Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[vwwolfe]

I didn't realize the number of houses that would have to be demolished for the light rail extension from Bethany home to Dunlap. Take a drive along that 3 mile stretch and look at the number of houses boarded up and fenced with "Property of Phoenix Light Rail" signs posted. It's crazy.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by vwwolfe

I didn't realize the number of houses that would have to be demolished for the light rail extension from Bethany home to Dunlap. Take a drive along that 3 mile stretch and look at the number of houses boarded up and fenced with "Property of Phoenix Light Rail" signs posted. It's crazy.

Surrounding the alignment, or in the actual alignment itself? Are they building amenities or something on those properties? Traction stations?

[Kroney]

It's not big news, but they did finally install the overhead wires on the Central Ave light rail stretch between Fillmore and McDowell. Actually, the wires continue north of McDowell (not sure where they stop). I noticed them on Friday evening.

Also, 1st Ave appears to have the wires installed where the line curves east on Jefferson.

[ljbuild]

ADOT is setting up another meeting on the SOUTH MOUNTAIN FRWY.

This time I hope its progresses towards breaking ground. That frwy MAKES ALL

THE SENSE IN THE WORLD to build. It would divert alot of

"NON -CENTRAL PHOENIX TRAFFIC" out of central Phoenix. At least 50%

of the route is bordered by empty resevation land (desert), so therefore you

will not have an excess amount of traffic CRAMMING ON IT AT ONE TIME.

[JI5]

EWWW NO! Don't run the light rail through Maryvale! Then Maryvale people will use it!!

Besides, I don't want to get graffiti on our shiny new trains.

[Vicelord John]

Originally Posted by JI5

EWWW NO! Don't run the light rail through Maryvale! Then Maryvale people will use it!!

thats the point, cumrag. Usage, no matter what type, is good.

[Don B.]

Valley Metro's express and rapid bus ridership increased greatly in the first three months of this year over last year:

January: +8.5%
February: +6.8%
March: +15.9%

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...press0428.html

Valley commuter lines gain bus riders
by Mike Walbert - Apr. 28, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

More people are hopping on Valley commuter buses to travel between their suburban homes and downtown Phoenix jobs. Ridership numbers in January, February and March are up for Valley Metro's Express and Rapid commuter lines compared with the same months in 2007, according to the public-transit agency.

Three guesses as to one of the primary culprits for more folks taking the bus. "Gas prices have an impact on the demand of our services," Valley Metro spokeswoman Susan Tierney said. But it's not just the rising price of gas, which according to AAA hit a state average of $3.40 last week. A less strenuous commute, continued promotion, employer subsidies and air-quality concerns were cited by bus riders and officials.

In March, Valley Metro recorded an average of 6,861 bus boardings daily, an increase of 15.9 percent from March 2007's numbers. January and February posted increases of 8.5 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively. Express and Rapid buses travel between suburbs and downtown Phoenix on freeway carpool lanes, generally avoiding gridlock. Express buses make a handful of stops along city streets to grab riders before hitting the highway, while Rapid buses start at a park-and-ride lot and motor non-stop to downtown Phoenix. All told, Valley Metro deploys about 20 Express and four Rapid routes countywide.

Of late, some users report bigger than normal crowds, with some riders standing in aisles and doorways. Gilbert resident Jimi Lemak, 55, said he noticed heftier crowds lately on the 7:30 a.m. Express Route 531 bus from Gilbert to downtown Phoenix. Lemak began taking the bus three months ago for convenience, comfort and relief from "astronomical" gas costs. Plus, Lemak said, he has gained the opportunity to chat with interesting people while avoiding major commuting headaches. "It's like a small community," said Lemak, who works for the city of Phoenix.

More Express and Rapid routes are headed for Maricopa County over the next several years, including routes originating from Buckeye, the northwest Valley and east Mesa. In addition, the city of Maricopa, which is southwest of Chandler, is scheduled to start its own commuter bus service today. Maricopa, which is paying for the bus service through a mix of municipal and federal funding, cannot be part of Valley Metro's commuter-bus system because it is in Pinal County.

--don

[tempedude]

Along with increased ridership on the Rapid and Express Bus routes...I bet the light rail system is looking more and more attractive to all the nay sayers and opponents of the light rail; especially with the rising cost of gasoline.

Personally, I think you would be nuts not to ride the rail when it opens. Particularly if it is going right by your desired location. It will get you there faster than the buses most likely, and it will be a smoother more comfortable ride.

Mass transit, in all forms, makes a lot of sense economically and environmentally.

[vertex]

Nice to see the increasing numbers, though I figured they might be higher. It wasn't that long ago when the buses didn't even run on Sundays on most routes.

[Kroney]

Originally Posted by vertex

Nice to see the increasing numbers, though I figured they might be higher.

I know! According to the Metro website, they are expecting 26,000 average daily boardings of light rail during the first year. Seems doable until one considers that our entire bus system had 6,861 average daily boardings in March '08. I want light rail to do well..... but I'm wagering on the under.

[Don B.]

^ No, 6,861 daily is just the boardings for the bus rapid transit and express buses. The system has way more daily boardings than that overall, about 159,000 per day.

Source:

http://www.valleymetro.org/Valley_Me...esentation.pdf

--don

[Kroney]

Originally Posted by Don B.

^ No, 6,861 daily is just the boardings for the bus rapid transit and express buses. The system has way more daily boardings than that overall, about 159,000 per day.

