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

June 8, 2010


In the News:
Want free coffee for a year? Metro brings back discount promotions, The Arizona Republic, June 2, 2010
Metro ridership still growing, but not as fast, The Arizona Republic, June 3, 2010
Phoenix Surpasses the $400 Million Mark in ARRA Funds, City of Phoenix, June 4, 2010
Tempe’s FLASH bus will lose 3 routes, The Arizona Republic, June 4, 2010
For occasional drivers, community-car systems can save money, The Arizona Republic, June 7, 2010
Phoenix-to-Vegas high-speed train proposed, The Arizona Republic, June 7, 2010
Mesa light rail extension taking shape, The Arizona Republic, June 8, 2010
Transit to key east Mesa destinations is lacking, The Arizona Republic, June 8, 2010

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Want free coffee for a year? Metro brings back discount promotions
by Sean Holstege
The Arizona Republic Light Rail Blog
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 11:20 AM 

Metro is resurrecting a discount rewards program for shoppers along the light rail route.

Back when Metro was building the 20-mile light rail line and the city streets were a torn-up mess, the rail agency ran a discount program to direct patrons to struggling businesses along the route. It was called the Metro Max Rewards program. People could get typically 10 to 15 percent discounts on meals and purchases at participating establishments. All they had to do was show a specially printed card that was widely available.

Now, Metro will offer exclusive discounts and giveaways every Wednesday to people who join the new Metro Max program. To join, Metro requires people to become email subscribers, “like” Metro on Facebook or follow the agency on Twitter. The discounts, which must exceed 25 percent, are redeemable using a valid transit pass. Businesses within half a mile of the line can participate by enrolling at Metro’s website.

Metro also plans use Metro Max to launch contests and special event previews. As part of the launch, Dutch Bros. Coffee is offering 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. Email photos to max@metrolightrail.org More contest details can be found at ww.metrolightrail.org/metromax. The contest ends June 15.

 

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Metro ridership still growing, but not as fast
by Sean Holstege
The Arizona Republic Light Rail Blog
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 01:58 PM 

Metro’s May ridership figures are in, and they show the growth in passenger counts is slipping as summer heat takes hold and as students headed home for the break.

Metro reports that it carried 992,000 passengers last month, which is 7 percent more than May 2009, but down 18 percent from April 2010. Last year, ridership grew from April to May, but the system was still new and the novelty factor hadn’t worn off.

“The decline from April largely has to do with schools, including ASU, getting out of session. Generally, our numbers will decline in the summer, but are expected to peak back up again in the fall. But we continue to trend above last year,” Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose says.

The mostly closely watched number is average weekday riders. On this count, Metro carried almost 37,300 in May, an 11 percent bump over the same time last year. All year, Metro has been posting 20 percent gains in average weekday ridership for comparable months. So far this year, Metro is averaging 40,866 weekday riders, a number that is still well above the forecast 26,000 riders per day.

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Phoenix Surpasses the $400 Million Mark in ARRA Funds
June 4, 2010
City of Phoenix News Release

The U.S Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday awarded Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport $26.6 million to install two inline baggage screen systems that will help strengthen airport security.  With this new federal stimulus money, Phoenix has received more than $423 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.

"The city of Phoenix continues to work hard to stimulate our economy and put our residents back to work,” said Mayor Phil Gordon.  “Surpassing $400 million in ARRA funds is a significant accomplishment and demonstrates our commitment to secure funds for critical projects and create jobs."

Other Phoenix ARRA-funded projects include $25 million for “Energize Phoenix,” which will provide energy-efficient improvements to neighborhoods along a 10-mile stretch of Phoenix's light rail corridor to be known as the "Green Rail Corridor;" the Workforce Investment Act Dislocated Worker Training Program; $60 million for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 that provides funding to help neighborhoods that are hard hit by foreclosures; and Central Station Transit Center Refurbishments, which include upgrades for ADA accessibility, lighting and plumbing, and adding security cameras, a new signage system, solar roof and shade trees.

