September 10, 2008

Friends,

Several years ago, when we started in our quest to get light rail to come to the Valley, many of you will remember there were numerous detractors.  They said light rail won't work and that it will be a white elephant boondoggle.  Below is an article detailing the challenges Denver faced with their light rail system. As you can see, one of their overarching challenges was in dealing with the crush of ridership.  This is a good problem to have... Click here to read the article.

We are optimistic that the Valley's own light rail system - METRO will also be wildly successful.  We are hopeful that they have learned from others' mistakes and have taken the necessary steps to handle the volume of passengers we know we will get.

In the News:
Highway trust fund is nearly out of gas, Washington Post, September 6, 2008
State highway projects stall out in face of shortfall, The Arizona Republic, September 6, 2008
What the Valley can expect from light rail, The Arizona Republic, September 7, 2008
Ditch one car- save $6,514 a year in metro Phoenix, Valley Metro News Release, September 8, 2008
Light-rail concerns focus on safety, The Arizona Republic, September 9, 2008

Arizona rides high as bicycle friendly state, ADOT News Release, September 9, 2008
Some Mesa bus riders like idea of free downtown shuttle service, Tribune, September 10, 2008

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

 

Highway Trust Fund Is Nearly Out of Gas
Transportation Chief Calls for $8 Billion
By Eric M. Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 6, 2008; A08

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the nation's highway trust fund will run out of money this month, which means that federal payments to states for construction projects could be cut.

Yesterday, Peters asked Congress to come up with an $8 billion infusion for the trust, a federal account used to help pay for highway and bridge projects. The House has already passed such legislation.

The trust has been hammered because its main source of funding is the gas tax, which has not been increased since the Clinton administration. The high cost of gasoline has resulted in less consumption and, therefore, fewer dollars flowing into the trust fund.

"Time and again, the president has warned Congress of the pending shortfall and submitted fiscally prudent budgets to close the gap," Peters said. "Americans cannot afford to have Congress play 'kick the can' with highway funding for another year, another month or, frankly, another week."

This month, the trust fund will take in $2.7 billion but will field requests for reimbursements totaling $4.4 billion, she said.

While waiting for Congress to act, the Department of Transportation will make payments to states weekly instead of twice daily, Peters said. In addition, the agency will make payments on a pro-rated basis, meaning that if the trust fund is only 80 percent full, payments will be reduced to 80 percent. The remainder of the reimbursements would be paid the next week. Any new projects would be funded on a prorated basis.

Maryland and Virginia transportation officials said the decision could have an impact on major road projects planned or underway.

"We build out highway projects by using state dollars and are reimbursed by federal dollars. If those are slowed or stopped, it means some of our projects could be slowed or stopped," Maryland Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari said.

Porcari said that Congress and the administration were playing "a giant game of chicken, and that is not good government."

Transportation officials said the move will not result in the wholesale cancellation of road projects, but could have a profound effect on future contracting and the reliability of the federal government as a partner. By delaying reimbursement payments, the federal government is essentially passing on the cost of interest to states.

Concern over the dwindling trust fund has been building. The Bush administration had opposed the $8 billion infusion because it would have come out of the general fund without corresponding cuts. Peters said the administration has reversed its opposition to the House plan because the situation has become so grim.

"What's especially shocking to the states is that they can't count on the federal government," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "It will worsen the financial crises many states are already facing, and it will delay or halt needed transportation projects and leave contractors and suppliers with IOUs instead of cash to pay their workers."

Unlike the sales tax, the federal gas tax is not based on a percentage. At 18.4 cents a gallon, the trust fund has not increased with the run-up in gasoline prices. And because Americans have been driving less -- the number of miles traveled has dropped more than 50 billion over the past eight months -- funding for the trust has fallen.

Peters warned Congress not to lard up highway legislation with earmarks for specific projects. She said the last transportation bill passed by Congress contained 6,000 earmarks totaling $24 billion.

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State highway projects stall out in face of shortfall
$171 mil in funds from feds uncertain
by Glen Creno 
Sept. 6, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Arizona is delaying as much as $171 million in new highway projects funded by federal money as Congress fights over how to pay the tab.

