From: "Friends of Transit" Subject: Regional plan sought - Drive for public transportation Date: Monday, February 17, 2003 11:25 AM Regional plan sought Drive for public transportation By Stephanie Paterik The Arizona Republic Feb. 13, 2003 East Valley residents always have known it - they don't go far to work, play or buy milk. The good news is, transportation planners are catching on. Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and Tempe are erasing road map borderlines and sketching the future of public transportation as a region. Gilbert is heading the Gilbert/East Valley Transit System Plan, which is taking a look at popular driving destinations and future transportation solutions. The town has been hosting regular forums with officials and business leaders from all East Valley municipalities for input. "This is the first time anyone is really throwing open the doors and trying to get other cities to help draft a plan from the start," said Gregg Snyder, lead transit planner for Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc., the firm conducting the report. Mesa recently studied surrounding municipalities before drafting its long-term traffic plan, and Chandler is doing the same. Tempe is held up as a model for effective transportation, with its Tempe In Motion bus system, neighborhood circulators and light rail preparation. The Maricopa Association of Governments tracks transportation statistics for Maricopa County municipalities and is working on a traffic update of its own due out in the fall. The majority of East Valley travel is self-contained, said Mark Schlappi, transportation planner for the government association. In Gilbert, about 40 percent of car trips stay in Gilbert and an additional 52 percent stay in the East Valley. Residents drive to other areas, such as downtown Phoenix, 8 percent of the time. Chandler residents stay within the city's borders more than half the time. Tempe is the next most popular destination, followed by central Mesa, Gilbert, central Phoenix and Ahwatukee Foothills. "There's no question that a lot of people commute to Phoenix - just look at the freeways," said Mike Normand, Chandler's manager of transportation services and planning. "But we're finding there is even a higher travel demand within the East Valley." That's why residents stand to gain from the cooperation between municipalities, said Snyder, who is writing Gilbert's study. He said he envisions extended bus routes connecting every municipality and a fleet of express shuttles taking residents to all East Valley hot spots. The No. 1 destination for Gilbert drivers is near Fiesta Mall and Mesa Community College in Mesa, followed by ASU East, downtown Tempe, Chandler-Gilbert Community College and downtown Mesa. As Gilbert grows to the southeast, the study predicts the Williams Gateway Airport area will become the most popular destination, followed by Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Superstition Springs Center, Fiesta Mall and Chandler Fashion Center. Perhaps the most popular destination of all is work. About 76 percent of Tempe residents drive to jobs in the East Valley, as do 66 percent of Mesa residents. Jan Schaefer, Tempe's economic development manager, lives and works in Tempe. Schaefer said she does most of her driving in Tempe, to places like the Tempe Valley Art Theater, Stein Mart and Target. "We go local a lot," she said. She doesn't use public transportation, although she said she and her husband often carpool. "I should take the bus, but I just don't," she said, saying the buses don't come often enough. Schaefer would take the bus if the routes increased in frequency, she said, and she will definitely use light rail. Although most municipalities agree that light rail is a long way off, improving the bus system is within reach. Gilbert Deputy Town Manager Tami Ryall said she hopes to expand the success of services like Dial-a-Ride for elderly and disabled people and express buses. Buses need to speed up to compete with drive times, Snyder added. Dave Steen, 36, lives and manages a sheet metal shop in Mesa. Steen said traffic during his 10-mile commute is horrible, especially on the freeways. But he would never take the bus. "I wouldn't do it. I'd rather walk because the buses are slow," Steen said. "I'd have to wake up at 3 a.m. to be at work by 6 a.m." Pete LaMorder, 38, of Mesa, rides the bus daily and said he is disappointed there is no bus service on Saturday, since he works on Saturday. "I have to ride my bike on Saturdays to Chandler from University and Extension in Mesa," he said. "It takes me about an hour," compared with a half-hour bus ride. Traffic is a huge quality of life issue, Ryall said. It topped the list of concerns among Gilbert residents in a recent town survey. "I get a sense that with all the dialogue about growth in the Valley, transportation is at the forefront of everyone's minds," she said. "We're brushing up our plan because we're ready. It's time." Reporters Edythe Jensen, Adam Klawonn and Alia Rau contributed to this story. Reach the reporter at stephanie.paterik@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-7951.