Funds also secured are being used to repair and improve existing public and assisted housing units at various Phoenix sites, and $21 million for a Major Street Pavement Preservation Program that will help preserve pavement to extend the life of existing roadways.

For more information about other Phoenix projects that have received federal stimulus funding, visit phoenix.gov/recovery.

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Tempe's FLASH bus will lose 3 routes
Jun. 4, 2010 02:45 PM
The Arizona Republic

Tempe's FLASH bus system will face changes starting July 1, including the elimination of three routes.

FLASH to University Drive, service on Rio Salado Parkway between Packard Drive and Mill Avenue and service on Mill Avenue between Rio Salado Parkway and University Drive will be eliminated.

FLASH Forward and Back will be rerouted to reach portions of Packard Drive, University Drive, Mill Avenue and McAllister Avenue.

The name of the McAllister Shuttle will be renamed FLASH McAllister.

Hours of operation and bus frequency of FLASH Forward, Back and McAllister will not be affected.

The changes come because of the slowing economy and aim to make the system more effective while reducing costs, according to the city.

Visit www.tempe.gov/tim to view routes and schedules.

Information: Tempe transit at 480-858-2350.

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For occasional drivers, community-car systems can save money
by Sean Holstege 
Jun. 7, 2010 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic


An idea is slowly taking root in Arizona that could help budget-conscious people save money on transportation costs in these economically unsettled times.

Think time shares for cars.

Customers pay an annual membership and an hourly rate to reserve shared cars at designated, convenient lots.

A typical household spends $5,000 to $7,000 a year to own, operate and maintain a car, regardless of how much it's driven, according to studies based on U.S. census figures. When the insurance or car payments come due, some families may increasingly wonder if the cost of a second car, or even a primary car, is worth it.

Public transit, meanwhile, may be an inconvenient alternative.

Car sharing aims to tap into that market. The concept is a European idea that has been growing in popularity in most major U.S. cities over the past decade.

In the Phoenix area, only one operator offers shared cars: a Boston-area company called Zipcar Inc.

Arizona State University has an agreement with Zipcar to park a fleet at the university's campuses in Tempe, Mesa, Glendale and downtown Phoenix. Anyone can register for cars parked at ASU.

An initial Valley-wide fleet of 10 vehicles has grown to 18 over the past three years, said Theresa Fletcher, who manages ASU's transit and parking division.

A spokesman for Zipcar declined comment on the company's long-term Arizona plans because Zipcar has registered to launch a public stock offering and must temporarily avoid commenting on business strategies.

Zipcar spokesman John Williams says that in some cities, such as Los Angeles, programs that began on university campuses spread into the surrounding neighborhoods. Zipcar considers a market successful if cars are filled 20 percent of the time. ASU's are used 30 percent of the time, Fletcher says.

In Tucson, another company, Connect by Hertz, an offshoot of the Hertz rental company, has an agreement to serve the University of Arizona campus.

How it works

Rental cars have been around for decades, but they cater to tourists and to locals whose cars are being repaired.

In contrast, car-share customers are typically people who need a vehicle for quick errands, such as shopping and picking up furniture, or they are public-transit riders who need a car to reach a poorly served part of town. People often use car shares when transit or carpooling is too inconvenient.

Here's how Zipcar, the largest car-sharing service, works:

People can sign up for an online account and pay a one-time $25 fee, plus, for Zipcar in Phoenix, a $50 a year membership fee. Hourly weekday rates start at $8, and daily rates at $66. When members are ready to use a car, they log in and reserve it. Cars are available from one minute to a year in advance, but most people reserve a car within 24 hours.

Members get gas, insurance and emergency roadside assistance when they take out a car, plus up to 180 miles of free travel per day. People who drive farther pay a per-mile surcharge. Cars can be reserved for up to four days at a time.

