November 21, 2008

Friends,

Over the last few years, we have provided you a lot of information about light rail during the design phase, the construction phase and the ongoing safety campaign.  Many of you have written to us with questions or concerns.  We appreciate your input and ideas and hopefully you have found this information useful as you tell your friends, family and co-workers about transit.

One of the most popular topics over the years has to do with property values and the endless possibilities of Transit Oriented Development (TOD).  One of our friends provided a recent article from the Denver Post about how their light rail system is benefiting their community.  Below is a key quote, "Homes near light-rail stations along the southeast line, which opened in November 2006, have increased by an average of nearly 4% over the past two years, according to an analysis by Your Castle Real Estate.  But the rest of Denver market declined an average of 7.5 percent."  (Read the rest of the article here)

Don't let those transit naysayers that light rail won't work.  We will prove them wrong after our own light rail system gets up and running on December 27th.  We hope to see you there and help us spread the word.


Upcoming Events:
Fall Transit Festival hosted by METRO, Mayor Scott Smith and the Mesa City Council
Saturday, November 22, 2008  8am to 10:30am
Enjoy a free pancake breakfast, prizes and tours of the light rail and the new Valley Metro Link Bus
Read below for more details

In the News:
Light-rail can turn into money train, The Denver Post, October 29, 2008
Scaled-back bus service may eventually hit ALEX, The Arizona Republic, November 14, 2008
Transit festival offers information on light rail, buses, Tribune, November 16, 2008
Valley Metro announces light-rail debut parties, Tribune, November 16, 2008
Scottsdale woman coins tops light-rail slogan, The Arizona Republic, November 16, 2008
Light-rail construction schedule raises concerns, The Arizona Republic, November 20, 2008

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

 

Friends of Transit’s
Light Rail Safety Tip of the Week

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Light-rail can turn into money train
Homes near light-rail lines tend to increase in value
By Margaret Jackson
The Denver Post
10/29/2008 11:25:37 PM MDT

A light-rail train passes a neighborhood near the Louisiana and Pearl station. Housing that is within a half-mile of such stations shows the greatest appreciation relative to other homes in the area. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

Margarete Humphrey knows her bungalow near the Louisiana Station light-rail stop is in a hot neighborhood. But she was surprised to learn the value of her home has increased over the past two years as much of the metro Denver housing market has declined.

Homes near light-rail stations along the southeast line, which opened in November 2006, have increased by an average of nearly 4 percent over the past two years, according to an analysis by Your Castle Real Estate. But the rest of the Denver market declined an average of 7.5 percent.

"I know that it's always been a good neighborhood, but I didn't think it was like that," said Humphrey, who doesn't drive and frequently uses public transportation.

The closer a home is to the station, the more its value increases, according to the Your Castle analysis. Homes less than a half-mile from a station increased an average of 17.6 percent, while those 1 1/2 to 2 miles away increased just 0.1 percent on average. The data varied widely among stations, however.

Under its FasTracks program, the Regional Transportation District plans to create six new commuter-rail and light-rail corridors and extend three existing corridors by 2017, potentially creating other pockets where values are driven by proximity to rail.

In other markets with rail lines, single-family home values have increased anywhere from 2 percent in San Diego to 32 percent in St. Louis, according to data gathered by the Regional Transit District.

"Any time you do something to a neighborhood that makes it more desirable, prices are going to go up," said Brandon Neill, a broker with Your Castle. "Transit is definitely on people's minds when they're thinking about moving."

Transit is just one component pushing values up. The "places" developers create around the stations are a much bigger driver, said Marilee Utter, president of Citiventure Associates, a Denver real estate company specializing in transit-oriented developments, or TODs.

Margarete Humphrey stands outside her home at 1276 S. Sherman St. in Denver. While property values have declined in the past two years by an average of 7.5 percent in much of the metro area, Humphrey's home has risen in value. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

"Most of the value comes from placemaking, rather than the transit," she said. "But as transit gets bigger, it will account for more and more of that premium."

She said the city is just beginning to see the impact from TODs.

