Subject: Friends of Transit Weekly Update - March 27, 2008
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2008 6:09 PM
March 27, 2008
Friends of Transit Tuesdays:
April 1, 2008 Lunch Location
In the News:
Proposed Light Rail Schedule Embodies Simplicity, East Valley Tribune,
March 23, 2008
Glendale Opens First Park and Ride Lot, The Arizona Republic, March 26,
2008
Glendale Opens ‘Green’ Park and Ride Facility, The Arizona Republic,
March 27, 2008
Downtown Phoenix Traffic Lady
Don’t forget to visit Friends of Transit on the web at
www.friendsoftransit.org !
On Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Friends of Transit Tuesday
is proud to feature:
Blue Fin Japanese Restaurant
1401 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
The first 100 customers will receive half off their lunch bill (up to
$5)!
Discount offered 10:30am – 6:30 pm
Please present this email to receive discount.
Plus, don’t forget to put your name into this week’s prize drawing box–
$500 in prizes will be given away! Win one of these great gift
certificates:
? $100 to Salon Estique, 40 E. Camelback Rd, Phoenixz
? $50 to Alexi’s, 3550 N. Central Ave, Phoenix (4 chances to win)
? $25 to Tracks in Wax, 4741 N. Central Ave, Phoenix (4 chances to win)
? $20 to Unique on Central, 4700 N. Central Ave, Phoenix (5 chances to
win)
Family-owned and operated, Blue Fin Teriyaki Japanese Restaurant has
been serving delicious Japanese food in its Central Avenue location
since 1981. Blue Fin uses home-made sauces (no commercial packages),
char-grills its chicken over pumice stones and never adds MSG. Their
menu features a variety of teriyaki and Panko (breaded and fried)
chicken, beef, pork, seafood and vegetarian dishes, as well as sushi,
appetizers, salads and soups, curry dishes and other Asian favorites.
The people are friendly and the food is terrific- stop in today!
View Blue Fin’s Menu
See you Tuesday! Tell your Friends!
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Proposed light-rail schedule embodies simplicity
By Garin Groff
East Valley Tribune
March 23, 2008
The Bus Book takes 287 pages of maps and charts to fully explain the
Valley's bus system. But commuters can basically master the Metro
light-rail system in four points.
The trains will run:
Every 10 minutes from sunrise to sunset on weekdays.
Every 20 minutes other times during the week.
Every 15 minutes on weekends.
From roughly 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day.
Metro planners designed the schedule with simplicity and frequency as
key features to get commuters to this new type of transit in the Valley.
They wanted something so simple that commuters could know when trains
will come without looking at cumbersome books and complicated maps of
the 20-mile, $1.4 billion system. It's just a matter of memorizing the
three changes in frequency - and knowing riders will always have short
waits during the busiest times, Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said.
"So there isn't a written, printed schedule," she said. "You know you
could pick up a train and you won't have to wait more than 8 or 9
minutes."
The 10-minute intervals will also represent the most frequent major
transit service in the Valley. Some buses run every 15 minutes on the
busiest routes or during rush hour. But many run every 30 minutes, a
frequency that many commuters find too long to bother with.
In fact, 15 minutes seems to be the magic number for transit agencies
across the nation. Studies show passengers are more likely to ditch
their cars if they know they'll never wait longer than that.
Metro will likely bring new commuters to mass transit, much like Tempe
with its Orbit neighborhood circulator system. It operates every 15
minutes.
"Because it runs so frequently, they don't have to have a schedule,"
Tempe spokeswoman Amanda Nelson said. "We're seeing a new group of
riders."
Metro's planned 10-minute frequency through the day is unusual for
similar transit systems.
Passenger use drops as much as 50 percent between rush hours, Foose
said, so operators scale back frequency.
But Metro studies project much higher use in the Valley. Ridership may
dip 20 or 30 percent, which Metro figured was still a high enough level
to run trains every 10 minutes.
The demand will come from students who shuttle between Arizona State
University's Tempe and downtown Phoenix campuses. Also, the number of
restaurants and office buildings along the line will attract passengers.
Metro promises a more reliable transit time than car or bus. Because it
doesn't share lanes with traffic, it should make its schedule even if
its going down a gridlocked road. That should further encourage
ridership, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said.
"It's not affected by congestion or accidents or rain or any of the
other elements that would delay it so it's a very dependent mode of
transportation," Gordon said.
Passengers should only see a few exceptions to the basic schedule. It
may not run as long on some holidays, though details aren't known yet.
And they could run more often during special events, perhaps every six
or seven minutes.
