From: "Friends of Transit NEWS" To: "Friends of Transit NEWS" Subject: Friends of Transit News Date: Thursday, January 10, 2002 1:29 AM NEW BUSES, MORE HOURS, MORE SERVICE BEGIN JANUARY 14 Improvements to Valley Metro local bus schedules and routes start January 14 with more frequent service and later hours in Phoenix - including 12 popular bus routes with schedules until about midnight; Sunday and holiday service in Scottsdale; and eight extended routes in several cities. To kick off the new bus service, Valley Metro will have a "Try Transit Week", January 14 - 18, to encourage Valley residents to take the bus or choose shared transit such as carpooling. As part of the promotional week, Valley Metro will have a "Stuff a Bus" event at several locations to benefit St. Mary's Food Bank. Donate a non-perishable food item to receive a free bus ticket. Also, the Arizona Lottery will provide free rides on Thursday, January 17 on all seven buses wrapped with lottery advertising. Hesitant first time bus riders can learn "how to ride the bus" from the comfort of their homes. They can view "Valley Metro: Transit Now" on Phoenix 11 (Cox Cable 11) to see a story on catching the bus. The first show is on Monday night at 6 p.m. with replays through February. As part of the improvements, Phoenix and Tempe have purchased new buses - 96 for Phoenix; Tempe has four - with upgraded features like brighter destination signs, heat reflective windows, more comfortable seating, and better designed wheelchair ramps. The new Valley Metro Bus Book can be found at about 1800 locations Valleywide including on local buses and municipal libraries; it is also online at www.valleymetro.org. For more information, the public can call Valley Metro Customer Service at 602-253-5000. TTY service for persons with hearing or speech impairments is available at (602) 261-8208. JANUARY 14, 2002 BUS SERVICE CHANGES The new Valley Metro Bus Book details the following service changes; it can be found at 1800 locations Valleywide including on local buses and at city libraries and municipal buildings. Also, check www.valleymetro.org on the Web. For more information, the public can call Valley Metro Customer Service at (602) 253-5000. TTY service for persons with hearing or speech impairments is available at (602) 261-8208. Later Service on Weekdays Weekday service will now be provided until approximately midnight on 12 local bus routes in Phoenix: the Red, Blue, and Green Lines, and Routes 0, 3, 16, 19, 24, 35, 50, 61, and 106. Later Service on Saturdays and Sundays Saturday service will now be provided until approximately 10 p.m. on most local bus routes in Phoenix. Also, most Phoenix routes will now provide service until approximately 9 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. More Frequent Service * Weekday frequency during rush hours will be increased on these local routes in Phoenix: 16, 19, 24, 45, 50, and 61. * Weekday frequency will be increased throughout the day on these local routes in Phoenix: 27, 77, 138, and 186. * Saturday frequency will be increased on these local routes in Phoenix: 10, 15, 27, 35, 44, 52, 59, 60, 77, 80, 90, 138, 170, and 186. * Sunday/holiday frequency will be increased on these local routes in Phoenix: 16, 17, 24, 35, 41, 90, 170. * Midday frequency will be increased on Route 72 between McDowell Rd. and Loloma Station in Scottsdale. * An additional evening trip from downtown Phoenix to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale will be added to Route 512. New Saturday, Sunday, and Holiday Service * Route 170 will now provide service to Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale on Saturdays. * Saturday and Sunday/holiday service will now be provided on the Phoenix segment of Route 156. * Sunday/holiday service will be introduced on three Scottsdale routes (76, 84, 114) and on the Scottsdale section of seven other routes (Green Line and Routes 17, 50, 66, 81, 106, and 170). With these additions, Sunday/holiday service will now be provided on all Scottsdale routes. New Routes * Route 128 has been providing service along Stapley Dr. in Mesa between McKellips Rd. and Baseline Rd. since August 2001. * ALEX (the Ahwatukee Local EXplorer) began serving the Ahwatukee/Desert Foothills area in late November 2001. ALEX mini-buses circulate throughout the area, shuttling passengers to and from local destinations, as well as major streets and connecting bus routes serving those streets. Combined Routes * Route 10-Roosevelt and Route 28-Grant have been combined into one route. The combined route, Route 