This edition of the Friends of Transit Weekly Update is sponsored by:

June 2, 2010

Friends,

Our friends at METRO light rail have announced an exciting new program to connect its riders with the amazing array of businesses along the 20-mile line. Every Wednesday METRO Max Rewards will share discounts from businesses within a half-mile of the light rail line, redeemable using a valid transit pass. To learn more, including how to sign up, read more here.

In the News:
Phoenix Public Transit awards funds to support commuters, riders with disabilities, May 31, 2010
Tempe seeks to spruce up downtown, Tribune, May 31, 2010
Avondale considers starting own transit service, The Arizona Republic, June 1, 2010
2 light-rail projects to begin, The Arizona Republic, June 2, 2010

Upcoming Events:
ASU Art Museum 11^th Annual Summer Family Exhibition
Click here for more details
What Moves Us: Art of Transportation from the Permanent Collection
May 29-September 4, 2010

MAG Transportation Ambassador Program Regional Meeting
Click here for more details
Moving Communities Forward

June 29, 2010
9:00am-3:00pm
Civic Space Park
Registration required for this free event.
Don’t forget to visit Friends of Transit on the web at www.friendsoftransit.org! 
Friends of Transit is now on Facebook!

 

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Phoenix Public Transit awards funds to support commuters, riders with disabilities
JARC, New Freedom grant awards total more than $6 million
City of Phoenix News Release
May 28, 2010

Several Valley transit agencies and municipalities will receive funding through two Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs created to expand transportation services for persons with disabilities or low-income individuals. The New Freedom grant program supports new public transportation services and public transportation alternatives beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program assists in developing new or expanded transportation services that connect welfare recipients and other low income persons to jobs and other employment-related services.  More than $6 million was awarded to agencies from the two grant programs.

The projects selected for funding were chosen through a competitive process administered by the City of Phoenix Public Transit Department as the designated regional recipient of federal transit funds for large urbanized areas in Maricopa County. Eligible applicants include private non-profit organizations, state or local governmental authorities, and operators of public transportation services including private operators. The FTA is expected to award the funds by spring 2011.  Awardees and grant amounts are listed below:

Job Access Reverse Commute
$1.6 million to the City of Phoenix for funding of Route 29, and upgrades to its vehicle management system.
$1.1 million to the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA) for funding of  Routes 72, 685, 184, 66; and purchase of MyStop/Bus Arrival Technology.
$1.1 million to the City of Glendale for funding of Route 60 and the Glendale Urban Shuttle (GUS) 1 & 2 services.
$153,000 to the City of Tolleson for funding of Route 3A.
$32,000 to the City of El Mirage to fund a transportation needs assessment.

New Freedom
$1.5 million to the RPTA to fund Northwest Valley Dial-a-Ride, East Valley Alternatives, Regional Mobility Management, travel training, and recurring medical trips for seniors and persons with disabilities.
$342,000 to the City of Glendale to fund GUS 3 service, travel training, and a taxi voucher program.
$241,000 to the City of Phoenix to fund its Senior Cab taxi voucher program, and to upgrade Dial-a-Ride trip planning software.
$42,000 to the Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council to fund a one-on-one travel training program for people with disabilities.

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Announcing METRO Max Rewards for Riders and Free Dutch Bros. Coffee for a Year Contest!

METRO light rail wants to connect its riders with the amazing array of businesses along the 20-mile line. Get to know these businesses and their special discounts for transit users through the METRO Max Rewards program.

Every Wednesday beginning June 2, METRO Max Rewards will share exclusive money-saving discounts, fun contests and giveaways and special event previews from businesses within a half-mile of the line. The discounts are redeemable using a valid transit pass.

Signing up for METRO Max Rewards is free and easy: 1) become an email subscriber; 2) like us on Facebook; or 3) follow us on Twitter. Direct links and the email sign-up form are available from www.metrolightrail.org.

Businesses along the line continue to be welcomed into the program. It is free to join; simply visit www.metrolightrail.org/metromax to download the Partner Participation Packet.

Sign up for the program and your chance to win Dutch Bros. Coffee for a year!

In celebration of the METRO Max Rewards launch, Dutch Bros. Coffee has generously offered to give one rider a year’s worth of free coffee! To enter, sign up to receive METRO Max Rewards and send a photo of you in front of your favorite Dutch Bros. location. There are six locations Valleywide; two of which are next to light rail stations at Central/Camelback and University/Rural.

The contest will begin today through Tuesday, June 15. Email photos to max@metrolightrail.org. More contest details can be found at www.metrolightrail.org/metromax.

