|
December 13, 2007
Dear Friends,
We hope you’ll join us next week for a special Friends of
Transit Mixer at Sonoma Casual Dining on Thursday, Dec 20.
For all the details,
click here.
Friends of Transit Tuesdays:
December 18, 2007 Friends of
Transit Tuesday lunch
December 11, 2007 winners
Mixer:
Scottsdale to join light rail
study, The Arizona Republic Dec 11 07
Light rail could be in
Chandler’s future, The Arizona Republic Dec 5 07
Collision course? The
Arizona Republic Dec 6 07
Riders Receive Early Holiday
Gift on Route 685
Blue Ribbon Transportation
Committee Summary
Don’t forget to visit Friends of Transit on the web at
www.friendsoftransit.org!
|
|
On Tuesday, December 18
Friends of Transit Tuesday
is
proud to feature:
Macayo’s Depot Cantina
300 S. Ash, Tempe
Buy one Lunch Special and get one FREE!
Offer limited to the first 100 customers and is only
valid on Lunch Special menu items.
11:00am – 2:00 pm
Please present this email to receive discount. Valid only at
Tempe location.
Plus, don’t forget to enter this week’s prize drawing–
$500
in prizes is up for grabs! Win gift certificates from:
●
$100
to Mill Ave Jewelers,
414 S. Mill Ave,
Tempe
(1 chance to win)
●
$50
to Watson’s Flower Shop,
2525 W. Main St,
Mesa
(4 chances to win)
●
$50
to Pep Boys,
1747 E. Apache Blvd,
Tempe
(2 chances to win)
●
$50
to Arizona Luck Star Transmission,
2408 E. Apache Blvd,
Tempe
(2 chances to win)
Lunch specials start at just $6.99. Choose from Woody’s
Favorite (beef taco, bean tostada and cheese enchilada), a
Baja Chicken Pizza (a
flour tortilla with layers of spicy baja sauce, grilled
Chicken, pico de gallo & jack cheese), a Fiesta Salad
(grilled steak or chicken on a bed of lettuce with
tri-colored tortilla strips, sides of cheese, pico de gallo
& choice of dressing), or Macayo’s famous Lunch Fajitas.
Come in and enjoy a delicious lunch at Macayo’s Depot
Cantina in Tempe!
See you Tuesday! Tell your Friends!
back to top |
|
Thanks to everyone who joined us on December 11 at:
Los Dos Molinos
1010 E. Washington St, Phoenix
We
gave away
$500
in prizes in our weekly prize drawing! The winners are:
Gerardo Perez-
$250 to Men’s Apparel Club, 204 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
Sarah Barnes- $100 to
Perry Monge Salon, 3 S. 2nd Street, Phoenix
Janice Hill and Patty
Wood- $50 to Portland’s, 105 W. Portland, Phoenix
Tanya Benally- $50 to
Music Brokers, 4420 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
back to top
|
|
On Thursday, December
20
please join
Friends of Transit and
Mayor Phil Gordon
for a
Friends of Transit Mixer
at: |
|
Sonoma Casual Dining
25 W. Van Buren, Phoenix
5:30-7:30 pm
Enjoy free appetizers and receive a free drink coupon
compliments of Friends of Transit!
|
|
At 6:15 pm, Mayor Gordon will choose the winners for the
prize drawing—so get there early to enter! Win gift
certificates from:
|
|
●
$100
to Hinkley’s Lighting,
4620 N. Central Ave,
Phoenix
(2 chances to win)
●
$100
to Perry Monge Salon,
3 S. 2nd Street,
Phoenix
(2 chances to win)
●
$100
to Thomas Bishop Automotive,
3414 E. Washington St.,
Phoenix
(2 chances to win)
Sonoma Causal Dining is a new concept in dining- inexpensive
excellence. Variety, fresh quality ingredients and speedy
self service combine to bring you a unique experience.
Succulent rotisserie chicken is the heart of their
menu—lightly seasoned and spit-roasted throughout each day.
Relax in their warm, wine country interior and enjoy a
delicious meal!
back to top |
The Valley's first light-rail service doesn't begin until
next December but three Southeast Valley cities have
embarked on studies to extend the reach of the 20-mile
starter line.
With about 6.5 miles of the first leg running through Tempe
and Mesa, city planners are trying to extend the line's
reach through those cities and possibly south to Chandler.
That would also provide closer access to Ahwatukee.
