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

July 14, 2010

Friends,

Many of you have inquired about the Performance Audit of the Regional Transportation Plan that is currently getting underway. The Arizona Auditor General’s Office has requested proposals from independent auditing firms to begin the Audit later this month. Friends of Transit has been active in stressing the importance of opportunities for public input into the Audit process. As part of our ongoing mission to educate the community on transit issues, Friends of Transit has put together a fact sheet on the Audit with relevant background information and timelines to help answer questions about the statutorily required Audit. View the fact sheet on our website at www.friendsoftransit.org.  Friends of Transit will continue to monitor the Audit and we will keep you informed of any opportunities for input.

In the News:
Some routes spared in Tempe transportation cuts, The Arizona Republic, July 9, 2010
Phoenix circulator buses face cutbacks July 26, The Arizona Republic, July 9, 2010
Chandler leads statewide push for permanent transit fund, The Arizona Republic, July 13, 2010
Effects of light-rail on businesses mixed, owners say, The Arizona Republic, July 13, 2010
Opinions sought on new bus service for Scottsdale Road, The Arizona Republic, July 14, 2010

Upcoming Events:
July 16, 2010
ADA In Person Eligibility Program, 10am-12pm
Cobble Creek Apartments Recreation Room, 8546 N. 59^th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302
Please join us to learn about Valley Metro's new in-person eligibility program for ADA paratransit (Dial-A-Ride), ADA bus and light rail pass, and Valley Metro's new Mobility Center. A Valley Metro representative will be available to share a presentation and answer your questions about these programs. Call Karin Kellas at 623-251-4188 for more details.

July 26, 2010
20^th Anniversary ADA Gala. Click here for more details.

October 13-15, 2010
Western High Speed Rail Association, partnered with the American Public Transportation Association, is hosting a conference in Las Vegas. Click here for more details.

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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Some routes spared in Tempe transportation cuts
by Dianna M. Náñez 
Jul. 9, 2010 02:15 AM
The Arizona Republic

Tempe transportation budget cutbacks scheduled for July 26 spared Tempe's free Orbit circulator buses but will limit services for people who ride light rail or Valley Metro buses.

Tempe targeted $3.3 million in cuts from the transit budget for fiscal year 2010-11. The options that were considered over the past six months would have drastically diminished Tempe's transit services.

But Tempe was able to ease such cuts by reducing the Transportation Department's non-transit expenses.

An estimated $2.1 million was cut through staff reductions, slashing the transit's marketing budget and other non-service-related cuts.

The cuts City Council approved to light rail and Valley Metro buses totaled $1.2 million. The council decided not to reduce the frequency at which Orbit shuttles circulate through Tempe neighborhoods.

Although cutbacks were not as drastic as initially proposed, Tempe transportation spokeswoman Sue Taaffe stressed that unless there is a major economic rebound, Tempe will have to cut its transit budget by an estimated $4 million next fiscal year. Cuts the year after are still being calculated but have been estimated at as much as $6 million.

Many residents balked at bus-service cutbacks because in the past year Tempe, like many Valley cities, had already reduced the hours, routes or frequency of its buses.

The cuts are the result of weak sales-tax revenue, which is the primary funding source for transit services.

This round of cuts came after months of community meetings and online surveys to gather public feedback.

Anthony Seebek was among the scores of Tempe residents who pleaded for transit services.

Seebek depends on buses because his blindness prevents him from driving.

He asked Tempe not to eliminate a 5 a.m. bus he uses to get to work in Phoenix by 6 a.m.

Although buses leaving before 5 a.m. were among the cuts Tempe City Council approved, Seebek's bus was spared.

Cuts taking effect July 26 include:
Metro light rail
• Reduce peak-service to 7:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. instead of 6 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Reduce peak-hour service to every 12 minutes instead of every 10 minutes.

Valley Metro fixed-route buses
• Eliminate service before 5 a.m. on all Tempe routes.
• Restructure Route 40 - Apache Boulevard route to terminate in downtown Tempe on the west end. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport would no longer be served. Route 40 will begin traveling to Tempe Transportation Center where passengers can board light rail to the airport.
• Restructure Route 66 - to terminate in north Tempe at McKellips Road and College Avenue area.
• Reduce frequency of Route 72 - route along Scottsdale Road and Rural Road will travel every 20 minutes during rush hour with extra trips in Tempe between downtown and Baseline Road.