The company sends members a smart card, embedded with a data chip and radio transmitter. When they pick up the car, they wave the card over the windshield. A radio signal communicates with the car, and if the data matches what an onboard computer is expecting, the car unlocks. The keys are inside the car. Security features prevent thieves from starting the engine. When members are finished, they return the car back to the lot where they got it.

Zipcar has 400,000 members in the U.S., Canada and Britain. Cars are available in 13 metro areas and at 150 colleges. Zipcar has a fleet of 7,000 vehicles and offers 30 different makes and models, including Toyota Priuses, Mini Coopers, pickup trucks and BMWs.

In addition to Zipcar and Hertz, dozens of regional companies operate in the U.S., including I-GO in Chicago and U Car Share in Salt Lake City.

Use on the rise

The idea is becoming more popular partly because the economic slump has stretched budgets and partly because of generational shifts. Polls, marketing data and other trends have shown that retiring Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation - people who came of age after 2000 - are increasingly living in urban areas and abandoning their cars.

Marc Soronson manages the downtown Phoenix office for HDR Engineering Inc., a transportation-consulting firm. Recently, he signed up for a corporate Zipcar account.

"We have employees who take transit and don't have cars," he explained. He pays an annual corporate rate of $25 per employee, a one-time $75 subscription fee, plus a $6 hourly rental fee. That's far cheaper than maintaining fleet cars and parking them downtown for about $100 a month. His employees often need a vehicle for a few hours to get to job sites or client meetings.

In other cities, such as Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., and San Francisco, car-share programs have been embraced by rail agencies. Many set up car-share stations, some with electric-fuel-cell repowering outlets, at train-station park-and-ride lots.

The Valley's Metro light-rail system has had exploratory conversations to introduce car-sharing at light-rail stations, but nothing has been decided.

Despite the rising popularity, some have questioned whether car-sharing can be profitable in the long run.

Zipcar, for instance, has not turned a profit since it was founded in 1999, according to Zipcar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company attributes this to the high up-front cost of buying and maintaining a fleet.

But Williams, the Zipcar spokesman, says car sharing makes sense.

"It offers people an option they never had," he said. "You have to own your car full time, even if you only drive it a couple hours a week."

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Phoenix-to-Vegas high-speed train proposed
Jun. 7, 2010 09:20 AM
Associated Press
The Arizona Republic

LAS VEGAS - There's a new competitor in the race to create a high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.

Genesis High Speed Rail America LLC is proposing the "Desert Lightning" - a high-speed route between Las Vegas and Southern California. Unlike other routes, Genesis' plan also calls for an intersecting line from Phoenix, linking the three major southwest metropolitan areas with one high-speed rail line.

The proposal calls for a T-shaped route. It would run south from Las Vegas parallel to the Colorado River and U.S. 95, just east of Mojave National Preserve. It would then intersect with an east-west line near Interstate 10, the freeway between Los Angeles and Phoenix.

The group is seeking federal funding to help study whether proven European technology or proven Japanese technology would be a better fit.

"I've ridden on both of the trains," Genesis chairman Duane Wilder said. "I can't say which one is better than the other and part of it could depend on the terrain, so the exact route also would be studied."

Wilder said about $35 million would cover the study's cost. If Desert Lightning succeeds in getting the study money, it would still take years to get the environmental permits and engineering completed.

Wilder said once a study is completed, investors would help fund what could be a $35 billion to $40 billion project.

At least two other groups are trying to get their own high-speed proposals beyond the planning stages. And two new companies have been recently touting party trains that would use existing low-speed lines to shuttle people from downtown Los Angeles to Las Vegas on trains loaded with entertainment options.

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Mesa light rail extension taking shape
by Sean Holstege
The Arizona Republic Light Rail Blog
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 02:07 PM 

The Mesa City Council Monday night voted to approve the location and layout of four stations in the light rail extension, due to open in 2016.

Mesa okayed stations on the east side of the Main Street intersections at:

Alma School Road,

Country Club Drive,

Center Street, and 

Mesa Drive.

