Countdown to Light Rail

Only 3 days left until the official grand opening of Light rail!
Don’t forget to participate in the festivities on Saturday, December 27!

Station celebrations will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday activities will occur along the entire 20-mile METRO alignment. There will be music, activities and exhibits at many park-n-ride and light rail station locations. Because a lot of Valley residents are expected to join the fun, there will also be shuttle buses to get you back to your car if the trains get crowded. Rides will run from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

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'Zero tolerance' for light-rail vandals
by Casey Newton
Dec. 18, 2008 01:07 PM
The Arizona Republic

Riders of Metro light rail will get five days to ride the system for free. But when it comes to vandalizing the trains, there are no freebies.

"There will be zero tolerance," said Tom Simplot, chairman of the Metro board. "The last thing we want is a graffiti-ridden, garbage-strewn light rail system."

The Metro board voted this week to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for violations of its prohibited-conduct ordinance, which is effective in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. The ordinance prohibits vandalism, smoking, playing loud music, and other inconsiderate behavior.

Officials warn that first-time violators will be punished beginning on opening day, Dec. 27, receiving fines of between $50 and $500. Some acts of vandalism could be prosecuted criminally.

Anyone who sees someone vandalizing a train should inform a Metro security officer or use one of the call boxes on the train, officials said.

"Call us," said Rick Simonetta, Metro CEO.

Vanpools gaining in popularity
by Sadie Jo Smokey
Dec. 18, 2008 06:23 PM
The Arizona Republic

Higher gas prices and longer commutes have inspired more people to give up their vehicles and join vanpools this year. And while the cost of gas has gone down from summer highs, the program is still popular. By the end of December, 400 vanpools will be operating in Maricopa County.

Gary Roberts, Valley Metro vanpool coordinator, said he typically starts two to three vanpools a month.

"In the month of June, we started 23 vanpools," he said. "We had a waiting list of 50 groups waiting for vans that were on order. Those vans have come in. We have no waiting list now."

Eight 2009 Ford vans are available. Due to layoffs and other employment changes, more spaces are available in existing vanpools.

Gaye Rutan joined a vanpool 3 ½ years ago. The north Phoenix resident said she appreciates the convenience. She drives about a mile from her house to the park-and-ride lot at Bell Road and Interstate 17. She pays about $15 a month for the vanpool which takes her to her job near 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road. Rutan figures if she were driving, she'd be spending $30 a week and her commute would be 45 minutes or more each way. With the vanpool, the ride takes about 20 minutes.

"That's the reason I ride it, it's not the gas savings," Rutan said. "I can get on the van and not hassle with traffic. It makes a difference. I get to work a lot more peaceful and I get home more peaceful."

Roberts said the average vanpooler saves $600 per year on gas expenses alone. However, fees vary for each vanpool, depending on the length of the trip and cost of gas.

"We know about how much money it costs people to ride in the van each and every month," said Roberts. "According to the American Automobile Association, in 2008 the average cost to drive a vehicle average was 52 to 54 cents per mile. Using AAA numbers, the vanpool is much cheaper."

Tempe program steers light rail riders to local businesses
by Dianna M. Náñez
Dec. 19, 2008 09:29 AM
The Arizona Republic

During the past three years of Tempe's light-rail construction, David Johnson had one goal-make sure the family flower shop his grandmother founded 81 years ago survived the slowed sales that resulted from the construction blocking streets, re-routing traffic and spurring customers to avoid the area.

Next week's light-rail grand opening is a celebration for Watson's Flowers, located along the rail line that spans from Tempe on Apache Boulevard into Mesa. Johnson's Tempe family business weathered the estimated 20-percent loss in sales while the rail line was being built. He is now counting on the regional-transportation system's ability to drive new customers to the area.

To help promote business, Johnson is participating in the Tempe Rail Rewards program on Dec. 29 and 30. Tempe is marketing the program, which allows the public to download a Rail Rewards card. Once they have signatures or stamps from 10 businesses along the rail line, they are eligible to enter a drawing to win prizes.