Valley Metro express buses
• Restructure Route 511- to terminate at Apache Boulevard and Loop 101 on the south end of the route.
• Eliminate Route 536, which traveled from about Power Road in Mesa to Tempe's Transportation Center.

Other
• Current transit holidays include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• On transit holidays, bus-and-rail services are scaled back to operate on Sunday schedules. Additional holidays for bus and light rail will now include: Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Veterans Day, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

More information
• www.tempe.gov/tim/Bus/July2010 Service Changes.htm.

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Phoenix circulator buses face cutbacks July 26
by Lynh Bui 
Jul. 9, 2010 12:45 PM
The Arizona Republic

Service reductions to Phoenix's free neighborhood circulators will start July 26.

Two routes and the downtown loop of the Downtown Area Shuttle bus are being eliminated. Remaining circulators will have shorter hours and longer frequencies between stops.

In May, the Phoenix City Council made cuts to close a budget gap of more than $277 million. In addition, the state eliminated money from the Local Transportation Assistance Fund, which has paid for transportation services in the Valley for about three decades.

The sweep of LTAF funds means Phoenix lost about $11 million in transportation and transit money.

Joe Bowar, environmental programs coordinator for Phoenix, said the city will save an estimated $4 million from the bus-service reductions.

"The economy impacted everything in the Valley and in the state," Bowar said. "Transit was not untouched by that."

The Desert Ridge Area Revolving Transport and Deer Run, the north Phoenix circulator, will cease operation.

The downtown loop of DASH, which stopped at the Orpheum Theatre and the Phoenix Convention Center, will be eliminated.

But the more popular government loop of the DASH, which connects county and state government buildings, will remain with no changes to frequency or services.

The remaining circulators will continue with changes to hours and frequencies.

• Ahwatukee Local Explorer will go to 60-minute frequency from 40 minutes. The new hours will be 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The ALEX route will be shortened 2.5 miles.

• Maryvale Area Ride for You will go to 60-minute frequency from 30 minutes. The new hours will be 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The route is unchanged.

• Sunnyslope Multi Access Area Residential Transit will go to 60-minute frequency from 30 minutes. The new hours will be 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The route in unchanged.

Bowar said cuts to circulators were based on ridership.

"DART and Deer Run were clearly the lowest-utilized circulators," Bawer said. "Since they are a free service and with the economic times, it was just not a cost-effective service to provide with a few riders."

Annually, DART transported about 31,000 riders, compared with MARY, which sees about 975,000, Bowar said.

The ridership for other routes falls in between.

When the City Council in May cut neighborhood-circulator services in half, officials discussed whether to install fare boxes and charge for rides.

The proposal was sent to the City Council Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability Subcommittee to consider at a meeting on July 1.

City officials estimated that a 50-cent-per-ride fare for adults and 25 cents for kids would generate about $250,000 annually. Installing and purchasing fare boxes would cost about $60,000.

Debbie Cotton, director of the public transit department, said that fares would increase the time it takes riders to board the circulators.

She said the city never has implemented a fee for public transit while making cuts to service.

Subcommittee members, who include City Council members Bill Gates, Claude Mattox and Peggy Neely, held off on considering fare boxes until after the changes have been in place.

Neely had concerns about the logistics of implementing a fare, saying there would be a learning curve for riders and drivers.

There would also be issues with how to enforce payment.

Neely said that "$250,000 is just not a lot of money for all of the elements involved."

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Chandler leads statewide push for permanent transit fund
by Edythe Jensen 
Jul. 13, 2010 01:50 PM
The Arizona Republic

Chandler is leading a push for permanent statewide transit funding after Arizona lawmakers snatched lottery-generated Local Transportation Assistance Funds to balance the state budget this year.

Teaming with Yuma as co-sponsor, Chandler is asking for a resolution by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns that would have that group seek "a permanent, designated funding source to support the development and operation of a comprehensive multi-modal public transportation program."

The issue will become part of the organization's lobbying efforts if it's approved at its August annual meeting.

