Peoria residents give city high marks
May 10, 2013, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PEORIA, Ariz. — A lot of people in the West Valley are apparently proud to be Peorians.
In the recently released National Citizens Survey, Peoria residents said they love their city.
“Ninety-three percent of the residents say that Peoria is good or excellent for quality of life,” said Peoria Public Information Officer Bo Larsen. “That’s one of the highest in the country compared to comparable sized cities.”
Larsen said that 98 percent would recommend living in Peoria. They like the way the city has improved the water.
“Back in 2009, only about 45 percent of the residents said the tap water didn’t taste so good,” he said. “The water is very safe, we have some of the highest ranked water in the state, but perception is everything. This time around, we’re in the mid 60s, where people said that the taste of the water is good or excellent.”
Larsen said people also think the traffic signals are timed so that they get around town quicker, especially near the Loop 101 and Beardsley Road.
On the down side, the downtown area needs improvement. Many of respondents said that they’re afraid to go there at night.
Larsen blames the high number of abandoned buildings there. He said the city is trying to improve that by hosting music festivals and other events in the area.
The city paid $19,000 for the study.