All intersections will have dedicated left turn pockets, to be controlled by a traffic light, the same arrangement on most of the 20-mile starter line. The council also voted to keep two lanes of car traffic, but eliminate on-street parking between Sycamore and Country Club stations. Between Country Club and downtown Mesa, traffic will narrow to one lane, while parking and signalized pedestrian crosswalks will remain in as many places as possible, Mesa officials said.

The recommendations now go to Metro’s governing board for approval. Construction on the 3-mile extension is scheduled to begin in 2013. The Mesa council also voted to cover operating costs of the extension. The vote caps months of public meetings involving concerned locals.


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Transit to key east Mesa destinations is lacking
by Art Thomason 
Jun. 8, 2010 09:20 AM
The Arizona Republic

With his bicycle and backpack, Dan Cole prepared to climb aboard a bus at east Mesa's only transit center.

He happened to be going to one of the few places that's easily accessible by Valley Metro LINK, but that's the exception.

On any given day, there's no service to essential sites in east Mesa where he lives, an irony that puzzles the part-time soccer referee.

Cole, at 66, is among 200,000-plus east Mesa residents who are virtually stranded by the regional transit service's lack of connections to major employment and jobs centers on the city's east side.

Getting to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport or ASU Polytechnic from most places in east Mesa can take more than two hours, turning a five-to-10-mile trip into an odyssey of transfers to multiple buses.

"I just moved from Tempe, and bus service here is way different," Cole said, standing under a canopy at the Superstition Springs Transit Center near Power Road and U.S. 60. "The only option now to (Phoenix-Mesa) Gateway Airport is by cab, and that's an expensive fare."

It's a predicament that reminds Mesa councilman and transit advocate, Scott Somers, of the well-worn saying, 'you can't get there from here."

"It would be a joke if it were funny," he said. "But the airport as an emerging center for education and jobs and transportation is virtually unserved by transit."

Somers was referring to aerospace companies, the university and Chandler-Gilbert Community College that share space with the airport on the 4,000-plus acre former Williams Air Force Base campus southeast of Ray and Power roads.

More than 900,000 passengers are expected to use Gateway this year with projections of 2 million passengers in the next five years as the airport starts to feel the stress from excess traffic and a shortage of parking.

The university's enrollment is 9,146, nearly as large as Notre Dame or Syracuse. In addition, nearly 2,800 students attend the community college and 1,159 people are employed at the airport.

Within walking distance, there are hundreds of additional jobs, such as those in a bustling, commercial power center along Gilbert's boundary just west of the airport.

Until a new Power Road service launches in late January, there is no Valley Metro bus link in east Mesa with the airport. The long-awaited mass-transit link was put on hold this month because of legislative cuts that resulted from declining sales-tax revenues and shortfalls in state transportation funding.

Partly funded with a Federal Transit Administration grant, the new service is scheduled to begin Jan. 24, said Valley Metro spokeswoman Susan Tierney.

The Route 184 bus will address part of the problem. It will run up and down Power Road from Red Mountain Community College near McKellips and Power roads on the north to the airport and ASU/Polytechnic on the south, Tierney said.

Buses are to arrive at stops every 30 minutes except during peak hours when they make stops on 15-minute intervals, Tierney said.

Only the southbound route includes a stop at the Charles L. Williams Passenger Terminal, she said. Northbound buses from the university campus will not make the stop. Schedules are still being worked out, she said.

"We are thrilled about the new . . . route," said Judi Nelson, ASU program manager of commuter options. "Since we do not have shuttles connecting directly to the LINK and light rail this will definitely be welcomed by our Poly community. Also, we do not run this service on the weekends, ASU holidays and breaks."

Although the Power Road service will help, vast portions of east Mesa will still be unserved.

Nobody knows that better than Joy Ringo.

She lives in Apache Junction where the only buses are charters and depends on the nearby Superstition Springs Transit Center for transportation to her job as a customer service representative for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Phoenix.

"It would be a help to have buses to more locations out here," she said.

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

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