January 26, 2009

In the News:
Police cracking down on light-rail violations, The Arizona Republic, January 20, 2009
Shuttle from rail depot to airport proves popular, The Arizona Republic, January 21, 2009
Valley Metro Board Elects New Officers and Welcomes Buckeye as a New Member, Valley Metro Press Release, January 22, 2009
Survey: Public wants more small-scale transportation, The Arizona Republic, January 23, 2009
Lack of rail restrooms stirs anger, The Arizona Republic, January 25, 2009

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

 

Police cracking down on light-rail violations
by Megan Boehnke 
Jan. 20, 2009 11:21 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

As students return to campus for the first time since the METRO light rail system opened, Tempe and university police are cracking down on pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle violations on the light rail tracks this week. The campaign is meant to increase awareness of the safety issues associated with light rail trains since many of the ASU students were not on campus when the system opened on Dec. 27.

The crackdown

When: Citations - not warnings - will be issued throughout the campaign, which ends Friday. Citations will continue to be issued by patrolling officers after that.

Violations: The citations for parking violations include: not complying with parking regulations at various ride lots, parking or stopping a vehicle outside areas designated for passenger pick-up and drop-off, and blocking pedestrian walkways, fire lanes and other zones while stopping or parking in ride lots. Non-parking violations include walking, driving, or biking across tracks, platforms or other light rail property that isn't marked with a crosswalk as a proper intersection, throwing objects at trains, or placing objects on tracks. There are other violations listed at www.tempe.gov/citycode.

Fines: Parking violations each have a fine of $149. All other light rail violations have a fine of $70.

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Shuttle from rail depot to airport proves popular
by Glen Creno 
Jan. 21, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

The shuttle from Metro light rail to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport apparently is catching on with travelers and people who work in and around the airport.

The airport initially expected that a daily average of 600 to 700 people would use the new transit connection from the train stop at 44th and Washington streets in Phoenix. But with Metro service not even a month old, Sky Harbor says the average is 850 people a day.

"It shows that there is a need there and even more people are using it than we thought would," Sky Harbor spokeswoman Deborah Ostreicher said.

Metro decided not to run tracks directly to the airport for a couple of reasons. Planners said the airport stretch would have had to be set up as a subway to avoid traffic conflicts. That would have been expensive: roughly the same as the $1.4 billion spent on the entire 20-mile Metro line that connects Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Planners also said passengers would be aggravated by extra stops at the airport.

Instead, passengers can pick up a free airport-shuttle bus on the southern side of Washington. The buses have wide doors and racks for luggage.

Four buses serve the rail stop and the airport's three terminals. Buses are scheduled to run every 10 minutes when Metro is operating.

Alex Wihak of Calgary, Alberta, said he had no problem finding the shuttle pickup at the airport Tuesday morning. He said he was in town for business and staying with family in the East Valley. They planned to pick him up at the Mesa end of the Metro line.

"I didn't have to ask questions," he said. "It was a quick ride here. It's quite simple."

An automated people mover eventually will connect the airport and the rail station. It's scheduled to open in 2013, with service to Terminal 4, which handles 75 percent of the airport's passengers. It is expected to be finished to the other terminals and the car-rental center by 2020.

Ostreicher said there wasn't a breakdown of how many employees were taking the train and the shuttle to work compared to travelers headed to planes.

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Valley Metro Board Elects New Officers and Welcomes Buckeye as a New Member
Valley Metro Press Release
PHOENIX
January 22, 2009

Scottsdale Councilmember Wayne Ecton was elected Chair of the 2009 Valley Metro Board of Directors serving a one-year term along with Phoenix Councilmember Michael Johnson as Vice Chair, Tempe Vice Mayor Shana Ellis as Treasurer, and Surprise Councilmember Joe Johnson as Secretary.

“Our 2008 Chair, Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs, has propelled the agency to achieve remarkable accomplishments in 2008,” said David A. Boggs, Valley Metro executive director. “Although Mayor Scruggs will be missed as our Chair, we welcome Councilmember Ecton’s judicious and influential guidance in 2009.”

New to the Valley Metro Board of Directors is Mayor Jackie A. Meck, Town of Buckeye. Buckeye approved membership into the regional transit agency at the December 16 Town Council meeting.

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Lack of rail restrooms stirs anger
by Jim Walsh 
Jan. 25, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

You might want to think twice about that extra cup of coffee before jumping on the Metro light rail, especially in Mesa or central Phoenix.

