A DEP CL65 RJ OVERTAKES A B737-200 DURING THEIR 'VISUAL SEPARATION' DEP PROC JUST E OF PHX; AZ. A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WAS ANNOUNCED BY THEIR TCASII.

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WE DEPARTED PHX ON RWY 8R. JUST AFTER TKOF; TWR POINTED OUT TFC AHEAD ABOUT 1 MI AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH THAT ACFT; A B737-200. WHEN PHX IS ON RWYS 8 FOR DEP; BOTH RWYS CONVERGE OVER THE VOR THEN; OUT ON THE 075 DEG RADIAL FOR 4 MI; THEIR SIDES SPLIT. I WAS THE PNF. I TOLD MY FO TO PWR BACK; THAT WE WERE CATCHING THE B737. HE PWRED BACK A BIT; BUT WE NEEDED TO PWR BACK A LOT MORE; SO I REDUCED PWR BACK SO OUR INDICATED SPD WAS ABOUT 190 KIAS. THAT MATCHED THEIR SPD AND PUT US ABOUT 1/2 MI BEHIND AND 1000 FT ABOVE. YOU HAVE TO CROSS THE PHX VOR AT 3000 FT. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 1/2 MI PRIOR TO THE VOR; MY FO LEVELED OFF AND HE ACCELERATED TO 230 KTS. I PWRED BACK MORE TO KEEP FROM CATCHING THE B737. AT THAT TIME OUR TCASII GAVE US AN RA; THE B737 WAS 1/4 - 1/2 MI AHEAD AND 700 FT BELOW. WE CLBED AND CANCELED THE RA AT THAT TIME AS OUR SIDE SPLIT. DEP CTL NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO THE B737 OR US; WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME AND THERE WAS NEVER A 'SAFETY OF FLT' CONCERN. I BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE SLOWED SOONER TO TRY TO HOLD OUR MI; BUT ALSO BLAME PHX TWR FOR TKOFS TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. WHEN ON THE RWYS 8; THE ARPT IS BASICALLY A SINGLE RWY OP WITH BOTH RWY DEPS HAVING TO CONVERGE OVER THE VOR. IS IT MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY BY KEEPING NOISE LOW; OR TO SPLIT THE DEPS FOR A MORE EFFICIENT OP?