Mayor Boyd Dunn, who is president of the league until August, said the Arizona Transit Association approached city officials with the proposal and it won unanimous backing from a committee charged with making recommendations on resolutions.

Arizona is one of five states without a dedicated state funding source for mass transit "and that's alarming," Dunn said.

After the state took $24 million in lottery funds from city transit programs this year, municipalities had to cut services. During public hearings in May, several residents said their jobs and mobility depended on accessible mass transit.

Chandler's cuts, which take effect July 26, include fewer trips, reduced early-morning, late-evening and weekend service and route changes that make some shorter or more efficient.

At a time when Arizona is looking to create jobs, cutting mass transit is a bad move, Dunn said. "The Legislature wants to create jobs and we will emphasize the importance of a good transportation system to do that."

Extension of mass transit across county borders for statewide connectivity and smoother connections between Valley cities is vital to future economic development, he said.

No funding source has yet been identified to pay for the system and it is unlikely the league or lawmakers will propose new taxes, Dunn said, adding it is unlikely that cities will see the return of the lottery funds because the state has committed them for several years.

"For Chandler, our future is in mass transit. We have our freeways," he said. In the past, cities would plan and fund localized transit systems. But that left the Valley with spotty connections and "not a true regional system." While Tempe voters approved a transit sales tax years ago and expanded bus service, Chandler voters defeated a similar proposal.

Dunn dropped out of the race for Maricopa County Attorney and will leave his city office in December. Plans to improve his city's mass transit were on his "bucket list" of things he wants to finish in six months.

Dunn said he will ask to stay on the league's executive board after August when a new president is elected. And he intends to promote the transit issue until he passes the mayor's gavel to his likely successor, state Sen. Jay Tibshraeny, who is running unopposed for the city post.

"I haven't seen the league resolution, but I would like to see the LTAF (lottery) funds restored. That would go a long way to shore up transit needs," Tibshraeny said.

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Effects of light-rail on businesses mixed, owners say
by Derek Quizon 
Jul. 13, 2010 09:51 AM
The Arizona Republic

At the eastern end of the light-rail line in Mesa, Omar Torres and Howard Gaebel sell hot dogs, snacks and drinks to passersby in the summer heat. Their business, a hot-dog stand called Metro Dog, owes its existence to the light-rail system. Torres and Gaebel brag that they sell their products to hundreds of customers a day, most are getting on and off the train.

Metro Dog is an example of the positive impact the system had on local businesses, something its advocates at Valley Metro have talked up since the beginning of construction in 2005.

A fast, affordable mass-transit system, they argued, would help make the metro Phoenix area into a more pedestrian-oriented city. Rather than driving in their cars, riders could get off at destinations and explore stores, restaurants and bars along the line.

"People who (only) visited businesses close to their home and stayed within a five-mile radius of their home and their work (are) using light rail as a convenient way to connect to, say, if they live in Tempe, new restaurants they hadn't explored in Phoenix," Valley Metro spokeswoman Hilary Foose said.

For every success story, there is a business that struggled to regain customers it lost during construction when roadwork made it difficult for people to find their way into the parking lot. Business owners in lesser-heralded locations say light rail simply funnels its riders to sought-after destinations like Tempe's Mill Avenue or downtown Phoenix.

Jacob Johnson, co-owner of Watson Flowers in Tempe, said the rail has had a mixed effect on his business. It increases the shop's visibility to commuters who take the light rail.

But Johnson said the drop in traffic along Apache Boulevard during construction still lingers. More exposure to people taking the train could mean less exposure for people driving on the street.

"There's traffic that has not returned," he said. "It's not the major thoroughfare it was before."

Johnson said the construction hurt his business severely, but he does not believe it has had a positive impact on sales since completion. He is hopeful that it will help the area in the long run by increasing property values.

Homa Mamnoon, owner of the Tasty Kabob restaurant in Tempe, said she believes the rail could have a bigger impact if officials did more to promote businesses in lesser-known areas. Her restaurant is at the Dorsey stop of the rail line, just east of ASU's main campus, but the rail hasn't done much to bring in more customers, she said.