HDR, a consultant for Metro Light Rail, has begun studying
alternative modes of high-capacity transit to extend the
line in the Southeast Valley by at least:
• Three miles into downtown Mesa
• Two miles into south Tempe
• An unspecified number of miles to reach Chandler
But the Tempe South Alternatives Study, as it is called,
faces more challenges than the other proposed extensions
because it could mean crossing railroad tracks.
Although Rural Road is cited as a possible route, an
extension of light rail could cause a problem if it meant
crossing the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that run
east-west between Apache Boulevard and Broadway Road.
"The railroad would never allow you to cross those tracks at
grade," said Marc Soronson, project manager for the study
and a similar extension study in Mesa. "You could rebuild
that track to do it (carry crisscrossing freight and
passenger trains) but it's a safety issue."
The Tempe South Alternatives Study will consider more than
Rural Road for a light-rail extension. Its study area
actually spans from the Tempe branch of the railroad near
Kyrene Road east to McClintock Drive. It also spans
north-south from University Drive to Southern Avenue.
"You've got some real constraints along Rural," Soronson
said. "Some of them are cost, some of them are political,
and you'd have to widen Rural a minimum of 30 feet."
Planners also are considering alternatives to light-rail
trains, including extending bus service and, possibly,
electric streetcars.
But it's the railroad tracks that could represent the
biggest problem in extending light rail from Apache
Boulevard, where it will cross over the Loop 101-Price
Freeway and continue into Mesa to Sycamore Drive.
That's why McClintock Drive or Mill Avenue, which leads to
and from Arizona State University, may turn out to be a
preferable route, Soronson said.
Although the extension areas are defined in the Regional
Transportation Plan, HDR on behalf of Metro Light Rail is
studying a much broader area.
The north-south corridor, for example, extends from the Loop
202-Red Mountain Freeway to the Loop 202-Santan Freeway. And
in Mesa, the study area goes from Sycamore to Power Road
where there's a park-and-ride lot near Superstition Springs
Center.
"We're actually looking at it (the high-capacity study) as a
much larger problem," Soronson said. "There could be a bus
solution all the way to Power Road or a combination of bus
and new light-rail lines."
"There could be several reasons why it's not a good fit, and
that is part of our jobs to figure out what is the best
solution," he said.
Extensions to the light-rail system in Tempe and Mesa won't
be built before 2015. The timetable for Chandler, which
joined the Metro Light Rail late, this year, with Peoria,
likely is longer than for other cities.
Mike Normand, Chandler's transportation and services
manager, said Chandler's role in extending light-rail could
be accelerated if new funding is found.
Normand said it's not clear how the initial line, which runs
southeast from 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road to Main
Street and Dobson Road, would tie into Chandler.
That's why the study area for the extension in Tempe,
Chandler and Mesa is larger than the area identified in the
20-year Regional Transportation Plan.
"It's a pretty wide swath, so they'll be looking at pretty
broad," Normand said.
If HDR winds up eliminating Rural Road because of the
railroad tracks that cross it at grade level, it's unclear
how an extension would connect to Chandler.
"One of the reasons they do this study is to look at the
physical barriers. So basically in dealing with the rail
line, they have to provide some grade separation," he said.
That may lead to the using buses, which can travel more
easily over railroad tracks, to expand the reach of light
rail.
One thing is for sure. Plans to extend light-rail's reach to
Chandler are in the earliest stage.
"The study is the first step, but it's probably at least a
10-year process from the time you're planning to the time
you start building anything," Normand said.
back to top
|
|
Scottsdale to join light rail study
Jane Larson
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 11, 2007 11:01 PM
SCOTTSDALE - Saying Scottsdale should keep its mass transit
options open and connect with neighboring cities, the
Scottsdale City Council Tuesday night voted to join a Valley
Metro study of future transportation alternatives.
On a 6-1 vote, the council agreed that the city should join
Valley Metro Rail to have a say in a new regional analysis
of high-capacity transit. Tempe and Chandler have already
joined the study, which began in October to explore
expanding the area's transit services with options that
could range from bus rapid transit to the controversial
light rail.
Councilman Bob Littlefield was the lone vote against joining
the regional study. He echoed the comments of most of the 14
residents who addressed the council Tuesday and voiced
opposition to light rail in Scottsdale.
"We got public input on light rail, and what they said was,
'No!' '' he said.
Councilwoman Betty Drake proposed joining the study, saying
the city needs to improve its long-range transportation
options for residents but would be foolish to ignore public
sentiment on rail.
