Phoenix' Lessons on Rail TAMPA (WUSF) - The sprawl that is Phoenix gave birth to crushing traffic jams, so many people thought the solution would be mass transit. A referendum was first put on the ballot in 1989 to fund a light rail system through a half-cent sales tax. It was overwhelmingly defeated. It took another five years to get back before voters. The result - the same. It took two more tries before the voters finally approved the tax in 2000. © Copyright 2012, WUSF