While in many respects the new Metro line gets glowing reviews from riders, it gets a big thumbs down from people who experience the inevitable call of nature at the wrong time. Metro decided not to build public restrooms at stations for fear of attracting vandalism and other crime. In addition, the agency did not want the expense of building and maintaining the restrooms, said Hillary Foose, a Metro spokeswoman.

It's not such a big deal in downtown Phoenix, where there are plenty of nearby restaurants, hotels and government buildings to choose from in an emergency.

But some riders at either end of the 20-mile line are feeling inconvenienced at the lack of facilities at both Mesa's Sycamore/Main station and central Phoenix's Montebello/19th Avenue station.

Those passengers have been making a beeline to a JB's restaurant at Christown Spectrum Mall in Phoenix and to an IHOP in Mesa, only to be met by signs indicating the restrooms are for customers only.

"We were madder than hell," said Donna Love of Prescott, who recently checked out the light rail with her two sisters. "When we got off, most of the businesses had signs on the door saying, 'customers only.' "

Roy Moore of Maricopa, who spent two hours riding the light rail, was disappointed when he arrived at the Metro security building in Mesa and found a sign saying, "no public restrooms."

While there are facilities in the building, they're for Metro employees only.

"It would be nice if they had one," Moore said. "I expected one to be here, at all the major stops really."

But that's not exactly life in the big city.

Jeff Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, said that while the MBTA offers restrooms at major stations, it's an industry standard to have public restrooms only where employees can supervise them.

Jeff Bodeman, a Mesa light-rail rider, said he never used dirty restrooms in the New York subways.

"You just have to time your ride right," he said.

Along the Valley's light-rail line, the only public restrooms are at the Veterans/College station near Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe and at the Van Buren/Central station in Phoenix.

Those facilities are operated by Tempe and Phoenix, not Metro. Riders must be buzzed into the restroom at the Tempe Transportation Center by either a ticket seller or security guard after 7 p.m. Restrooms at Phoenix's bus station are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. while the ticket window is staffed.

And that leaves two restaurant managers to deal with the fallout.

Rick Stephens, managing partner at the JB's in Phoenix, and Michael Binek, assistant manager at the IHOP in Mesa, are employing vastly different strategies to solve the predicament.

Stephens said he doesn't really enforce the customers-only sign and is picking up more business as a result.

"It's common courtesy to let someone use the bathroom," Stephens said. "It's too fine of a line. In today's economy, I'm thankful for every customer who comes through the door."

Stephens said some people who use the restroom stay and have lunch, but JB's also went through a month's worth of toilet paper in a week.

Binek, on the other hand, is tired of light-rail riders making a mess and monopolizing his restrooms and tells them they must at least buy a bottle of water to use the facilities.

He said riders have inundated the Mesa IHOP's restrooms, making it difficult for paying customers to use them.

He said riders have come through the doors in waves, as many as 50 at a time, to use the facilities. He said they stole toilet paper and lied about planning to eat at the restaurant.

"We just had no choice," Binek said. "We had to put up the signs. It's public transportation. There should be public restrooms."

Stephens agreed.

"They just can't leave it to IHOP and JB's to accommodate people who need to use the bathroom," he said.

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Survey: Public wants more small-scale transportation
by Beth Duckett 
Jan. 23, 2009 12:11 PM
The Arizona Republic

Cave Creek and Carefree citizens want more small-scale public transportation, according to recent survey results from those towns.

Thirty-percent of respondents in that transportation survey said they would use services such as Dial-a-Ride or circulator vans now if they were available.

More than half said they would use them in the future.

"There is no great demand for action immediately," said Carefree Councilman David Schwan, who helped conduct the survey, which was sent to homes in November and December. "But citizens do want us to consider looking at alternative transportation in the future."

Carefree finalized a separate transportation study last year which indicated the need for more small-scale public transit. The locally-based Foothills Caring Corps, which operates a van service, is oversubscribed.

More than 670 residents responded questions like "Are you disabled?" and "Would you use alternative public transportation if it was available?"

Results are available at Carefree's Web site, www.carefree.org.

Schwan said the community will continue to examine its options.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, a two-adult "public transportation household" saves an average of $6,250 every year, compared to an equivalent household with two cars.

"I'm trying to come up with something that will not cost the town too much," Schwan said.

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