Mayor Mary Manross agreed, saying, "We need a seat at the
policy table when we are considering statewide and regional
issues, including transportation." The study would make sure
Scottsdale connects with other cities, though how that would
be done is not yet determined, she said.
After deciding to join the regional study, the council
narrowly declined to remove light rail on Scottsdale Road as
a high-capacity transit option. Only Littlefield, Tony
Nelssen and Jim Lane voted against the rail option.
The Valley Metro Rail study of what is called the Tempe
South corridor now covers an area bounded by the Loop 101 on
the east, Interstate 10 on the west, Loop 202 in Tempe on
the north and Loop 202 in Chandler on the south. Scottsdale
would still have to request that the study's northern
boundary be extended into the city, to anywhere from
McDowell Road in south Scottsdale or to the Scottsdale
Airpark on the north.
The city would pay $50,000 a year to participate.
back to top
|
Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 5, 2007 11:56 AM
West Chandler
could see the city's first light rail line if a new Tempe
South Corridor Study shows it will relieve increasingly
heavy north-south traffic.
News of the Metro Light Rail-sponsored study - one of three
across the Valley looking at possible rail or high capacity
transit extensions - came during a Chandler General Plan
Update meeting Tuesday. The study will examine
transportation needs of the area between Priest Drive and
Loop 101, and Downtown Tempe and the Santan Freeway. The
area includes Chandler Fashion Center and the Price
Corridor.
Public meetings will start next month, and there could be
recommendations for a light rail extension or other forms of
high capacity transit, said Wulf Grote, Metro Light Rail
project development director. Whatever the outcome, it will
take years before new systems are in place, said city
transportation services director Mike Normand.
A light rail extension from the line under construction in
Tempe along Apache Blvd. is an option for Chandler but it's
not the only one, Grote said. Additional bus lines or
commuter rail service on the Union Pacific track between
Kyrene and Priest roads also will be examined, he said.
The goal is to relieve increasingly heavy north-south
traffic on Rural Road, McClintock Drive, Mill Avenue and
Kyrene Road. Growing numbers of Arizona State University
students are adding to traffic and crowding existing buses,
Grote said.
Garry Hays, a member of the General Plan Update Citizens
Oversight Committee, questioned the benefits of light rail
to Chandler since most of the areas being considered are
residential. He said focusing on commuter rail and using
existing tracks to move workers and shoppers from outlying
areas would be less expensive and more beneficial to the
city.
Metro Light Rail was formed in 2002 with four Valley cities:
Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Glendale. Chandler and Peoria
joined earlier this year and are paying the $50,000 annual
membership fees
back to top
|
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 6, 2007 12:00 AM
The first train rolled down Washington Street on Monday.
Just testing, of course. Even though opening day is a year
away, the Metro light-rail system is already doing dry runs.
Obviously, there's quite a learning curve ahead.
And not just for transit personnel. The public has to figure
out rail: passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists and, most of
all, motorists.
Metro representatives say the Valley's system is learning
from mistakes elsewhere and will have an extensive
informational push.
That's critical. Judging from experiences elsewhere, the
safety campaign needs to be loud and long.
We want to avoid the experience of Houston, where light rail
started off with a bang in 2004. And bang, bang, bang, bang,
bang. There were 61 auto-rail collisions in the first year
of operation.
Yet Houston had a yearlong public-education effort before
the trains started running. Metro should make sure its
message is sharply focused and based on the reasons that
cars tend to tangle with trains. In Minneapolis, for
instance, the transit service is emphasizing the short wait
for passenger trains to pass compared with freight trains.
Metro's program to help nearby businesses during
construction was less than a rousing success. This
public-awareness campaign must be more effective.
Building safety into the system is an even better strategy,
and Metro is taking some prudent and promising steps to
prevent motorists from competing with trains.
Except at intersections and crosswalks, 6-inch curbs will
separate traffic lanes from trains, preventing cars from
straying onto the track. Drivers will only be able to make a
left turn or U-turn on a green arrow, so they won't be
tempted to try to beat an oncoming train.
The front of the trains has been configured to reduce the
damage in case of a collision.
Metro also needs to hone its strategy to make sure its
ticket system really works.
Riders won't go through a turnstile but will be randomly
checked to make sure they've paid. While that seems odd to
anyone who has gone through the traditional transit
entrances in New York or San Francisco, this modified honor
system (known as "proof of payment") is common in light rail
around the country. Enforcement personnel do double-duty:
They provide security while also checking tickets on a
random basis.
