January 5, 2010

In the News:
Ahwatukee park-and-ride lot expanding, The Arizona Republic, December 28, 2009
A year of success for light rail, Arizona Capitol Times, December 29, 2009
Tempe RV park residents benefit from light rail, The Arizona Republic, December 31, 2009
Restrooms open at Mesa’s light-rail stop, Tribune, January 3, 2010

Upcoming Events:
New LINK Construction Project Groundbreaking – January 14, 2010

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

 

Ahwatukee park-and-ride lot expanding
by Cathryn Creno 
Dec. 28, 2009 11:39 AM
The Arizona Republic

Phoenix will expand its park-and-ride lot at 40th Street and Pecos Road in the Ahwatukee Foothills by 353 spaces next year, using $3 million in federal stimulus funds.

The lot, built in 2003, is the most heavily used in Phoenix.

Commuters from Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert and elsewhere in the Southeast Valley park there before hopping on buses to get to jobs or events in downtown Phoenix.

On many days, cars are parked along curbs because the drivers were unable to find empty spots before their buses took off.

The lot currently has 562 spaces but recently has as many as 33 extra cars per day, said Joe Bower, environmental programs coordinator for Phoenix's transit department.

The additional spaces will be on city-owned land west of the lot.

"The project is 100 percent funded with (federal stimulus) funds, saving the city local money for other uses," Bower said.

Construction begins this month and will be completed by the end of the year.

The park-and-ride lot expansion is the second bit of good news in recent months on the parking front in Ahwatukee.

The city has doubled to 83 the number of parking spaces at the Telegraph Pass entrance to South Mountain Park.

Hikers and residents who live near Telegraph Pass, just off Desert Foothills Parkway and Sixth Street in Ahwatukee Foothills, have long complained that the lot's old 39 spaces didn't come close to handing the flood of daily visitors.

Hikers have complained about having to circle the lot until spaces come open. Residents gripe that their streets sometimes fill up with cars belonging to hikers who get tired of waiting for parking spaces.

That $316,477 construction project was paid for with funds from the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative and 2006 bond money.

Phoenix had hoped to use $130,000 from a promised Arizona State Parks Department grant toward the project, but city officials said the grant was canceled earlier this year because of the state budget crisis.

In addition to the additional parking spots, the Telegraph Pass project is to include a new ramada, a new drinking fountain, additional parking-lot lights and more shade trees.

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A year of success for light rail
RICHARD SIMONETTA
COMMENTARY
Arizona Capitol Times
December 29, 2009 - 2:30PM

It is hard to believe that Metro light rail is nearing the end of its first year of operation. The longest light-rail starter line in the history of the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts grant program opened on Dec. 27, 2008. It is a 20-mile system connecting Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa that has been truly embraced by its community.

As I look back on this first year and also my six years as the organization's CEO, it is amazing to see how much light rail has changed the Valley. It has impacted the urban centers with more than $7 billion in commercial and residential development now along the line. It has also changed how residents value public transportation. The majority of our riders own one or even two cars but are opting to use transit. That is a shift in attitude that is good for the quality of life and marketability of this region and, of course, the growing Metro system.

Our first year of operation has been a great success. Early projections called for an average weekday ridership of 26,000 over the course of the first year. Weekday ridership to date is close to 35,000 - with many months exceeding 40,000. The percentage over projection is 34 percent on weekdays and even greater on Saturdays and Sundays.

Metro riders are using the system for much more than commuting to and from work. Approximately 40 percent of riders are making light rail a part of their lifestyle by using it to attend events, meeting up with friends or trying a new restaurant for dinner. We are helped by the large number of attractions along the line, consisting of more than 3,000 restaurants, retailers, museums, event facilities and other destinations. Light rail has also become a staple to get to the extremely popular First Friday art event in downtown Phoenix or as inspiration to organize light-rail "pub crawls," art tours and on-board performances.

Investment has also been attracted to the line - $7.4 billion in public and private development since 2004. The projects range from commercial to residential, to a mix of both, and are complete, under construction or in the design phase. This includes more than 17,000 residential units, 9 million square feet of commercial space and nearly 3,200 hotel rooms. Light rail is proving to be an economic engine for the cities in which we run through. Even in this tough economic time, construction is active along the line.