The federal fund that helps pay for transportation projects nationwide faces an $8 billion shortfall. Congress has been fighting over the best way to fund the shortage but is running out of time because the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

The failure to produce a solution forced Arizona on Friday to table highway projects that range from the $30 million widening of Arizona 85 north of Gila Bend to $4 million for improvements to the intersection of Interstates 10 and 19 near Tucson.

"We can't move forward on an IOU system," said Doug Nintzel, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation.

At the center of the trouble is the Highway Trust Fund, a federal program that's not a household name but is crucial to transportation funding in Arizona and every other state. The fund collects federal gas taxes and distributes them to states.

It's no surprise that the fund is headed for the skids. People are driving less, and cars get better mileage. But the spike in gas prices caused a sharp downturn in driving and accelerated the problem.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced Friday that beginning next week federal payments to states will be made once a week rather than twice a day. Another money-preserving move: Payments will be prorated depending on how much money is available.

A state can get the balance of its money the following week as well as a new, prorated amount. Arizona is set to get $685.47 million from the fund in the new federal fiscal year.

Peters called on Congress to pass legislation funding the shortfall by the end of next week.

The bill has cleared the House of Representatives but not the Senate.

"If Congress acts in a timely manner, we don't expect this to have an impact on states," said U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Turmail.

Valley freeways are funded mainly through Proposition 400 sales-tax collections but do get some federal money. Nintzel said no new Valley freeway projects are being frozen but ADOT continues to evaluate them and other projects.

The moves by Peters, a former head of ADOT, led Gov. Janet Napolatino and ADOT Director Victor Mendez to express their frustration with the funding issue.

Napolitano said in a statement that federal mismanagement forced the state to delay "vital highway projects at a time when we are facing crippling congestion and a need for economic stimulation."

Mendez noted that the pending funding gap was not secret but blamed "a deficit of leadership" for the crisis.

The funding mess comes on the heels of the disqualification of a ballot initiative that would have raised $42.6 billion for transportation through an increase in the state sales tax.

"The big lesson here is another stark reminder that we can't keep going down this road" in transportation funding, said Ian Rossman, spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration.

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What the Valley can expect from light rail
In Denver, system struggled to keep up with rising demand
by Casey Newton 
Sept. 7, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

DENVER - On a sunny summer day in downtown Denver, tourists stroll down a shady boulevard bustling with shops and restaurants. Along the mile-long district known as the 16th Street Mall, which is closed to cars, free shuttles carry visitors from the vibrant central business district to Coors Field, the Pepsi Center and beyond.

A few blocks from the Colorado Convention Center, in the center of the mall, the shuttles stop at 16th Street and California. There, passengers transfer to Denver's regional light-rail system: 35 miles of track that link the stadiums to the skyscrapers, the shops to the suburbs.

The system opened its first 5 miles of track in 1994. Like Phoenix, Denver in those days was a large Western city where many people were skeptical of light rail. Getting the system approved and built took nearly 20 years. But once it opened, public response was overwhelming. Planners had to scramble to keep up with the demand.

On a recent visit to Denver, in interviews with riders, pedestrians, business owners and transportation officials, the story of Denver's first year of light rail offered a gentle warning of what Phoenix can expect when its rail service opens Dec. 27.

The year that Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) opened its system, planners believed they had sufficient capacity in their trains, parking lots and connections to handle 13,000 people a day. But ridership quickly climbed to 14,000 and now averages more than 65,000 boardings a day, thanks to two major expansions and the addition of 30 miles of rail.

Even in 1994, the system couldn't always handle the demand - and that was when gasoline was less than $2 a gallon.

In Phoenix, planners expect a similarly strong response. Denver's experience suggests demand may be much higher than expected.

"You can have the best-laid plans," said Pauletta Tonilas, an RTD spokeswoman. "There's always things you have to adjust and modify once you open your system. And that's happened on each one of the corridors we've opened."

Crowded trains and parking lots, a series of train-vs.-car collisions, and a shortage of buses along and connecting to the line were early pressure points as the first trains rumbled onto the 16th Street Mall.

Parking shortage

From its first day of operation, Denver's light-rail system drew large numbers of riders, and most of them needed a place to park.

"Parking was a problem from the start," said Brenda Tierney, who managed public-involvement efforts when the first line segment opened. The end-of-the-line station had 200 spaces, serving a weekday ridership of 13,000.

"People were parking all over the place," Tierney says. "It was just crazy."