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Tempe seeks to spruce up downtown
Posted: Monday, May 31, 2010 3:00 am | Updated: 9:21 am, Tue Jun 1, 2010.
Garin Groff
Tribune

Tempe is working to take better care of its downtown after hearing concerns that the area has deteriorated and needs a clearer vision for its future.

The center of the effort involves new streetscape design guidelines for downtown, which will touch on everything from the signature ficus trees to cleaning bird droppings from brick sidewalks.

The city wants a cleaner and more consistent look without turning it into a bland strip mall.

The work could update the downtown more than any effort in a generation, but city officials caution it won’t happen over night or be too radical.

“The city is not going out to build a new downtown,” Mayor Hugh Hallman said.

The city expects to have new design plans by September. Officials will spend the summer reviewing an inventory of downtown features while seeing what to change or keep. 

“We want to make sure public amenities fit together and don’t have a hodgepodge sense to them,” said Chris Salomone, Tempe’s community development director.

Several City Council members said the downtown’s maintenance had become a concern. During a recent review of downtown, they said parking is difficult to find, dead trees haven’t been replaced and swarms of birds have covered sidewalks with their droppings.

“Sometimes it does kind of look like a Hitchcock movie,” Councilman Corey Woods said.

The first question Tempe seeks to answer is how to address the sometimes-beloved ficus. The dense canopy cools Mill but has created headaches. Merchants complain the dense branches block signs. Birds love the trees, leaving droppings on the sidewalk, cars and pedestrians. And many of the trees are sick or have died.

The city replaced some dead ficus a year ago with Chinese Pistache trees, which also feature a dark green leaf. Some merchants second-guessed the decision, so the Downtown Tempe Community did a study to see which tree was better.

The issue proved more difficult than anybody imagined, said Nancy Hormann, executive director of the non-profit DTC.

“You get mixed messages,” Hormann said. “Literally, we’ve had two different reports, and one said use ficus and the other said you should not use ficus.”

The DTC plans to select a tree in a month so something can go in the small number planter boxes where ficus trees have died.

Also this summer, DTC will expand cleaning efforts with a larger staff of porters. When summer is over, the merchant group plans to add color downtown with flowers in tree wells and in hanging baskets.

In the fall, the DTC plans to start a new effort to deter birds. In the past, bird deterrents included tree thinning, slathering sticky substances on branches, broadcasting predator bird noises, bright lights and more. The city wasn’t satisfied with the results.

Hormann wouldn’t reveal the new plan yet but said it’s proved effective in other cities.

The public won’t appreciate most of the new design plan for some time. Most streetscape elements are required of property owners and will be part of new development.

“We need to be prepared for when the recovery is in full swing and we know that we’re one of the first areas that’s going to recover,” Hormann said.

In spite of the unfinished Centerpoint Condominium towers downtown, Tempe has less vacant space than surrounding communities. About 95 percent of downtown space is full, Hormann said, which means some of the first new construction will likely take place there.

The city will eventually pay for some improvements, including the Mill Avenue streetscape. Tempe will get some funding for that when a modern streetcar is planned to be built on Mill in 2014. That will require tearing out the center median. Some streetscape work will likely take place at the same time, Salomone said.

Unlike light-rail construction that lasts nearly three years, streetcar work takes only a year and is far less disruptive. And unlike the massive redevelopment that took place along some segments of the 20-mile Metro line, Mill won’t take on a vastly different feel with the new transit system. Tempe is more interested in elevating its standards than revamping downtown, Salomone said.

“I don’t think that any one should expect that the plan will be a dramatic departure from what’s been successful already,” Salomone said.

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Avondale considers starting own transit service
by David Madrid 
Jun. 1, 2010 01:58 PM
The Arizona Republic

A bruising economy has delivered a transit-service hit on Avondale, which now must plan its own system to move residents around.

Declining tax revenues, cuts from the Legislature and a regional transit plan that pushes West Valley cities to the back of the line have forced Avondale leaders to reassess their thinking on how to get residents out of cars and into buses.

What that means is more and smaller buses will take over that route and, eventually, the city will provide targeted transit services friendlier to riders that can be expanded throughout Avondale.The transit plan that Avondale is preparing to implement in 2011 or 2012 takes the START 131 bus route and transforms it into a circulator route, Assistant City Manager Rogene Hill said.