10-Roosevelt/Grant, has also been extended to serve the Durango Complex. * Route 66-Mill and Route 68-68th St. were combined in August 2001. The combined route is called Route 66-Mill/68th St. Extended Routes * Route 3, extended west to 67th Ave. * Route 13, extended west to 75th Ave. * Route 19, extended north to the Deer Valley Airport and south to Baseline Rd. * Route 41, weekday, Saturday, and Sunday/holiday service extended east to Granite Reef Rd. (Service to Granite Reef Rd. was previously provided only on designated weekday trips.) * Route 45, extended west to 19th Ave. * Route 56, extended south to Frye Rd. * Route 77 will now provide service to South Mountain Community College. * Route 156, extended west to Desert Foothills Pkwy. Improved Service on Copper Square DASH Copper Square DASH, Phoenix's free Downtown Area SHuttle, began operating on weekends in late November 2001. At that time, DASH also began providing service to the State Capitol throughout the day on weekdays. TRY TRANSIT WEEK JANUARY 14 -18 CALENDAR OF EVENTS During "Try Transit Week" January 14 - 18, Valley Metro will be encouraging everyone to take a bus or choose shared transit such as car pooling. There will be a series of promotional events highlighting these transit opportunities. Monday, Jan. 14 6 - 9 a.m. & 4 - 6 p.m. Stuff A Bus" at 7th St. and McDowell,northwest corner. Bring a non-perishable food item for St. Mary's Food Bank to get a free bus ticket Live remote with Mix 96.9 Radio 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. Learn how to ride a bus, see "Valley Metro: Transit Now" showing on Phoenix 11 (Cox Cable 11) Contact: Marie Chapple (602) 261-8254; pager (602) 673-7334 Tuesday, Jan.15 6 - 8 a.m. Valley Metro Rideshare at Deer Valley Park and Ride, I-17 & Bell, southwest corner "Inseparable Twosomes" such as Batman and Robin handout morning refreshments "Stuff A Bus" Bring a non-perishable food item for St. Mary's Food Bank to get a free bus ticket 7:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. Learn how to ride a bus, see "Valley Metro: Transit Now" showing on Phoenix 11 (Cox Cable 11) Contact: Priscilla Hanrahan, (602) 534-1809 or (602) 647-9551 Wednesday, Jan. 16 6 - 8 a.m. Stuff A Bus" Central Station, Van Buren & Central Ave. Bring a non-perishable food item for St. Mary's Food Bank to get a free bus ticket Live remote with KHOT Radio 105.9 8 a.m. & 9:30 p.m. Learn how to ride a bus see "Valley Metro: Transit Now" showing on Phoenix 11 (Cox Cable 11) Contact: Marie Chapple (602) 261-8254; pager (602) 673-7334 Thursday, Jan. 17 Lottery Day All Day Free Rides on Valley Metro buses wrapped with Lottery ads - Blue, Green, and Red lines; Routes 0, 41, 61, 72, 156 7:30 a.m. & 5 p.m. Learn how to ride a bus, see "Valley Metro: Transit Now" showing on Phoenix 11 (Cox Cable 11) Contact: Lisa Levi (602) 744-2573 (E.B. Lane Marketing Communications) Friday, Jan. 18 Transit Employee Appreciation Day 7:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. Learn how to ride a bus, see "Valley Metro: Transit Now" showing on Phoenix 11 (Cox Cable 11) Contact: Marie Chapple (602) 261-8254; pager (602) 673-7334 NEW BUSES BUILT FOR MORE COMFORT The 100 new Valley Metro buses have upgraded features to make a better ride for passengers. These buses will both replace some old ones, which are about 12 years in age; and expand the fleet to cover the new service improvements. Phoenix has 96 new buses; Tempe bought four. Built by North American Bus Industries, these NABI buses have more comfortable seats for both passenger and operator, easier-to-read destination signs, improved wheelchair ramps and bike racks, and heat-reflective windows. Destination Signs - Amber-color light emitting diodes (LED) have better visibility and more room for information. Stop Request System - Digital chime can be heard throughout the bus rather than only at front. Passenger Seats - High-quality material for shell and frame; better design Operator Seat - Ergonomically designed seat to reduce operator fatigue. Windows - Laminated solar management glass reflects heat and radiation. Cooler interior helps air conditioning. Bike Racks - Sportworks brand designed for quicker use. Wheelchair Ramp - Smoother transition from ramp to bus floor; ramp operation is a bit slower but makes breakdowns less likely. Wheelchair Restraint System - Less time to secure and release wheelchairs. Cummins 8.3G Plus Engine - More horsepower and torque to climb hills and elevated grades. Electronics package notifies operator and helps diagnose when problems occur.