On a midday visit to a park-and-ride at Interstate 25 and Broadway, 3 miles south of the Mall, the lot is jammed with cars.

When the system opened 14 years ago, this lot was the end of the line. Today, the number of parking spaces here has grown from 200 to 1,248, but there's still not an empty space in sight.

Denver opened its line with 550 spaces. Today, there are 12,000 serving the 35 miles of rail line. In Phoenix, Metro light rail will begin operations in December with 3,513 spaces for a 20-mile system.

Per mile of track, Phoenix has as much parking at its end-of-line stations as Denver did when its line opened in 1994.

Phoenix will have 794 spaces at Montebello and 19th Avenue, the northern end of the line, and 802 at Sycamore and Main Street in Mesa, the opposite end. In between, six other park-and-ride lots will offer 2,719 more spaces.

Metro officials say they expect ridership will be greater than the 26,000 boardings per day that are projected. Given the surge in gas prices, light-rail parking in Phoenix could pose a bigger problem than expected.

Officials are working to make some contingency parking available, said Wulf Grote, director of project development for Metro. The agency may lease parking spaces from other nearby lots while it works to build additional parking, he said.

Denver's experience suggests those spaces could be needed right away.

When suburban Englewood's station opened in 2000 as part of a southwestern expansion project, the lot filled with a number of cars that planners weren't expecting until 2015.

"And that was when gas was a buck-seventy a gallon," said Mike Flaherty, Englewood's deputy city manager.

In Denver, the expanded parking has barely kept up with demand. Some lots are completely full by 8 a.m., forcing commuters to park a half-mile away and walk to stations.

Gideon Berger, a former RTD planner who now works for Denver, said regional planning groups often underestimate travel demand. That was the case with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the equivalent of the Maricopa Association of Governments.

MAG's population estimates were used to calculate the number of park-and-ride spaces that will be available at launch.

The bus shortage

Light rail's launch in Denver also caused a crunch aboard city buses.

When the light-rail system opened, Denver eliminated a significant portion of downtown bus service that ran along the same route as the rail line. The idea was to avoid redundant public-transportation service and save money.

Phoenix plans to eliminate the busy Red Line bus route that extends from north-central Phoenix to downtown via Central Avenue. The route has more than 9,500 boardings a day.

When Denver opened its system, it found that it didn't have enough trains to accommodate rush-hour demand. The city ordered new trains, which took 18 months to arrive. Meanwhile, Denver was forced to restore some of its bus service.

Debbie Cotton, transit director for Phoenix, said bus riders already are complaining to Phoenix transit officials that they don't want to switch to light rail when the Red Line disappears.

"People don't want the Red Line to go away," Cotton said.

Unless something changes between now and December, though, it will.

The shuttle shortage

Another issue Denver grapples with is the question of rail access.

In light rail, this is known as "the last-mile problem," getting people from their point of origin to light rail and from light rail to their final destination.

In downtown Denver, the free shuttle that runs the length of the 16th Street Mall is one example of how to solve the last-mile problem.

Elsewhere along the line, passengers can have more trouble getting from the train to their destination.

At the Denver Tech Center, a large employment center 20 minutes southeast of downtown, there is no shuttle service. Workers there say that makes using light rail inconvenient. Other suburbs face the same issue.

"We always build the line but never talk about the last mile," said Randy Pye, chairman of Denver's Metro Mayors Caucus. "We need to talk about the last mile at the same time we're building the line."

Downtown Phoenix is served by DASH, a free circulator with two routes. One loops around downtown, and the other links downtown to the Capitol. Tempe has a free circulator, as well.

But other areas, including north-central Phoenix and Mesa, have no shuttles.

Metro light rail wants to use the existing bus system better to help people get from train stations to their destinations.

"We've developed a plan for each of our stations, how buses would be routed, or rerouted in some cases, to connect with the rail stations, and also to try to coordinate the schedules between the two," Metro light rail's Grote said.

The agency also plans to improve bicycle and pedestrian access to stations.

Trains and people

Before its light-rail system opened, Denver conducted a safety campaign to educate people about sharing the road with trains. Still, in the early months of operation, there were dozens of accidents.

From the time testing started in summer 1994 through the end of the year, there were 19 accidents, including one in which a pedestrian died. The pedestrian, who had a reported blood-alcohol content of 0.249 percent, was killed after he wandered in front of a train during rush hour, according to newspaper accounts.

