Friends of Transit Weekly Update

April 10, 2008

Friends of Transit Tuesdays:
April 15, 2008 Lunch Location

April 8, 2008 Prize Drawing Winners

In the News:

Panel recommends rapid transit along I-10, The Arizona Republic¸ April 3, 2008
Valley Metro RPTA recognized as outstanding transit agency
Rail foes target mayor, council members, Tribune, April 9, 2008

Don’t forget to visit Friends of Transit on the web at www.friendsoftransit.org!

On Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Friends of Transit Tuesday
is proud to feature:
Best of Philly
2818 N. Central Ave, Phoenix

The first 100 customers will receive $5 off their lunch bill!
Discount offered 10:00am – 2:00 pm
Please present this email to receive discount. Valid at this location only.

Plus, don’t forget to put your name into this week’s prize drawing box– $500 in prizes will be given away!

Best of Philly was voted best Philly steak sandwich in Arizona in the Yellow Pages Online Directory. The steak sandwich, which is regularly $5.99, is served with lean and tender thin-sliced steak, which is fried in olive oil and topped with melted white American cheese and served on fresh-baked 10" Italian bread. Other menu items include sub sandwiches, burgers, gyros and salads.

See you Tuesday! Tell your Friends!

Thanks to everyone who joined us on April 8 at:
Karim’s Cobbler Shop and Deli
333 E. Jefferson St, Phoenix

We gave away $500 in prizes in our weekly drawing! The winners are:
June Hanson, Stephen Herbert and Antonia Bouchard - $100 to Langert Netzband Jewelers, 1526 W. Camelback Rd, Phoenix
Kay Wilmoth and Gary LeBlanc - $50 to The Teeter House, 622 E. Adams, Phoenix
Lori Dickman, Jeff Bittenbender, Lollita Cordova, Perri Collins and Michelle Donahue - $20 to Central Music, 5038 N. Central Ave, Phoenix

Panel recommends rapid transit along I-10
by Casey Newton -
Apr. 3, 2008 03:50 PM
The Arizona Republic

The Phoenix City Council's transportation subcommittee voted Thursday to recommend putting rapid transit along Interstate 10 instead of another alignment.

The recommendation, which is part of the lengthy process to secure federal funding for transit improvements, applies to I-10 between Loop 101 and Interstate 17. A separate vote will be held later on whether to put transit along I-10 between I-17 and downtown Phoenix.

Planners have not yet contemplated what form transit should take along I-10. Options to be considered include rapit-transit buses and light rail.

"It is one of many steps to get what we have recommended approved. It is a positive step but we still have several steps to go," said Hillary Foosey, Metro spokeswoman. It will be the end of the year until a final decision is made.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:           Susan Tierney
                        Public Information Officer
                        602.262.4668
                        602.292.4093 (mobile)
                        stierney@valleymetro.org

Valley Metro RPTA recognized as outstanding transit agency

PHOENIX (April 4, 2008) – The regional provider of transit and rideshare services received a special honor this week. The Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA), who operates service under the brand name Valley Metro, received the 2008 Outstanding Transit Organization Award by the Arizona Transit Association (AzTA).

“We want our passengers to expect the best in transit service from Valley Metro RPTA and we commit to exceeding their expectations,” said David A. Boggs, Valley Metro RPTA executive director.

In 2007, the Valley Metro Board of Directors took bold action to truly regionalize the RPTA by passing a resolution stating that the 14-member agency will become a single, regional transit system over time. This is a ground-breaking step towards offering the first-ever comprehensive, multi-modal transit system for the entire Valley.

After passage of Proposition 400 in November 2004, agency staff have been immersed in new projects and services that began implementation in 2006 and will continue through 2026. These include commuter express bus, regional local bus service, 27 miles of light rail extensions, light rail vehicles, and facilities for both bus and rail.

Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs currently serves as the Chair of the Valley Metro Board and, in 2007, the city of Glendale’s Transportation Department was named the AzTA Outstanding Transit Organization.

For more information about Valley Metro, go to: www.ValleyMetro.org.

Valley Metro/RPTA 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.