Failure to have a valid ticket typically leads to a hefty
fine, especially for repeat offenders.
The key for Metro will be finding the right level of spot
enforcement. The plan now is to check about 20 percent of
riders. That's effective in Minneapolis, where compliance is
99 percent. San Diego achieved 98.3 percent last year, but
that required checking one out of three passengers. Metro
might also consider the occasional "full sweep," checking
everyone's ticket, a tactic Denver uses.
Los Angeles has just decided to give up on proof of payment
because of cheating. But even there, fare evasion was hardly
rampant: 5 percent.
With proper enforcement, Metro should be able to count on
the honesty of passengers. Driving home the safety message
will, unfortunately, be trickier.
It's not too soon to start.
back to top
|
|
Riders Receive Early Holiday Gift on Route 685
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Susan Tierney
Public Information Officer
602.262.4668
602.292.4093 (mobile)
stierney@valleymetro.org
PHOENIX (December 10, 2007) –
Passengers on Route 685, the regional connector bus route
that serves residents in southwestern Maricopa County and
western Pima County, are getting an early holiday gift with
the arrival of new, heavy duty buses that will operate six
days a week on the 130-mile roundtrip route.
“The new El Dorado buses will carry more passengers and are
more suited for this type of service,” said David A. Boggs,
Valley Metro RPTA executive director. “The popularity of
this route has proven that we need buses with more capacity
for each trip and a longer lifespan.” It is anticipated that
the new vehicles will travel approximately 200,000 miles
before being replaced.
Manufactured by Chevrolet, each 30-foot 2007 El Dorado
heavy-duty bus will carry 32 passengers at capacity, or 26
passengers with two secured wheelchair positions. There are
bike racks at the front of each bus that will hold two bikes
per bus. Ridership on the route has grown significantly
since the route began in March 2005. Due to the success of
the route, service was added in October 2005 and Saturday
trips were added in August 2007. It currently transports
more than 870 passengers per month. Total travel time from
start to end of the route is 2.5 hours traveling a total of
65 miles one-way.
The bus route began as a three-year pilot project of the
Arizona Department of Transportation, Valley Metro RPTA, and
Pima and Maricopa counties. Residents in southwestern
Maricopa County are able to easily utilize this service for
transportation to employment, medical, education, social
activities and shopping trips. The route serves the
communities of Ajo, Gila Bend, Buckeye, Goodyear, Avondale,
Tolleson and southwest Phoenix.
Route 685 features “flex stops,” which are pre-arranged
stops that allow any passenger to choose their own pick-up
and drop-off locations within three-quarter miles of the
established route. Arrangements for the flex stops must be
made by noon the day before the scheduled trip. Call Ajo
Transportation toll free at 1-800-242-9483 or 520-387-6559
in the Pima County area to schedule a flex stop.
Fares are based on length of travel. For more information,
contact Valley Metro at Valley Metro customer service at
602-253-5000 or TTY 602-261-8208 or e-mail us at
csr@ValleyMetro.org.
Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority is an
organization of 14 local governments that provides or funds
transit services to citizens in the greater Phoenix
metropolitan and surrounding areas. For more information
about Valley Metro public transit services, call Transit
Information at (602) 253-5000; for callers with TTY (602)
261-8208; or visit the Valley Metro website at
www.ValleyMetro.org.
# # #
back to top
|
|
Blue Ribbon
Transportation Committee
The Blue Ribbon Transportation Committee was established
during the 2007 legislative session. The legislation
creating the committee was sponsored by Representative Andy
Biggs, the current Chairman of the House Committee on
Transportation. The purpose of the committee is review
transportation related issues for potential consideration
during the 2008 legislative session.
The committee is co-chaired by Rep. Biggs and Senator Ron
Gould, the current Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Transportation. The committee membership is entirely
comprised of legislators.
During the 2007 interim period, the committee held three
public meetings and received testimony on a variety of
transportation related issues.
With respect to public transportation, the presentation was
limited to one briefing on a commuter rail study presently
being conducted by the Maricopa Association of Governments.
No vote was taken by the committee. However, Rep. Biggs has
announced that he will issue the committee's final report.
back to top |
FRIENDS OF TRANSIT, inc.
a 501 (c)(3)
P.O. Box 36916
Phoenix, AZ 85067-6916
(602) 818-1024
info@friendsoftransit.org
|