Since then, safety has improved. In 1995, the system had 4.4 accidents for each mile of track. Last year, the system had 1 accident per mile of track.

For the most part, automobile drivers have been blamed for accidents along Denver's light-rail line. They try to beat a train through the intersection, for example, or they creep too far forward at a red light and find themselves in the train's path.

But pedestrians say they have to remain on constant alert around the system.

In Phoenix, where trains are now making test runs, Metro is conducting its own safety campaign.

The $500,000 campaign is designed to educate the public about how to behave around light rail and is spreading the word through school programs, utility-bill inserts, television advertising and the Web.

"Public safety is really going to be key," said Rick Simonetta, Metro's CEO. "It really is a matter of obeying the law."

Much of the advice is basic: Never stop on the tracks. Never try to beat a train through an intersection. Look both ways before crossing the tracks.

Pedestrians in Denver say the most dangerous thing about the trains is how quietly they run. Everyone - drivers and walkers - need to be on constant alert around the system.

"They sneak up on you," said Kim Albrecht, 22, who takes the train in from suburban Lakewood five days a week. "When you cross the street, you definitely have to look both ways."

Albrecht is one of many in Denver who recommend light rail.

During a hectic afternoon rush hour, Albrecht is standing at the 16th and California station waiting to board a train home from her job at a downtown hotel. She grew up in Chicago using public transit and had low expectations for the train when she arrived in Denver. But she quickly became a regular.

"I didn't think it would compare very well" to Chicago, Albrecht said. "But after I took it, I liked it."

"See if it fits with your schedule," she said. "Give it a chance."

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Valley Metro News Release
Ditch one car—Save $6,514 a year in metro Phoenix
Savings big even as gas prices decline

Phoenix, AZ (September 8, 2008)  Valley residents can save big bucks by taking public transportation instead of driving based on today’s gas prices in the metro area. The yearly cost of driving and owning a vehicle is $6,514 based on average mileage and trip length. By tacking on parking fees, the savings would be even greater.

“One household can benefit immensely from eliminating a car and taking public transportation instead,” said David A. Boggs, Valley Metro executive director. “It’s a quick way to save a lot of money, and helps clear the air as well as our streets and freeways.”

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) states that the annual average savings in the Valley is more than what one household in America spends on food for one year ($6,111*).

According to a statement released by the association, APTA’s monthly “Transit Savings Report” (publictransportation.org) shows how much a person can save on a monthly and yearly basis by taking public transportation and living with one less car in his or her household.

Goodyear residents, Jim and Ginny Boyle, have been riding Express bus Route 562 since its start-up on July 28. Although they used to carpool together to their separate work locations at Central and Thomas, they prefer the bus.

“We used to fill our gas tank weekly and now we save at least $150 every month, plus we are not stressed out when we get to work,” said Ginny Boyle. “To others I would say ‘give it a try’ because driving on the I-10 west is not much fun.”

 Chandler resident, June Munson, began riding the Route 96 bus (Dobson Road) when it expanded its route in July. She switched from a car to the bus to not only save money, but also to help the environment and pack a little more exercise into her day.

Many other commuters in the metro Phoenix area have also caught on to the public transportation trend with express bus ridership up by 32.5% comparing June 2008 to June 2007. Measuring ridership system-wide, there were more than 59.8 million boardings on Valley Metro between July 2007 and June 2008, which is 3% higher than the previous year.

*According to the Food Institute

Contact: Susan Tierney
Public Information Officer
602.262.4668
stierney@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.

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Light-rail concerns focus on safety
by Casey Newton
Sept. 9, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

With just more than 100 days left until the Valley's light-rail line opens, the Phoenix council members are getting serious about safety.

When Metro light-rail CEO Rick Simonetta stopped by a City Council meeting last week to give a progress report, they grilled him about how motorists and pedestrians can stay safe around the trains.

"I worry about pedestrian traffic," Councilwoman Peggy Neely said. "A lot of folks at the office buildings kind of float back and forth (across the street) and are used to that."

The 20-mile, $1.4 billion system that connects Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa is set to open Dec. 27.

Every day at lunchtime, hundreds of people cross the light-rail tracks at First Avenue and Adams Street without so much as a sideways glance to check for trains.