Mamnoon participated in METRO Max, a Valley Metro promotion that provides deals to people who download a free membership card off its website for special deals. Participating businesses are required to give a 25 percent discount, or similar offer, to customers who show their cards. In return, those businesses are mentioned in e-mail and social media alerts to members.

This year, she left the program because she said the discount requirement is unreasonable. She said she thinks METRO Max alerts don't pay enough attention to businesses outside of high-profile areas.

"If they are really promoting all the restaurants, and just (routing) people other places besides the (downtown) Phoenix area, or Mill Avenue, people will stop there," she said.

Foose said discrepancies in the way businesses are promoted are based mostly on which ones are the most active online. Businesses that promote themselves heavily with Facebook and Twitter make themselves more visible to Valley Metro and the public, she said.

The next light-rail extension, scheduled to open in 2016, would go from the Sycamore station in Mesa to Main Street and Mesa Drive. Jim Minch, who owns the Milano Music store near Main and Center streets, said he is not worried about the construction because parking at Milano is behind the building. He said he is still unsure of whether the rail will have a positive or negative impact on business.

"I'm hoping it'll bring more customers to the area," Minch said. "I'm hoping it's not going to take our customer base, who might get on the train and go to Tempe."

Johnson said it is best for business owners along the light rail to find a way to minimize the impact of construction, and try to maximize potential benefits of having the rail nearby. Johnson's father, former co-owner of Watson Flowers, was a vocal critic of the rail when it was being proposed, but he was unsuccessful in preventing its construction.

"You could try fighting it, like we did, but once it's there, make the best of it," he said.

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Opinions sought on new bus service for Scottsdale Road
by Jane Larson 
Jul. 14, 2010 08:43 AM
The Arizona Republic

Transportation planners will ask for residents' opinions next week on what type of bus service should be added to Scottsdale Road beginning as early as 2014.

Valley Metro, Scottsdale and Tempe have started a study to determine how to improve transit service along Scottsdale/Rural roads between University Drive in Tempe and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in the Scottsdale Airpark. Valley Metro says its Route 72, Scottsdale/Rural Road, bus has the highest ridership of any route outside Phoenix.

The study will focus primarily on service for the 11 miles between University Drive and Shea Boulevard. It will look at how to extend any new service to the 4 miles between Shea and Frank Lloyd Wright boulevards.

Planners will offer six options at next week's meetings, none of which includes the long-contentious idea of light rail on Scottsdale Road. Planners are considering using the "couplets" of Drinkwater and Goldwater boulevards for the new service instead of running it on Scottsdale Road in downtown Scottsdale.

The concepts being offered are considered forms of bus rapid transit, which typically makes fewer stops, receives priority at intersections, and carries more passengers farther distances per hour.

They include:
• Operating buses in the curb lanes, sharing the lane with general traffic.
Mesa's LINK service, which makes limited stops between the transit center at Main and Sycamore streets and Superstition Springs Center, follows this model.

• Adopting Business Access and Transit, or BAT, lanes.
Curb lanes would be reserved for buses and vehicles making turns on cross streets or into driveways. The concept could shorten bus travel times but requires strict enforcement, planners say.

• Dedicated bus lanes in the median.
Like light rail, passengers would board in the middle of the street, and other vehicles could turn left only at signalized intersections. The alternative is less expensive than light rail, planners say, but would reduce traffic lanes on Scottsdale and Rural roads to four lanes from the current six. It is not considered feasible for downtown, where Scottsdale Road narrows to four lanes.

• Transportation System Management.
This concept offers bus service with limited stops.

The bus-service study, called an Alternatives Analysis, is required to apply for Federal Transit Administration funding. The federal money would supplement local funding from a sales-tax increase Maricopa County voters approved in 2004 for regional transportation.

The public input will help Valley Metro identify a Locally Preferred Alternative, another requirement of the application for federal funding. Valley Metro and the cities would hold more meetings in the fall to get public comment on the preferred alternative.

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

APS is a proud supporter of Friends of Transit. Nearly 80 percent of the light rail route runs through APS territory and the company played an integral role in the light rail system’s planning and construction. Today, APS provides much of the electricity that powers light rail via safe overhead lines. APS is an enthusiastic advocate for mass transit, offering its employees incentives to commute to and from work via bus and light rail. For more information on APS and creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona, visit aps.com.

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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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