# # #

Rail foes target mayor, council members
by Brian Powell
Tribune
4.9.2008

Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross and three City Council members are being targeted by an anti-light-rail group distributing fliers implying the four want to run light-rail tracks up Scottsdale Road through Old Town.

The two fliers are likely just the beginning of a campaign against Manross and council members Betty Drake, Wayne Ecton and Ron McCullagh who voted last month to join the regional light-rail planning and operating group, Valley Metro Rail.

More fliers, newspaper ads and television commercials are being considered, said downtown business owner and group leader Michael Fernandez.

Although the fliers never mention a city election, three of the four are facing re-election in September. And Ecton, whose term expires in 2010, is the subject of a recall attempt.

The four targeted by the fliers have called them misleading, full of distortions, scare tactics and a desperate attempt to interject what they see as a "dead issue" into the Sept. 2 city election campaign.

“It's garbage and very misleading," Manross said. "It's not right to disseminate mistruths."

The light-rail debate has been heated in recent years in Scottsdale even though there is no light rail or streetcar extension planned or proposed for Scottsdale.

There is no funding set aside for such a project. No Scottsdale election related to light rail is on the horizon. A two-year transportation master plan approved in January did not endorse light rail, streetcar or bus rapid transit as the best option for Scottsdale, only that they require further study.

"It's time for the opposition to light rail to come out of their bunkers and claim victory on the subject, but I think they'd rather pretend the issue is still a campaign issue," McCullagh said.

But the four have at each opportunity voted to keep the option open one day for light rail, streetcar or another transit option to run along Scottsdale Road.

On March 4, the council voted 4-3 to join Valley Metro Rail. The city will spend $50,000 a year to join Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale and Peoria as members with hope of participating in a study of future high-capacity corridors that might affect the city.

The initial 20-mile light-rail line through Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa is scheduled to open in December.

In December 2006, the same four council members targeted by the fliers voted to keep Scottsdale Road as the designated transit corridor and thus light rail as a potential option.

"Everyone says light rail is dead but no one wants to kill it," Councilman Tony Nelssen said.

Meanwhile, the fliers were distributed during the city's south Scottsdale "visioning week," and were handed out at Manross' annual State of the City address Thursday on the Marshall Way Bridge.

One anonymous flier says "Which Way Scottsdale?" and features an edited photo of light-rail tracks and wires on Scottsdale Road running through Old Town. It says "All Aboard the Manross, Drake, Ecton & McCullagh Railroad."

"That's to let everyone know that's what it's going to look like," Fernandez said.

"It's not pretty and it's going to destroy our business and all the investment made in downtown."

The second flier is in the style of an old movie poster and titled "The Great Train Wreck," starring "the same old song and dance team - Mary & the DEMs."The flier says DEMs refers to Drake, Ecton and McCullagh. Each of the four council members has roles.

Manross is "Bland DuBois," Drake is "Calamity Gain," Ecton is "Casey Jones" and McCullagh is "The Brakeman."

The flier includes the name Scottsdale Citizens for Safe and Efficient Transportation, which is an independent expenditure political committee formed March 31 by Fernandez.

Fernandez and other members of the anti-rail Scottsdale Citizens Transportation Study Committee took credit for the "Which Way Scottsdale?" flier.

The council members are all on record saying they do not support light rail running through downtown on Scottsdale Road, the image presented by the flier. Manross' 2007 State of the City address states that clearly.

And the transportation master plan ruled that out as an option for further study, concluding that if light rail went through downtown it should do so on Drinkwater Boulevard.

However, one option recommended for further study is modern streetcar on Scottsdale Road through Old Town, which, like light rail, would have a fixed-rail track and wires such as those displayed in the flier.

The anti-rail group also says the issue comes down to trust. While there is no plan proposing light rail through Old Town, they say there is nothing that could prevent it in the future.

"I think the mayor has proven she can't be trusted," said Lamar Whitmer, a political consultant and member of the group.

The group also uses the fliers to contend an election should have been called before joining Valley Metro Rail.

The council agreed to call an election if the transportation master plan proposed rail transit, which it did not.

It also has promised an election if a light-rail proposal is made.

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Phoenix, AZ 85067-6916
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