That's fine for now - train testing won't resume downtown until the end of this month, Metro officials said.

But when it does, pedestrians will need to be much more careful. In the meantime, Metro is trying to come up with a slogan to remind people to stay off the tracks.

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ADOT News Release
Arizona rides high as bicycle friendly state
Ranked third in nation for actively supporting bicycling
September 9, 2008

PHOENIX – It seems more people in Arizona are using two wheels instead of four to commute to work and for recreation. Arizona was named the third most bicycle friendly state in the nation by the League of American Bicyclists for its encouragement of bicycling among riders of all ages.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) applied for the prestigious award this summer. Arizona was officially awarded the third place ranking on September 5. Bicycle advocates from around the state as well as transportation planners from Arizona’s seven Bicycle Friendly Communities were able to weigh in on the extensive application process. States were judged on six categories that support bike use: legislation, policies and programs, infrastructure, education and encouragement, evaluation and planning, and enforcement.

According to the league, Arizona received the third place ranking because it’s one of the few states to promote protection of cyclists through a three foot minimum passing law and was one of the early adopters of a bike friendly rumble strip policy. The state has also taken a leading role by including bicycling in the statewide plan to reduce carbon emissions.

Washington is ranked number one on the list of bicycle friendly states, followed by Wisconsin at number two. Oregon received a fourth place ranking, and Minnesota rounds out the top five.

This is the first time a ranking system has been established for bicycle friendly states. However, 84 communities in 31 states have already been designated Bicycle Friendly Communities. Arizona has seven Bicycle Friendly Communities. They include Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson. A community must demonstrate achievements in the five categories of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation and planning in order to be considered for an award.

“Anytime cycling is brought to the forefront as transportation, it’s a great thing,” said Anthony Quintile, a board member of the Flagstaff Biking Organization. “Oftentimes, driving is taken for granted. Bicycling can take the place of many of those trips and can help save gas. Bicycling is healthy, and using a bike for transportation puts the idea out there for people who may not have considered it before.”

The League of American Bicyclists encourages bicycle friendliness in both cities and states. The league promotes bicycling as an effective way to address the challenges of climate change, traffic congestion, rising obesity rates and soaring fuel prices.

View more information on bicycle friendly states and see the rankings of all 50 states.

Visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511 or dial 5-1-1 for information across Arizona.

For additional information contact:
ADOT Media Line 800.949.8057

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Some Mesa bus riders like idea of free downtown shuttle service
By BETH LUCAS
TRIBUNE
September 10, 2008

Mesa transportation officials surveyed bus riders Tuesday outside the Mesa Senior Center downtown to get feedback on plans to provide a free downtown bus.

The free service, set to begin in December, would run 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, four times every hour — every half-hour on each side of the street, but timed so that riders could catch a bus every 15 minutes.

The 7-mile route would take 20 minutes, and is cost-free to the city since it would be comprised of current routes that will be realigned, said deputy director of transportation Mike James.

Riders on Tuesday were split — some said they were excited to join Tempe and Phoenix in making it easier to get around downtown, especially in the heat. Others questioned whether it would work.

Mark Schonebaum, a new Mesa resident, said he was eager to use the service to get to know the city better.

“If they do have it here in Mesa, it would make Mesa even better,” agreed Caron Jones as he waited for his bus. “It would make things a lot easier to get to.”

But Brandon Roberts argued that Mesa’s bus service is now lax and the downtown service won’t make it any better. He added, though, that it could help get some people out of the heat when walking downtown.

Lynn Young said she could take the downtown service to her church, but said changes in other services make it tough for her to get downtown in the first place.

Jodi Sorell, transportation outreach coordinator, said riders she spoke to Tuesday were eager to see an expansion of services to align with the light rail, and make it easier to get around. Many rely on the buses for work, doctor’s appointments and other travel.

James added that the city is continuing to look at alternatives to improve service, including adapting a service now offered in Tempe, in which riders can wave down a bus in between stops on streets with less traffic.

Mesa has cut back some bus services, including most Sunday routes, due to budget concerns. However, a countywide sales tax will allow the city to begin expanding programs, linking with the light rail that comes on line in December.

To share your opinion with the city, write to City of Mesa Transportation Department, P.O. Box 1466, Mesa, AZ 85211.

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