The success of the Metro light-rail system is substantial and visible, whether standing at a station or overlooking from a high-rise window. The success bodes well as we begin implementation of planned extensions to the system that will expand the Metro community and offer even more opportunities for economic development.

I can say with certainty that the past six years serving as Metro CEO have been the most challenging and rewarding of my career. I sincerely appreciate the support from Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, and the patience and understanding of citizens and businesses along the 20-mile line. I look forward to seeing the success continue.

Richard J. Simonetta was the Metro light rail's first chief executive, leading the project through construction to open on time and within budget. His term as CEO ends Thursday.

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Tempe RV park residents benefit from light rail
by Georgann Yara 
Dec. 31, 2009 10:15 AM
Special for the Republic

When her husband got a job in downtown Tempe, Pam Greenwood sought out RV parks along the light-rail line where they could park their motor home so he wouldn't have to make the long commute.

When they decided on the Apache Palms RV Park, Greenwood and her husband, Bill Gallauer, a civilian employee of the Tempe Police Department, rented out their Glendale house, gave up their car and drove their home to Tempe.

"The train is a godsend to us and the location of Apache Palms is perfect," said Greenwood, who is retired from the airline industry. "I wish more people would get on the train-wagon."

Greenwood and Gallauer are among the RV park's guests who chose Apache Palms because of its proximity to light-rail stop on Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive. Many use the train to explore parts of the city they would not have otherwise.

Chandler resident Carol Bean previously stayed in the RV park during baseball season and took the rail downtown to Chase Field. She and her husband often ate at restaurants in downtown Phoenix and Tempe because the rail made them so accessible.

"I don't think we would've gone to those places. It got us where we wanted to go. It's had a great impact," Bean said.

While Apache Boulevard establishments endured the lengthy construction process that wreaked havoc on traffic and business, Apache Palms has reaped the benefits of being within steps of the Valley's latest public transportation system.

About 60 percent of guests use the rail, said Barbara Stafford, who has owned Apache Palms since 1991. She said several of them have chosen her park specifically because it is on the line. The 80-site park operates at an average of 75 percent capacity year-round. Rigs have come in for the Ironman Triathlon and she has several reservations for Insight Bowl attendees.

"A lot of our guests come from small towns, are RVers and don't want to drive those into town or are not used to metropolitan traffic," Stafford said. "Our guests love it."

Stafford said her park does not fit the traditional stereotype, with guests representing a variety of ages, backgrounds and reasons for staying. She has retirees and young families. Some live up north and when they need to go on a trip, they drive their rig to the park, leave it and use the train to get to and from the Sky Harbor International Airport.

Stafford said she has gained a lot of repeat customers because of the convenience of light rail.

"People who avoided the area in the past come now," she said.

Rena Hardman lived in her large motor home at Apache Palms for more than a year while working in Tempe. She moved to Apache Junction for her current job, but is seeking another position that would put her back in the area next spring. If she gets the job, Hardman said she would move back to Apache Palms.

"It did impact us a lot," she said. "Being close to the train is a big factor and with the park being right there, it makes that much of a difference."

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Restrooms open at Mesa’s light-rail stop
GARIN GROFF
TRIBUNE
January 3, 2010 - 6:24PM

The Metro light-rail line cost $1.4 billion and took a decade to plan, design and build — but Mesa was less than impressed when the system opened without the most humble amenity: a public restroom.

Now, as the system marks its one-year anniversary, permanent restrooms have finally opened at the lone Mesa station, located near Main Street and Sycamore.

Mesa fielded lots of complaints when the light-rail line opened in December 2008, triggering the city to place portable restrooms at the park-and-ride lot. Even Mayor Scott Smith sympathized with commuters, saying “bladders matter.”

The $153,000 permanent restrooms opened Dec. 17, to no response. City transportation spokeswoman Jodi Sorrell said that’s probably the best thing Mesa could hear.

“People tend to comment more when they’re concerned about something than when they’re satisfied with something,” Sorrell said.

The restrooms have spurred lots of jokes, and even the design features a bit of whimsy. Several places on the building feature crescent moon cutouts reminiscent of an outhouse.

The design was fitting since the station is on the edge of what was a pioneer farming community called Stringtown, Mesa Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh said. Even today, many homes in the area are on large lots because of how the area was developed for agriculture.