Thanks for clarifying Don... I was a little worried.

[exit2lef]

The City of Phoenix has just announced proposed bus route changes to be effective December 28, 2008. These changes, if approved, would go into effect one day after light rail service starts on December 27 and are designed to realign bus service to coordinate with rail service.

Some routes will be rerouted to stop at rail stations. The Red Line will go away because it is largely redundant with rail service, although the portion of it near MetroCenter will be replaced with expanded service on Route 15. The Blue Line will be replaced with a new route that goes from Camelback & Central to PV Mall, and the 0 line along Central Avenue will see schedule reductions due to light rail.

My guess is that these changes make sense for the most part, but there will be some passengers inconvenienced. For example, someone who lives in south Phoenix can now travel to the Biltmore Area or PV Mall without a transfer via the Blue Line. That will no longer be possible.

The biggest question unanswered is if bus lines that intersect with light rail stations will see any increase in frequency. If will do little good to have 10-minute interval between trains during weekdays if there is a 20-minute wait to transfer to a bus for the final leg of the journey.

See this link for details on the proposed changes, open houses, and hearings:


http://phoenix.gov/NEWSREL/ARCHIVE/2...uschanges.html

[alexjon]

Buses that serve light rail stations, especially those that terminate at light rail stations are generally pretty packed in line with the rail line's peak times. Obvious, yes, but sometimes it makes a major difference.

[vwwolfe]

I noticed a couple more buildings fenced off with "Property of Phoenix Light Rail" signs up on them.

The Silver Dragon Restaurant at 19th Ave and Dunlap and the Office building next door. I'm assuming this is where the Park and Ride will go.

[exit2lef]

Today, I attended one of the open houses devoted to the proposed changes in bus service. I asked if service frequency would be increased along those routes intersecting with light rail. Unfotunately, the answer was "not now." Apparently, with the City's budget being tight due to the economic downturn, the funds are not available to increase bus frequency except on those routes funded regionally by Proposition 400. The gentleman I spoke to said that eventually the City wants to increase frequencies on all routes to 15minutes, but doing so will take time.

I understand the reasoning, but I'm still troubled by the prospect of passengers riding trains that arrive every 10 minutes only to have a 20 or even 30 minute wait for a bus transfer. I'm also wondering how many people along parts of the current Red and Blue lines not covered by light rail will be inconvenienced with long transfer times that they don't face now.

I wonder if it might be better to delay implementation of some new routes and expanded service in outlying areas in order to reallocate the funds toward improved bus service along lines that intersect with light rail. There are still several open houses and hearings, as well as opportunities to make one's feelings known via email.

http://phoenix.gov/NEWSREL/ARCHIVE/2...uschanges.html

[andrewkfromaz]

Originally Posted by silverbear

Today, I attended one of the open houses devoted to the proposed changes in bus service. I asked if service frequency would be increased along those routes intersecting with light rail. Unfotunately, the answer was "not now." Apparently, with the City's budget being tight due to the economic downturn, the funds are not available to increase bus frequency except on those routes funded regionally by Proposition 400. The gentleman I spoke to said that eventually the City wants to increase frequencies on all routes to 15minutes, but doing so will take time.

I understand the reasoning, but I'm still troubled by the prospect of passengers riding trains that arrive every 10 minutes only to have a 20 or even 30 minute wait for a bus transfer. I'm also wondering how many people along parts of the current Red and Blue lines not covered by light rail will be inconvenienced with long transfer times that they don't face now.

I wonder if it might be better to delay implementation of some new routes and expanded service in outlying areas in order to reallocate the funds toward improved bus service along lines that intersect with light rail. There are still several open houses and hearings, as well as opportunities to make one's feelings known via email.

http://phoenix.gov/NEWSREL/ARCHIVE/2...uschanges.html

I think doubling frequencies, even on a small number of routes, is something that should be approached cautiously, because of the cost of doing so. Of course it's a very desirable outcome, but I think right now it might make more sense to spend the money allocated under Prop. 400 and when the city's budget turns around a little to increase frequencies. I think with the current system, it seems as though only certain transfers are scheduled so that people trying to transfer have to wait close to half an hour. Even though the trains' frequency will be independent of the bus schedule, I hope that train/bus transfers won't deter people from riding both systems. One thing that would help with this is improving bus stops near rail stations - obviously the rail stations are supposed to be nice and offer shade and lighting and so on, but that only works one way. When you get off the train and have to wait for your bus, you can either stick around the train station for a while or camp out at the bus stop.

As for your idea, Silverbear, of delaying the opening of more outlying routes and expenditures, I think there could be a couple of reasons that wouldn't really work. One practical one is that there might not be enough money to double service on, say, the Green Line, but there is enough to provide the Desert Ridge shuttle. Then there's how each project would be funded (can you just move Prop. 400 money from one project to another, or do you have to spend it in a specific way?) and other things, in addition to the more esoteric concepts of quality of service in areas where people rely on public transportation vs. service to people for who public transit is an option rather than their only mode of transportation. You can really get into a lot of theory and policy issues on this.

[HX_Guy]

Caught a glimpse of the train yesterday undergoing testing at the 38th St and Washington station. Can't wait to see these rolling down the street on a regular basis...I don't know what it is, but they are 1000X cooler then a bus.

[Sekkle]

Nice. What's up with the 2nd photo? It looks distorted somehow... I'm assuming the track doesn't really have a bump like that.

[HX_Guy]

Camera phone.