Van Buren Street is a major arterial street that runs through a number of municipalities in

Maricopa County Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about ...

in the U.S. state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. At one point, the road was simultaneously the route of U.S. Route 60 (US 60), US 70, US 80, and US 89.

History

Built after the founding of the city of

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, the road was located outside of town in the 1880s. Following the expansion of the city northwards, the street became increasingly popular as people began to use it more and more. The routing of the Bankhead Highway, US 60, US 70, US 80, and US 89 also increased its popularity, turning the area into a center of life in the city. The demand for service on the street was so great that Arizona's first

drive-in movie theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movie ...

was sited on Van Buren, and motel owners introduced gimmicks to draw people to their attractions. Following the completion of Interstate 10 to the south, the area became subject to urban decay, as the former U.S. Routes were removed from the system or rerouted around the street. This led to a decline in commerce in the area, and the eventual shuttering of many businesses on the street. This in turn led to an increase in crime and prostitution that has continued to this day. In the years since its demise, there have been numerous attempts at improving the area. In Phoenix, the city has taken an active role in redeveloping the East Van Buren Corridor. Van Buren Street Phoenix 2.jpg, Van Buren Street, Phoenix, Arizona, near intersection of 2nd St., facing north

Transportation

Valley Metro Bus Valley Metro Bus is a transit bus system for public transport in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In , the Valley Metro half the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . Buses are operated by private companies contracte ...

's route 3 Van Buren Street primarily serves Van Buren Street, running on it from Galvin Parkway in east Phoenix to 4th Street in Avondale.

Valley Metro Rail Valley Metro Rail (styled as METRO) is a light rail line serving the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa in Arizona, USA. The network, which is part of the Valley Metro public transit system, began operations on December 27, 2008. In , the sys ...

has stops here at 1st Avenue and Central Avenue.

References

{{Reflist Transportation in Phoenix, Arizona Streets in Arizona U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 70 U.S. Route 80 U.S. Route 89