July 9, 2008

Friends,

For those of you who have eagerly been awaiting details on the Grand Opening festivities of the light rail, this edition of the Weekly Update has a few tidbits for you. Read them here.

In the News:
Freeway opening scheduled for July 21, The Arizona Republic, July 8, 2008
Festivities planned for start of light-rail service in Valley, Tribune, July 9, 2008
Tempe district considering expanded bus service, Tribune, July 9, 2008

At the Federal Level:
Our friends at the Center for Transportation Excellence shared news about the US House of Representatives approving legislation to support public transportation. Read about it here.

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

 

Freeway opening scheduled for July 21
by Art Thomason
Jul. 8, 2008 10:56 AM
The Arizona Republic

A celebration Tuesday to mark completion of Loop 202 is not to be confused with the freeway segment's actual opening later this month, state transportation officials said.

The final stretch of the loop's Red Mountain Freeway between Power Road and University Drive isn't scheduled to open until July 21, Doug Nintzel, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said Monday.

"Finishing touches such as lane striping will be done this week and next," Nintzel said. "We're shooting for July 21 as the opening date. We're hoping to have it done for morning commuters a week from Monday.

The loop's dedication party, however, will go on as planned from 5 to 8 p.m. July 15 along the five-mile segment with a 5K run, bike ride, exhibits by businesses and organizations and an ADOT Road Show that illustrates, in detail, how freeways are designed and constructed.

ADOT is inviting local businesses and organizations to be involved in the event, Nintzel said.

For more information go to www.azdot.gov/Highways and click on Valley Freeways, then click on Red Mountain Freeway.

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Festivities planned for start of light-rail service in Valley
By MIKE BRANOM
TRIBUNE
7.9.2008
CONTACT WRITER: (480) 898-6440 or mbranom@evtrib.com 

Light rail’s arrival in the Valley is still a long way down the tracks, but coming into view are the festivities surrounding the scheduled December grand opening.

Among the events planned by Metro is a gala dinner featuring VIPs, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, simultaneous celebrations when the system opens and an entire weekend, Dec. 27-28, when riding the rails will be free of charge.

The 20-mile line is expected to begin revenue service on Dec. 29.

About 250,000 people are expected to participate in the celebrations, Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said. Metro is estimating 26,000 daily boardings in the first year of operations.

Foose gave an update on the events Monday to the Public Involvement/Marketing Committee of the Tempe Transportation Commission.

Metro is currently conducting tests along the line. The first trains began rolling into Tempe and Mesa last month.

According to Foose, the celebrations will begin the day after Christmas — Dec. 26. That day, there will be a media preview with reporters, photographers and camera crews riding the last test train.

That night, a celebratory dinner will be held at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. Among the dignitaries invited is U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, Foose said. The dinner will be one of the first major events at the Sheraton, which is slated to open in October.

On the morning of Dec. 27, the fun moves to Metro’s Operations and Maintenance Center in east Phoenix, where the ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place. Afterward, trains will be dispatched to Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.

Five or six major parties are planned, Foose said, and there will be activities at all 28 stations.

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Tempe district considering expanded bus service
By ANDREA NATEKAR
TRIBUNE
7.9.2008
CONTACT WRITER:
(480) 898-5635 or anatekar@evtrib.com

The Tempe Union High School District is considering spending its own money to bus students from other districts to its schools.

It’s an attempt to make life a little easier for families who typically have driven their children to school, said Superintendent Steve Adolph.

“We’re trying to be responsive to the needs of kids and their families. Part of this has to do with $4-a-gallon gas and these tough economic times,” he said. “If it’s economically feasible for us, we’d like to be able to help.”

District officials also hope the bus service will draw new students to the district, said spokeswoman Linda Littell.

More students would, in turn, bring more state funding to the district, which is battling a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall this year.

The governing board will vote on the possible policy change at its meeting at 7 p.m. today at the district office, 500 W. Guadalupe Road. The change would allow the district the option of providing bus service to students who do not reside within the district’s boundaries.

However, their requests would ultimately be approved by the superintendent if a “sufficient number of students in a given area request bus transportation to one of our high schools,” Littell said.

The state does not provide transportation funding to districts to bus open-enrolled students from other districts, Littell said.

Currently, some 993 students enroll in Tempe Union from other school districts.

Under its current policy, the Tempe Union district, like most East Valley districts, does not provide transportation to out-of-district students unless they have disabilities.

However, the Kyrene Elementary School District changed its policy in 2004 to offer busing to students from the Baseline Corridor and Maricopa, which some 900 students take advantage of at a rate of $2.27 per child, said district spokeswoman Nancy Dudenhoefer.

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House Approves Bill to Support Public Transportation
Bills aimed at responding to rising gas prices
Center for Transportation Excellence
July 8, 2008

On June 26, the House voted 322-98 to pass the Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act (H.R. 6052). Representatives James L. Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, John L. Mica (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Committee, and Peter M. DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, are the bill's original co-sponsors. The bipartisan bill authorizes $1.7 billion in grants to public transportation agencies over fiscal 2008 and 2009. The measure is aimed at helping transit agencies contend with high gasoline prices that are driving up their operating costs while simultaneously increasing the demand for their services. The grants could be used to enable agencies to cut fares or expand their service. The bill is currently waiting on action in the Senate.

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