Johnson said he appreciates the support Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Metro light rail offered businesses during construction.

Tempe, he said, provided free banners and "open-during-construction" signs. He was asked to participate in several light-rail marketing promotions, such as Rail Rewards.

Johnson said businesses that survived the construction had to outline creative business plans, tighten their budgets and count on plain luck.

Johnson inherited his shop in 1976 from his mother Eva Watson. She inherited it from her mother, Irene Watson, shortly after World War II. He said he had too much invested in Watson's to give up.

"I wasn't going down without a fight," he said. "My grandmother sold rose bushes for 25 cents to open this store. She would've come back to haunt me if I had."

Johnson now manages the store with his wife Pam and sons Nathan and Jacob. The family analyzed their business when light rail started. They found that a score of their longtime Tempe and west Mesa customers had moved to east Mesa and Gilbert. So the family took a three-year lease on a second store in Gilbert, hoping to maintain those customers during construction by providing a closer location and routing them away from the traffic nightmare.

"Between the Gilbert store and ours, we broke even. We made it," he said.

Ken Cook and Norton Goff co-own V.I.P. Auto Sales in Mesa, less than a mile from Watson's, on Main Street near Dobson Road. Had it not been for a loyal customer base, Cook said he would not have stayed afloat during the estimated 30 percent drop in sales his store saw during construction. He also doubled his advertising budget.

"I'm happy to see it finally done," he said. "It's great for Mesa and the Valley. I'm hopeful people riding it (light rail) will stop in."

V.I.P. is on the border of where Tempe light rail ends. Cook said he is happy to sign patrons' Rewards card.

Many businesses along the light rail line experienced declining sales once construction started.

Marcelita Salas said Texanos on Apache Boulevard near Rural Road, the Tempe family business of her mother and father, Eloisa and Joel, took nearly a 50 percent hit in sales after construction. She said the Rewards program is a good thing, but that it will take a lot more support from local customers and cities to help stores along light rail survive.

"I hope it works out. But with the economy, we're worried," she said.

Yucatecan Imports owner Clay Poulson said he also hopes his shop on Mill Avenue near light-rail's Third Street station will see more business.

"Our city's transportation is so behind. We should've had it 40 years ago," he said. "I think it will bring tourists from Phoenix onto Mill."

Mike Istanbul who owns Café Istanbul, a restaurant and market on Apache near Dorsey Lane, said the light-rail line reminds him of the trains near his home in Beirut, Lebanon. He said he is grateful to Tempe for marketing light-rail businesses.

"(The trains) remind me of my country," he said. "I love it. Five years we've been open, we've waited for this moment (light-rail opening). I'm excited."

To celebrate light rail's launch, on Dec. 27 Istanbul is hosting free appetizers outside his shop and on Dec. 29 from 5 a.m. to about 9 a.m. he is offering free coffee, baklava and pastries.

State grant saves Mesa bus route, Dial-A-Ride
News comes as surprise to city officials
By SONU MUNSHI
TRIBUNE
December 19, 2008

A state grant has come as an unexpected but welcome Christmas present for Mesa, which will help maintain a key bus route and Dial-ARide service across the city, at least until June.

The city had plans to limit Dial-ARide pickups and drop-offs to those living within three-quarters of a mile of regular bus service, which would have left out 6 percent of the city’s population. The plan was part of the transportation department’s share of cutbacks in the ongoing $62 million budget cut the city faces.

City Manager Chris Brady informed the City Council Thursday morning that Mesa recently got news from state officials that the long-overdue grant, called the Local Transportation Assistance Fund II, is going to be disbursed to qualifying government entities within two weeks, after all. Mesa transportation officials, in an earlier meeting, had indicated that they were not expecting to hear any positive news on that front.

The grant will free up $400,000 for Mesa to maintain Bus Route No. 136, which runs along Gilbert Road from McKellips Road to Chandler-Gilbert Community College on Pecos Road. The route in July will get money through Proposition 400, which authorized a sales tax for transportation projects in Maricopa County.