"Every project is different, but what we've seen historically is a 15 to 20 percent premium (near TODs)," Utter said. "Because of the desire for different kind of product and the movement toward sustainability, I think Denver will see 20 to 25 percent premium over what the other products are doing. This is just the tip of the iceberg."

Soaring gas prices also fueled the demand for housing near transit and drove prices.

"With the energy increase, it isn't too much of a surprise that people are saying, 'Gee, being close to public transportation is something that I value,' " said Byron Koste, director of the real estate center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Your Castle has not analyzed sales data for the west rail line, but Neill said he has seen a lot of competition for properties there as well.

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Scaled-back bus service may eventually hit ALEX
by Lisa Halverstadt
Nov. 14, 2008 07:03 AM
The Arizona Republic

Phoenix will cut some of its Valley Metro bus services in December in an effort to quell budget woes. But city transit officials aren't sure if Ahwatukee's ALEX could see changes as well.

Ahwatukee's Local EXplorer, a free neighborhood circulator bus running since November 2001, allows passengers to travel a 23-mile route within the village to hotspots such as shopping centers and recreation areas.

The Phoenix Public Transit Department could eventually begin charging ALEX passengers, make its trips less frequent or reduce routes, but no decisions have been made, department spokeswoman Marie Chapple said.

"That's still to be coordinated," she said. "The case may be that in the future that we make changes to ALEX."

If the department makes cuts to the popular service, they would likely come in July 2009 when additional service changes are expected, Chapple said.

A Nov. 6 report to the Phoenix City Council from the Public Transit Department reveals several suggested recommendations to determine how cuts should be made. They included considering reducing recently expanded hours, examining routes that don't bring the city revenue and analyzing use of the buses to see which hours see the lowest ridership.

The Phoenix Citizen's Transit Commission is set to discuss these recommendations Dec. 4, Chapple said.

Many Ahwatukee residents would likely feel the effects if ALEX services were impacted. During September, 35,071 passengers rode ALEX. Weekday ridership averages about 1,169.

While residents can continue to enjoy free ALEX rides for now, those who rely upon Valley Metro buses will see changes beginning Dec. 29.

Monday through Friday bus trips that start in Phoenix before 5 a.m. and after 10 p.m. will be cut, eliminating 172 weekday trips and an estimated 3,600 passenger boardings.

Saturday bus-services hours will also change to match Sunday hours, which vary by route and location.
However, bus riders may still see Valley Metro buses on the road after hours, Chapple said.

For example, buses that were already on the road before 10 p.m. on weekdays will continue to pick up passengers until they've completed their routes, she said.

Some routes will also be changed because of the coming of the light-rail system in late December. For more details on route changes, check the December 2008 edition of the Valley Metro Transit Book. The Public Transit Department Web site, www.valleymetro.org, will also be updated soon to reflect the cuts, Chapple said.

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Transit festival offers information on light rail, buses
By SONU MUNSHI
TRIBUNE 
November 16, 2008

A Mesa transit festival that will include a pancake breakfast will be Nov. 22 for people interested in getting information about light-rail service, which starts just after Christmas. 

People can see a light-rail train, get information about a Bus Rapid Transit service, called Valley Metro LINK, and another new bus serving Main Street at the event at Sycamore Transit Center at Main and Sycamore. 

“It’s an opportunity to celebrate with the community,” said Mike James, Mesa’s deputy transportation director. 

The Valley Metro LINK is an express bus service with limited stops that will go from Sycamore to Power Road on Main and south to Superstition Springs Center. In addition to that route, another bus, Route 40, will be introduced when light rail starts Dec. 27. It will serve the same area as the express bus on Main, but it will have more stops. Also, it will go through Tempe to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, James said. 

If You Go: 
What: Fall Transit Festival/Pancake Breakfast 
When: Nov. 22, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 
Where: Sycamore Transit Center, northwest corner of Main and Sycamore

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Valley Metro announces light-rail debut parties
by Mike Branom
Tribune
Nov. 16, 2008

With every passing day, the Valley comes closer to the Dec. 27 coming-out party for light rail. 

Metro, the agency running the trains, has announced there will be nine large-scale celebrations across the 20-mile alignment, plus smaller shindigs at other stations on opening day. 