Metro hasn't formally adopted the schedule yet but should do that this
spring, Foose said.
At the same time Metro starts operating Dec. 27, Valley Metro will alter
some bus routes to better tie into it and to eliminate redundant
service. That transit agency is still looking at changes and will get
passenger feedback before adopting the changes, Phoenix transit
spokeswoman Marie Chappel said.
While buses don't run as often as Metro will, passengers can't expect
more frequent bus service to match the light-rail schedule. The slowing
economy is pinching transit budgets everywhere, so cities aren't looking
to expand bus service.
"To increase frequency means more money," Chappel said. "And as you
know, that's not what cities have a lot of right now."
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Glendale opens 1st park-and-ride lot
Facility serves as carpooling, bus-service hub
Carrie Watters
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 26, 2008 12:00 AM
Glendale, like other cities, is encouraging public transportation as an
option for a growing Valley with increasingly clogged highways.
Less than a year after the city broke ground on its first stand-alone
park-and-ride lot, the commuter facility will open today.
The park-and-ride lot, at 99th and Glendale avenues near Loop 101, will
have 388 shaded parking spots and could become the Valley's largest
commuter facility, with more than 600 spaces at build-out.
Once parked, commuters can carpool or catch buses into downtown Phoenix
and to other points.
The facility provides an opportunity for residents who haven't used
public transportation to give the bus a try.
"It's just getting over that 'unknown' factor," said Cathy Colbath, a
Glendale transportation administrator.
Thousands already have.
About 5,700 people daily caught a Rapid or Express bus in 2006,
according to a Valley Metro survey.
A Glendale resident who catches the bus at Phoenix park-and-ride
facilities was enthusiastic to hear in May that Glendale had begun
construction on its own facility.
Carrie Coffey said she doesn't miss putting the miles on her truck.
"I love riding the bus, and it's better for the environment. It saves
gas . . . and it's free (because her employer pays the $1.75 fare)," she
said.
Most of the Valley's nearly 40 park-and-rides are lots that are shared
with another business or agency. But many cities are taking the plunge
with stand-alone commuter lots.
Glendale expected to spend nearly $12 million to open the facility, from
purchasing the land to design and construction. Regional and federal
governments contributed nearly $3 million, with a total cost of around
$14.7 million.
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Glendale opens 'green' park-and-ride facility
Carrie Watters
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 27, 2008 08:33 AM
Glendale leaders opened the city's first major commuter facility this
week, emphasizing its environmentally friendly features.
The park-and-ride lot at 99th and Glendale avenues, just off Loop 101,
was designed with several "green" features.
But the concept of a park-and-ride in itself is environmentally
friendly, allowing people to park their vehicles and catch a bus or
carpool to other Valley locations.
Mayor Elaine Scruggs, who spoke to a crowd of nearly 50 people Tuesday
at the opening celebration, said it is critical for Valley leaders to
embrace public transit and introduce it to residents if they are to keep
up with the Valley's rampant growth.
"Until we have a viable (public) transit system, we can never really
solve the transportation problems in the Valley," Scruggs said. "We
won't be able to build ourselves out of this congestion by roads alone."
From design to construction, Glendale's park-and-ride aimed to go
"green."
The most obvious sign of the environmentally friendly commuter facility
is beneath commuters' feet.
The 12.7-acre project has the largest use of pervious concrete in the
western U.S., according to the city.
"It's like a very solid Rice Krispie treat," said Matt Dudley, a transit
planning manager, as he scuffed a foot at the parking lot.
The city worker blasted a steady spout of water onto the pervious
concrete from a water truck. The parking lot soaked up the water like a
sponge.
"There's no puddle," said one observer at the demonstration.
The specialized concrete promotes faster drainage and reduces heat
released into the atmosphere, thereby reducing the heat-island effect
created by traditional concrete baking in the Arizona sun.
The pavement also reduces capacity requirements for drainage facilities
and discharge basins. The water moves through the concrete and into the
soil, which acts as a filter for pollutants, and eventually recharges
groundwater aquifers, according to the city.
One of the project's aesthetic elements also is green. A natural
waterfall feature near the loading platform will have a waterfall that
uses rainwater run-off.
"This is one more example of the change, the dramatic change, in our
attitude toward the environment," Councilwoman Joyce Clark said. "Today,
it is fashionable to go green, and Glendale is in fashion."
The commuter facility includes shade canopies, passenger walkways,
restrooms and security.
Betsy Turner, a bus rider and chairwoman of the city's Citizens
Transportation Oversight Committee, praised the shade and other elements
that make the facility comfortable and attractive.