The grant was passed by the state Legislature in 1998 to assist counties with transportation services.

Brady said that those dollars also will help maintain Dial-A-Ride citywide through the rest of the fiscal year. A broad-based discussion on the service will then be scheduled for the 2009-10 budget discussions early next year.

The proposed cut would have saved the city about $471,000 a year. Residents living east of Sossaman Road were likely to be most affected by the cut.

Dial-A-Ride is a shared ride service for seniors and people with disabilities. Mesa pays about $1.5 million for the service and gets another $2.5 million from Proposition 400 money. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires service for the disabled within the 3/4-mile range of regular bus service.

Mesa runs Dial-A-Ride in partnership with Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler and Gilbert, as the East Valley Dial-A-Ride.

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Valley Metro LINK extends METRO light rail service
Free rides through Dec. 31, 2008
Dec. 19, 2008
Valley Metro Press Release

Residents living in east Mesa can check one more item off of their transit wish lists. Beginning Saturday, December 27, the first-ever Valley Metro LINK bus service will take riders between the Sycamore Transit Station (Main/Sycamore) and Superstition Springs Mall. Riders can take the trip for free from Dec. 27 through Dec. 31, which will match the free rides being offered by METRO light rail.

During the grand opening festivities on Saturday, Dec. 27, LINK will operate service every 15 minutes between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and every 30 minutes between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. On Sunday, Dec. 28, LINK will operate every 30 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Valley Metro LINK operates in new 63-foot silver and purple buses and serves as an extension of METRO light rail.

Details about the LINK schedule, map, connecting bus routes and access to photos are at: http://www.valleymetro.org/link.

LINK is funded by Proposition 400, which provides a half-cent countywide sales tax approved by voters in 2004 and funds regional transportation service and projects.

Changes to service effective Monday, December 29, 2008 are available online at valleymetro.org or in the Transit Book available at transit centers and city libraries after Dec. 22. Valley Metro passengers should seek out information about their regular bus routes by going to ValleyMetro.org or by calling 602-253-5000.

Peoria considers public-transit expansion throughout city
by Michael Senft
Dec. 22, 2008 09:39 AM
The Arizona Republic

At a study session, the Peoria City Council heard recommendations on expanding public transit service throughout the city.

The presentation was the result of six months of study by the city's Transit Division.

Peoria is served by only three routes: a north-south line along 67th Avenue, an east-west line along Peoria Avenue and a limited-stop route to downtown Phoenix along Grand Avenue.

In Tuesday's presentation, Transit Manager Randy Roberts outlined three proposals: two new routes and expanded service along the Peoria Avenue route.

• Peoria Avenue - Weekend routes would be extended. The bus currently runs from 134th Street to 111th Avenue during the week but ends at 67th Avenue on weekends. The new route would continue to 99th Avenue on weekends.

• Thunderbird Road - Service currently ends at 67th Avenue. The new route would continue to 103rd Avenue.

• 83rd Avenue - The north-south route would run between Northern Avenue and either Bell Road or Deer Valley Road. The route would include stops at Arrowhead Towne Center and the Park West development at Loop 101 and Northern Avenue.

According to Roberts, the new routes would be paid for with the city's current one-third-cent sales tax and contracted through Phoenix, which already provides service along other parts of the routes.

There are still several steps before the new bus routes become reality.

The transit staff needs to determine costs for new bus stops and for contracting for the routes and weigh them within Peoria's tightening budget before approaching the City Council for approval of the project.

But Roberts is hoping to begin rolling out service by mid-2009 with the extended weekend route on Peoria Avenue. The other routes would follow.

"We want to prioritize that route, because it will be the easiest to implement," he said.

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Officials to keep track of light rail travelers
How far are passengers traveling to ride trains?
by Kerry Fehr-Snyder
Dec. 23, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

See the number of spaces at park-and-ride lots

"If you build it, they will come" has been the mantra of light-rail advocates.

But how far away they will come is one of the unknowns in the $1.4 billion Metro light-rail system opening Saturday.

