500 people from the United States, Canada and Japan are expected to attend.

Light rail success in an automobile mecca

It’s the first time the conference has come to the Phoenix region. Until recently, we wouldn’t have been considered. But now, the group’s members want to find out how a sprawling metro area so identified with the automobile has made light rail such a success story.

We won’t be shy about showcasing the highlights, including tours that get attendees out on the line.

One tour will demonstrate how public art is integral to Tempe’s and Mesa’s rail stations.

Another will showcase Phoenix adaptive reuse projects along the light rail corridor, with stops to sample the fare in the historic buildings that house Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlor, Desoto Central Market and The Newton’s Southern Rail Restaurant.

We have an amazing story to tell. Since Valley Metro Rail opened for business on Dec. 27, 2008, every measurement has surpassed expectations.

In the first year, average weekday ridership soared 34 percent over projections. By April of this year, we were averaging nearly 54,000 riders on weekdays, a number we had not expected any sooner than 2020.

Light rail has clearly been a hit with the commuters and students who depend on it every day. Get on a train in the morning or early evening, and you can’t help but notice how many passengers are using this quiet ride productively on their phones, tablets or with their noses in school books.

Light rail also appeals to less-frequent riders, helping special events run more smoothly.

Take Super Bowl XLIX. Ridership surpassed 65,000 on the three weekdays before the game, and nearly doubled to an all-time high of 126,000 on Saturday, as fans converged on downtown Phoenix for the NFL Experience and Super Bowl Central. Imagine if all those people had driven.

Or think of what traffic congestion would be like after a Diamondbacks or ASU football game if all the people waiting for light rail trains were piling into cars instead.

It will only get better

The original 20-mile route has grown by six miles with additions into downtown Mesa and northwest Phoenix. A second Mesa addition will reach Gilbert Road by 2018.

The first spur off the main line will stretch into south Phoenix by 2023, thanks to voter support for Proposition 104, followed closely by lines to the Metrocenter mall area and along Interstate 10 to the West Valley.

Tempe plans to launch a modern streetcar line in 2019 and planning is underway for a light rail extension to Glendale in the next decade.

Why we're so aggressive

We expect attendees at the conference to ask why we’re tackling such an aggressive expansion schedule. It is a lot to do in a short time, but the success since 2008 tells us we have no other option. Light rail is adding to the success and sustainability of the Valley.

It expands transportation choices, which is particularly important for riders who don't have access to cars.

Light rail is also important to the Millennials, who are far more comfortable without a car than Gen X’ers and Boomers. They want to live, work and play along light rail and other transit corridors. If we’re to continue attracting high-paying companies, we need to make sure the Valley is attractive to the workers they need.

Light rail is more than just a transportation system. It's an economic driver.

Need proof light rail is an economic driver? Here are 3

1. If you doubt that, look at all the cranes in downtown Phoenix, where mixed-used developments are answering the demand for housing along light rail. Take note that the state Department of Housing encourages development of affordable housing along light rail, calculating that financial stability is boosted by reducing transportation expenses for families.

2. Look at how light rail is transforming Mesa’s downtown, making it attractive for private colleges and a possible Arizona State University campus.

MORE: Mesa, ASU finalize downtown-campus plan

RELATED: Construction on downtown Mesa Artspace 'artist colony' to begin this year

3. Consider that State Farm chose to build one of its four regional hubs in Tempe because of light rail, streetcar, the city’s neighborhood circulators and extensive bike network. “Access to public transportation and multiple transportation options is critical to our operations going forward,” the company’s chief operating officer said.

Without light rail, we would have missed out on State Farm’s $600 million Marina Heights development along with other public and private projects that have attracted billions of dollars in investment along the light rail corridor.

MORE: See inside State Farm's massive new Tempe complex

STATE FARM EXEC: Transit helped Tempe get $600M hub

Light rail connects us, which strengthens us

Valley Metro Rail has had another benefit. It has made regional cooperation real.

Tempe may be home to State Farm, for instance, but the light rail line ensures that Mesa and Phoenix benefit. Any new development along the light rail corridor boosts the economies in the other cities on the line. As light rail expands, so does the pool of potential workers for any company on the corridor.

Residents can easily visit athletic, cultural and entertainment amenities in each city. Recognizing this, we’re more likely to celebrate each other’s successes than compete for them.

So, yes, we have plenty to share with the more than 2,500 transit professionals coming to Phoenix. We’re proud to share our successes with our colleagues across the country and globe — successes made possible because you and your neighbors have embraced public transportation in our historically car-centric region.

Phoenix City Councilmember Thelda Williams chairs the Valley Metro Rail Board of Directors. Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell is vice chair and Mesa Vice Mayor Dennis Kavanaugh is a member of the board.

How does Phoenix light rail compare? See our graphic