Working west from Mesa, the stations hosting big events, and their themes, are: 

• Sycamore and Main Street: It All Starts Here — Sponsored by Salt River Project. Celebrate Mesa’s future with live music, food and fun for the whole family including a kids zone and a classic car show. This celebration also launches Mesa’s new bus rapid transit service, Valley Metro LINK, which will provide residents another transit option. 

• Fifth Street and Veterans Way: Destination Tempe — Sponsored by Gray Development, Avenue Communities and Aloft Tempe. Come to know all that Tempe has to offer with festival booths, a farmers market, archaeology displays and a kids area. This celebration also serves as the opening of the Tempe Transportation Center, the city’s newest building certified as “green.” 

• Mill Avenue and Third Street: Mill Avenue Experience — Sponsored by Hayden Ferry. Step into the urban oasis that is Mill Avenue, which offers a wide variety of culture, entertainment and dining options

• Priest Drive and Washington Street: Papago Park Celebration — Sponsor SRP joins its neighbors, the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden, for interesting exhibits and fun things to do and learn

At the other stations, Metro is relying upon community involvement. Local businesses, nonprofits, neighborhood associations and other organizations will be the featured highlights in those places. 

Celebrations will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free train rides until 8 p.m. If partygoers want to skip the lines for trains and return to their original destinations, free bus shuttles will also be provided on the opening weekend. Free rides will continue through Dec. 31. 

For more information, visit www.metrolightrail.org/grandopening. 

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Scottsdale woman coins top light-rail slogan
by Casey Newton 
Nov. 16, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Watch your back. Stay off the track.

With those seven simple words, Scottsdale resident Ann W. Shannon won a contest among Arizona Republic readers to generate the best safety slogan for Metro light rail.

Metro named Shannon the winner of the contest after her slogan was selected by a plurality of voters on azcentral.com.

"It was really right to the point," Metro CEO Rick Simonetta said of the slogan. "It seems to communicate the breadth of what we want people to focus on with regard to safety around light rail."

The slogan, chosen from among 1,500 entries, has been incorporated into safety posters that Metro will display at each rail station.

Shannon, a marketing consultant, plans to donate her prize - a free yearlong transit pass - to charity.

"I'm a believer in the light-rail system," Shannon said. "Phoenix is becoming so spread out, and with the cost of gasoline, it is imperative that we bring more transit to the community.

"I think this is a super move by the city. And I look forward to seeing it expanded."

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Light-rail construction schedule raises concerns
Northern extension work will take 3 years
by Betty Reid 
Nov. 20, 2008 07:40 AM
The Arizona Republic

North Phoenix residents and business owners expressed dismay this week that it would take three years to complete a 3.2-mile extension of light rail into their area.

The comments were raised at a public hearing at Royal Palm Middle School Tuesday where the city's light-rail staff met with residents about rail's northwest extension. Another meeting was held Wednesday, and there is another scheduled for Thursday night in north-central Phoenix.

The three-year timeline will hurt businesses along the route, said Daniel M. Abrams, an owner of Abrams Realty & Management, which manages two properties on 19th Avenue.

He recommends the city work crews in double shifts to finish the project in 18 months. Eight-hour shifts are not sufficient, Abrams said.

"The longer construction drags out, the less prospective customers are willing to put up with the construction," Abrams said. "The merchants along Camelback and Central raised this issue. This is the biggest complaint among merchants."

Erik Yingling of Sundt Construction, the project manager for the extension, explained that the 20-mile rail starter line, which will open to riders Dec. 27, took four years to complete. He believes double-shift construction work is not appropriate for this area because so much of the route is near homes.

Night shifts and double shifts impact a community, he said. A late shift would start at 3:30 p.m. and end near midnight and construction and noise would be in people's yards, he said.

"That's tough for residents to accept," Yingling said.

The northwest extension's design is 95 percent complete and construction is expected to begin in the spring. It starts just south of Bethany Home Road, connecting with the 20-mile starter light-rail line that runs to Mesa. It will continue north on 19th Avenue to Dunlap Avenue.

It is light rail's first extension and was paid for with city money at a time when the city wasn't in the throes of a sluggish economy. City officials say the project will be completed by 2012.

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