Some critics have said they live too far away from the 20-mile starter line to use it. Others say they will take buses or drive to park-and-ride lots to ride the train.

"This new line will be right up our alley," said Jackie Soltis, a retired Honeywell marketer who lives in Sun City West with her father, Henry Healy, a retired Chicago police officer.

The two like to drive to downtown Phoenix for shows at the Dodge Theatre and to watch criminal trials at Maricopa County Superior Court.

But once the light-rail trains start running, she and her father plan to drive to the northwest end of the line at Christown Spectrum Mall on 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, and take the train from there.

"This is just delightful that one line will take us all the way from Phoenix to Mesa," she said.

The majority of light-rail passengers live 3 to 5 miles from a station, said Wulf Grote, director of project management for Metro light rail.

That range is based on studies of other light-rail systems throughout the country.

"Now that rule of thumb is different at the end of line, where people will drive pretty far, 10 to 20 miles," he said.

Metro officials plan to record license plates at its eight park-and-ride lots several months after the system to determine how far motorists are driving to take a train, Grote said. They also may survey riders.

In general, about one-third of light-rail passengers walk one-quarter to one-half of a mile to a station. Another one-third of the riders will drive, and the remainder will take a bus and transfer to light rail.

"We have restructured our bus system to feed our light-rail system," Grote said.

Staring Saturday, Metro light rail is replacing what has been known as the "red line." The "blue line" will be renamed Route 39-40th Street, and the southern part of the route south of Camelback Road will be eliminated. The "green line" will be renamed Route 29-Thomas Road.

A full list of the route changes is at www.valleymetro.org under the heading "alerts." They also are included in the new bus book at major grocery stores, libraries, city buildings and light-rail stations.

Mike Normand, Chandler transportation services and planning manager, said the city adjusted its bus routes in July to mesh buses with light rail. The city added six north-south routes along heavily traveled roads to connect to the light-rail line.

The line generally runs east-west along Main Street/Apache Boulevard in Mesa from Dobson Road to Dorsey Lane in Tempe and then jogs northwest around Sun Devil Stadium to connect to Washington and Jefferson streets in Phoenix before heading north on Central Avenue to Camelback Road and then west to 19th Avenue and Christown Spectrum Mall.

"Any light-rail system, for that system to be successful, has to have good connections with the bus system," Normand said.

The key also will be getting riders to the system with just one bus ride as seamlessly as possible, he said.

"Any time you have to transfer, it discourages some people from using the system," Norman said. "Ideally, people would like to get on one bus and ride it all the way to work. That's the ideal situation."

Metro light rail and the bus system share the same fare structure: $1.25 for one ride, $2.50 for an all-day pass, $7.50 for a three-day pass, $17.50 for a seven-day pass and $45 for a 31-day pass. Express and rapid bus fares are slightly higher.

Light-rail passengers ride the system free for the first five days and will be charged beginning Jan. 1.

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Saturday's party to include more than free light-rail rides
by Jahna Berry
Dec. 22, 2008 05:35 PM
The Arizona Republic

If you plan to party in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, you have more than free light-rail rides to look forward to, city officials say.

A free bash, called Downtown Phoenix Rising, will celebrate the first day of light rail, the Phoenix Convention Center's new North Building, and all of the new downtown projects.
The light-rail opening is a good time to show off downtown Phoenix, said Terry Madeksza of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, a business group.

"This is the prefect opportunity to reintroduce people to downtown," said Madeksza who oversees the partnership's operations. Thousands are expected to take part in light-rail festivities over the weekend, she said.

At Downtown Phoenix Rising, visitors will be able to grab free food samples at the convention center, listen to bands, watch dancers, take part in face painting or see more than 100 businesses and groups with booths.

Many activities will take place at or near the North Building, between Monroe and Washington streets, and between Third and Fifth streets.

Other festivities will take place near the light-rail station at Third and Jefferson streets.

Some neighborhood groups are planning their own celebrations.