"Instead of using those giant city of Phoenix buses . . . we would be using smaller buses that are more fuel-efficient," Hill said. "We could have a route that is a little more tailored to the users. It may start out exactly like the 131, and then we could adjust it. We're still in talks with Tolleson and Goodyear about their interest, but everyone's in the same boat. Operating money is hard to come by."

Hill said that because of the poor economy, several cities are looking to rid themselves of some of their small buses. Buying those buses won't be a problem, because the city can acquire them at a reasonable price. Avondale estimates that four new buses would cost it about $480,000.

"So it's not the capital costs; it's being assured of having sufficient ongoing operating revenue," Hill said.

Before the circulator routes can be implemented, the city must first buy the vehicles, build the bus stops and create storage and maintenance facilities.

Operating costs could be more than $1 million a year.

Operations and maintenance costs for the daily operation of the circulator service include fuel; vehicle preventive maintenance such as tires, brakes and oil; employee wages and benefits packages; liability insurance; dispatch; and security.

Route 131 is now paid for with local money and federal funds allocated by the state to the cities.

Hill doesn't think the Legislature can take those federal dollars away from the city. And Avondale is always trying to find grants and other federal money, such as stimulus funds.

"So we're trying to piece together the finances for ongoing operations," Hill said. "That's the struggle."

Avondale is served by six Valley Metro transit routes, including a combination of weekday, Saturday, express and regional service.

All but one route serves the Desert Sky Mall Transit Center, which provides connections to other regional routes. Avondale also is served by one express route providing two trips to and from downtown Phoenix.

Because of money woes, the city last year had to kill Route 41A , which served north Avondale. In July, the city will eliminate Route 29A , which connects the Avondale Civic Center to Desert Sky Mall.

The Maricopa Association of Governments funded the circulator route study to determine the feasibility and costs of several options. The study found that routes in Avondale are insufficient with hourlong waits between buses.

The circulator route would shorten those routes to 30-minute service.

Of the options presented to residents in the survey, they chose to extend the current START 131 route. The route runs in a loop beginning on Thomas and Dysart roads, loops around the city through Old Town and to Avondale Boulevard ending at the City Hall area.

That proposed plan allows the route to expand to serve the Cashion community in Avondale and West Valley Hospital along McDowell Road in Goodyear. The recommended pilot route would operate daily.

Other circulator routes could be added as money becomes available and the city determines where routes are needed.

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2 light-rail projects to begin
by Sadie Jo Smokey 
Jun. 2, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Last summer, the sagging economy spurred Phoenix to indefinitely delay construction of the northwestern extension of Metro light rail.

But to prepare for future light-rail construction, work in the corridor continues. In July, the city plans to begin two projects that will beautify 19th Avenue frontage roads near Bethany Home Road and Dunlap Avenue. Motorists will see road restrictions for several weeks starting in August.

Meanwhile, the city has continued to acquire homes and businesses along 19th Avenue, demolishing structures and preparing the land for light-rail-related utility relocation and improvements.

Based on staff projections, the city won't have the $200 million necessary to build the 3.2-mile extension until 2023.

"I hate that date," Maria Hyatt, an assistant to the city manager, said. "We are looking (for money). This is a huge priority for us. If we found a funding source, it would take about six months to rebid the project and three to four years of construction."

For about six weeks this summer, drivers can expect one lane of traffic in each direction and construction delays on 19th Avenue between Butler Drive and Townley Avenue.

Beginning in August, installation of the Phoenix Arts Commission-funded gabion walls is scheduled in the Washington Park area north of Bethany Home Road. The 8-foot-tall wall, made of stacked steel cages filled with fractured granite, will be 3 feet wide.

Some gabion walls between Butler Drive and Townley Avenue will have 4-foot-tall sections. The shorter sections will feature ornamental metal elements. The city also plans to build 6-foot-tall block walls near State Avenue and Las Palmaritas Drive.

The end result will be new frontage roads and artistic landscape elements, Hyatt said.

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This edition of the Friends of Transit Weekly Update is sponsored by:

Tempe in Motion (TIM) provides bus, bicycle, pedestrian and light rail facilities and encourages getting around Tempe in anything but a car. Our goal is to provide a balanced transportation system that is environmentally sustainable, accessible, preserves neighborhoods, promotes transit-oriented development and involves citizens in the process. To learn more, visit www.tempe.gov/tim or follow us on
Facebook and Twitter.

Interested in sponsoring the Weekly Update?
The Friends of Transit Weekly Update reaches several thousand inboxes each week and the distribution grows every day. Sponsorships start at just $250 per week, and include logo, link and up to 100 words of text. Email info@friendsoftransit.org for more information or to reserve a space.

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