The restrooms saw constant use even in the nonpeak hours of an early Tuesday afternoon this week. Johnny Lee used the facility after taking the hour-plus trip from the other end of the rail line in Phoenix. He rides the rail every other day and said the restrooms are a blessing considering that his total commute time runs more than two hours when a related bus trip is added.

“They should have them at every one of the stops,” Lee said.

The Metro transit agency didn’t build a single restroom on the 20-mile line because the facilities are costly to maintain and secure. Cities, and not transit agencies, typically build restrooms, Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said.

Also, the typical rider travels eight miles, which takes about 20-25 minutes. Those short trips don’t generate much demand for restrooms, Foose said.

The only other places with restrooms are two transit stations in Phoenix and Tempe. The respective cities built them and maintain them.

The need for restrooms in Mesa caught the city by surprise. The end-of-the-line station was expected to attract more new businesses, which would have restrooms for customers. Instead, commuters overwhelmed the existing IHOP restaurant, one of the few nearby businesses with restrooms.

Making matters worse, the Mesa station turned out to be the busiest in the entire 20-mile system.

Mesa may have to worry about commuters’ bladders again in 2016, when the Metro line extends 3.1 miles east on Main Street to Lesueur. The new end-of-the-line station may have above-average demand for restrooms. While it’s too early to tell how many businesses may open around Lesueur, Kavanaugh said the city should consider restrooms any place a transit line comes to an end because of the higher number of commuters.

“It’s unfair to shift the bathroom burden to the private sector,” Kavanaugh said.

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New LINK Construction Project Breaks Ground Jan. 14
Stimulus Dollars Provide Funds for New Bus Stations
Phoenix, AZ (Jan. 4, 2010)
Valley Metro News Release

Funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are helping to keep jobs and aid in the development of a regional transit system in the Valley. Scottsdale Councilmember and Chair of the Valley Metro Board, Wayne Ecton, and a trio of East Valley mayors will officially break ground for the next LINK bus rapid transit route serving Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa.

"This will be Chandler's first mass transit project and provide a great link from our new Chandler Park-and-Ride in south Chandler to light rail service in Mesa," said Chandler Mayor Boyd W. Dunn. "We hope it will also pave the way for a future light rail extension on Arizona Avenue."

The groundbreaking will occur at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14 at the southwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Elliot Road. Speakers include Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn, Gilbert Mayor John Lewis, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, Scottsdale Councilmember Wayne Ecton, and Dan Withers, D.L. Withers Construction.

“We are proud to be working with Valley Metro, Chandler and Gilbert to provide the LINK bus route to thousands of additional passengers,” Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said.  “Mesa has been the leader in helping to introduce innovative transit service. We are the home of the first LINK route, which opened in late 2008, and we are glad to be part of this important second LINK route to meet the region’s transportation needs.” 

Phoenix-based D.L. Withers Construction will begin the construction project along the 12-mile route that includes 20 Bus Rapid Transit stations along Arizona Avenue and Country Club Drive along two artistic shelters located in downtown Chandler.

“In Gilbert, our goal is to provide transportation for every lifestyle to ensure we maintain our high quality of life,” said Mayor John Lewis. “This new service takes us in the right direction in providing convenient, affordable and environmentally-friendly transportation that connects Gilbert to the Metro light rail in a new, exciting way.”

Originally funded by Proposition 400 funds, the regional transit construction project would have been halted due to a downturn in sales tax revenues if not for the funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Valley Metro Board selected the Arizona Avenue/Country Club Road BRT project construction for the stimulus funding in May.

“With stimulus dollars supporting this regional transit project, we can continue the momentum of the regional transportation plan that voters approved in 2004,” said Valley Metro Board Chair, Scottsdale Councilmember Wayne Ecton.

The total cost of the project is $11,615,000 and will include shelter construction, landscaping, lighting, utility relocation, data and power hook-ups, dynamic messaging signs for bus arrival information, fare vending machines and bike racks.  Additional elements of the project also funded by stimulus dollars include a traffic signal priority system and some of the right-of-way acquisition.

The Arizona Avenue/Country Club Road LINK bus service is scheduled to begin July 2010 at the same time the construction is estimated for completion.

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