There will be a community welcome for light-rail riders at the Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue station, said Catrina Knoebl, vice president of the Roosevelt Action Association.

Fair Trade Café, Portland's Restaurant and Wine Bar, neighbors and other groups plan to set up tables near the stop, Knoebl said.

The arts district station will be busy during the First Friday art walk, she said.

Riders "can walk to Roosevelt galleries, hop on light rail and go right home," Knoebl said.

Downtown Phoenix Rising
What: A celebration of light rail, that includes music, face painting, dancers, free food samples. More than 100 businesses and groups will have booths at Phoenix Convention Center's new North Building.
When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Several locations, including Third Street between Monroe and Jefferson streets; Washington Street between Second and Fifth streets.
Information: phoenixconventioncenter.com.

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Police forces gird for opening of light rail
by Lisa Halverstadt
Dec. 24, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Anyone who plans to ride the light rail for the first time Saturday will be hard-pressed to avoid police officers, security guards and volunteers, no matter which stops they visit.

For months, the Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa police departments have been working with Metro light rail to plan for at least 150,000 people and the security concerns that inevitably follow.

Police say they expect the light-rail kickoff to be a fun day with few problems but just in case something does happen, they must expect the worst. They've spent months planning for it.

So before the event ever begins, bomb dogs will sniff around the light-rail cars and planned party locations. Teams from the Transportation Security Administration, some of them armed, will arrive to assist officials in Phoenix. Arizona's Department of Liquor License and Control will prepare to be on the prowl. Police in Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe will be prepared to communicate with one another throughout the entire event. An estimated 700 to 800 volunteers will ready themselves to spend hours answering questions about the light-rail system.

Meanwhile, a large number of officers across the Valley will suit up for a long day on the job at a time when city budget crunches are leading to overtime cuts at police departments.

Metro, the non-profit organization developing the light-rail system, made a lump sum of $250,000 available to the city police departments to assist with overtime and special services during the kickoff weekend, Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said.

However, Foose said she could not specify the amounts provided to each city as they would not be finalized until after the events.

This assistance, coupled with other donations, is helping police in Tempe to avoid a painful bill, said Roger Austin, Tempe's light-rail safety and security liaison.

A contingent of officers from other agencies will also help Tempe police keep costs down, Austin said.

Phoenix police expect the assistance from Metro will cover their expenses.

Still, the department will assess staffing needs hourly to determine if those working overtime can be relieved by those who would normally be on duty or by TSA teams provided free to the city, said Phoenix police Lt. Adrian Ruiz of that department's Transit Bureau.

Thanks to money from Metro, Mesa police Detective Eloy Garza said, his department expects to avoid security expenses, too.

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Officials ready for collisions involving light rail
Plan will keep passengers informed, on track for arrival
by Casey Newton
Dec. 24, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Officials at Metro light rail hope to avoid any crashes in the days ahead. But in case of emergency, Metro has a plan.

For crashes that will delay passengers for more than 10 or 15 minutes, Metro will use one of two options: single-tracking or bus bridging.

Single-tracking refers to the practice of having trains that are running in opposite directions share a common piece of track while the other track is out of service. Passengers would be directed to board a new train that would switch back to its primary track at the first available point.

Bus bridging is reserved for the most serious cases. It involves dispatching buses to emergency scenes, and using those buses to take passengers to their destinations.

If an accident happens, Metro officials will communicate with passengers over the trains' public-address system.

"They won't be in the dark," said Hillary Foose, a Metro spokeswoman.

For the most part, passengers will be asked to remain where they are.

"If there is an emergency, their safest place is on the train," said Larry Engleman, Metro's director of safety and security.

Derailments on light-rail systems are exceedingly rare.

"It takes a lot to get the train off the tracks," said Engleman, who noted that the trains weigh 100,000 pounds.

Just in case, Metro purchased a special truck capable of towing up to three cars up a steep grade.

Metro says passengers may have to be patient after an accident as police come to the scene and perform their investigation. But Foose says the agency is committed to returning trains to service as quickly as possible.

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