As of Wednesday, drivers can park their vehicles and catch a crosstown
bus or a non-stop express route into downtown Phoenix.
The current 388 parking spaces should grow to 646 at full build-out.
Glendale expected to spend nearly $12 million to open the facility,
including land purchase, design and construction. Nearly $3 million in
regional and federal funds also was contributed, for a total cost of
about $14.7 million.
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The Madness Continues
March Madness is in full force and The Traffic Lady is your guide to
keeping the madness on the court and not on the road! Thousands will
head to US Airways Center for the 4:10 p.m. West Virginia vs. Xavier
game. The Western Kentucky vs. UCLA game will begin 30 minutes after the
completion of the first game. Times for Saturday’s games will be
announced Thursday evening.
What will you do when the lights go out?
The Downtown Phoenix skyline will darken as most major buildings will be
turning off non-essential lights on Saturday from 8 – 9 pm for Earth
Hour. Phoenix is part of this global phenomenon that will stretch
across six continents as thousands help alter the course of climate
change. But don’t let the darkened lights alter your course! The Traffic
Lady knows there will be no street closures and all events will take
place as scheduled during the hour.
Important Event & Construction Info:
Hot off the Wire: New Restrictions!
· 1st St.: 1st Street is closed between Washington and Jefferson
through 4pm Friday, Mar. 28 to install a manhole.
Traffic Lady Tip: Use Central Ave. to travel north, or 2nd St. to travel
north or south.
· Polk St.: Signalization work will occur on Polk St. in
preparation for light rail operations. Restrictions are as follows:
§ Polk closed between Central and 1st Street from 5am Saturday,
Mar. 29 through 5am Monday, Mar. 31.
§ Eastbound Polk closed between Central and 1st Street on
Monday, Mar. 31 from 5am – 4pm.
§ On Tuesday, April 1, Polk will be open but restricted from 8am
to 1pm.
Traffic Lady Tip: Use Fillmore or Van Buren streets to travel east /
west.
· NAMI Walk: On Saturday, Mar. 29 from 8 – 10:30am the following
restrictions will be in place for the NAMI 5K Walk:
§ 1 lane maintained on Jefferson between 3rd and 15th avenues
§ 3rd Ave. closed between Jefferson and Adams
§ Adams closed between 3rd and 4th avenues
§ Washington closed between 1st and 19th avenues
Traffic Lady Tip: Use Central Ave. to travel north, or 2nd St. to travel
north or south. Street closures will be lifted as participants pass
by.
And Don’t Forget These Ongoing Restrictions…
· Washington / Jefferson Streets: Washington and Jefferson
streets are reduced to one lane between Central Ave. and 1st St. for
utility work. This restriction will be set nightly at 7pm or after
egress on event nights, and will be removed by 6am for regular traffic.
Cental Ave. remains open. This activity is expected to last through
April.
Traffic Lady Tip: Use Adams, Monroe or Van Buren to travel east / west.
· 1st St.: 1st Street is closed between Van Buren and Fillmore
streets for utility work. This activity is anticipated to last through
May. Van Buren and Fillmore streets remain open.
Traffic Lady Tip: Use 2nd St. to travel north or southbound; or Central
Ave. to travel north and 3rd St. to travel south.
· Taylor Street: Taylor St. is closed between Central Ave. and
2rd Street during construction of Taylor Place and the Cronkite School
of Journalism.
Traffic Lady Tip: Use Van Buren or Fillmore Streets to travel east or
westbound
Support Downtown Businesses!
· Our downtown guests are invited to remember that businesses
adjacent to restricted streets are open when they head to Copper Square.
Your extra effort to visit them will be rewarded with special offers and
discounts! Visit the following Web sites to learn more:
www.coppersquare.com – visit for a
complete listing of coupons, specials and what to do in Copper Square.
www.valleymetro.org/METRO_light_rail
- download the Metro Max
card and view a listing of all businesses along the 20-mile alignment.
www.phoenix.gov/freehelp - a listing
of businesses along the alignment as well as discounts.
Resources:
· For complete information on parking, traffic, events and more,
check out our website at www.CopperSquare.com
or call the Copper Square Ambassadors at
602-495-1500.
· For media inquiries only or interviews, call the Traffic Lady
directly at 602-320-9100.
Have a Great Weekend!
Copper Square Traffic Lady
Getting you downtown without a frown!
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FRIENDS OF TRANSIT, inc.
a 501 (c)(3)
P.O. Box 36916
Phoenix, AZ 85067-6916
(602) 818-1024
info@friendsoftransit.org