Redirection

To make the transition to my new blog easier, I have installed a Google Widget to redirect you. In 10 seconds, you will be redirected to http://www.edwardjensen.net/.

Otherwise, click here to redirect.

Moving the show...

After about a year on the Blogger platform, I decided to move the show over to WordPress. The move was for two reasons, really: the first being so that the blog was more integrated to my online presence, www.edwardjensen.net, and the second being that I’m finding self-installed installations of WordPress more friendly and customizable.

So there we go.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Helping in times of crisis (please read!)

As I was going through my daily routine of looking through Twitter updates and blog entries, I came across this poignant thought from a commenter on lightrailblogger.com. This hearkens back to an entry I posted back in December with some words of wisdom from Kirsten Martin, a good friend and one of my Student Ambassador colleagues:

With all the cuts in the Phoenix city budget and Maricopa County budget, there are going to be far fewer services to help the homeless get off the street and back into productive living. We need to step up and help - NOW. Whether it's serving food at St. Vincent de Paul, or Andre House or getting involved at the Lodestar Day Resource Center or making a financial donation (even $5 will be welcomed) to CASS or SVdP -- every little bit helps. In my experience, volunteering my time to help those in need provides far greater personal rewards than the help that I give. I particularly suggest it if you are having your own pity party about your personal financial situation. It helps put life into perspective. Donation and volunteer opportunities can be found at www.stvincentdepaul.net.

Please feel free to pass this along to your contacts and networks so that we can make Phoenix a better place, even if it is in a time of economic hardship.
-Edward Jensen

Conan O'Brien, chemist?

courtesy The New York Times TierneyLab



Cheers-
Edward Jensen

xkcd on Linux humor

xkcd (a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language) is full of subdued Linux humor references. My favorite:


if you cannot see the comic, click here

Don't get the "sudo" reference? I guess you could check Wikipedia...

O Linux humor, how I love thee...

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Yes, we Did.

Yes, we Did.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. -Pres. Barack Obama, 20 January 2009

Not an appropriate use for light rail

On Saturday, I was out on Interstate 10 west of central Phoenix and I was looking how we can move people efficiently from the exurbs to downtown Phoenix. Right now, the freeway is being widened west of the Loop 101 interchange.

Anyway, on my journey on I-10, I was thinking that the proposals to put light rail as part of the freeway are completely misguided. This is not an appropriate use for light rail. This is an appropriate use for commuter rail.

First, let's look at traffic patterns for those who commute into Phoenix. Almost all seem to travel all the way into downtown Phoenix. Commuter rail stops less frequently than light rail and would serve this task more efficiently.

Second, the stations. One proposal for building light rail calls for building the guideway in the median of the freeway. How are you going to get people from the trains to the stops? And also, why would people want to stop and explore around one of these stations?

Third, precedent. Commuter rail is to light rail as freeways are to urban streets. To build light rail within a freeway doesn't seem to follow precedent nor make sense. The route through Phoenix seems to make sense. Someone in downtown Phoenix might travel north to run an errand on METRO.

So here's my two cents: let's get Phoenix on track to the future. Let's use this as a stepping stone to making Phoenix Union Station a rail hub for Phoenix, the state, and the region. Let's make Phoenix transportation truly multimodal and integrate rail with road.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

The string of unliklies

This has been a rather intense last couple of months with unlikely things happening:

1. Barack Obama is elected as the nation's first black president
2. The miracle on the Hudson River
3. The Cardinals heading to Super Bowl XLIII

Perhaps this is a sign and that which was thought to be unlikely realizes itself...

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Infr-obstruct-ure

On her self-titled show, Rachel Maddow talks about why investment in US infrastructure is so critical now. But apparently it's become rather political and Paul Krugman explains:

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Light Rail Opens: Tempe Town Lake, 26 December 2008

Extra video from Media Day, 26 December 2008:


if you cannot see the video, then stop by my blog to see it!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Light Rail Opens: Pictures from the festivities

To great fanfare, Valley METRO Light Rail opened today after a decade in the making. Here are some highlights from the day's events from the Encanto/Central Ave station:


if you cannot see the slideshow, stop by my blog to see it!


if you cannot see the video, stop by my blog to see it!

With METRO now open, some of the fixed-bus service in Phoenix will change on Monday December 29. The major change is that bus trips that begin within the city of Phoenix before 5am and after 10pm on weekdays will be eliminated. Saturday service will mirror Sunday service.

Since free rides on METRO continue through 2am January 1 2009, I'll see you on the trains!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Light Rail Opens: Bus changes effective Monday 29 December 2008

Back in May 2008, this blog covered the bus changes in city of Phoenix after METRO opens its doors. Seeing how that magical day wherein METRO opens is tomorrow (more later), the bus changes happen on Monday.

The information from that blog entry is still accurate within the city of Phoenix but it didn't cover the rest of the metropolitan area. Some highlights with updated information:

I. RED LINE So METRO Light Rail mainly travels along the route of the Red Line. The Red Line will end but bus service will still operate along where the Red Line once operated. Valley Metro has an excellent map of Red Line Replacement Routes (PDF form).

II. BLUE LINE The Blue Line will be renamed Route 39 (40th Street) and travel along the former Blue Line's route from Central Ave/Camelback Rd up through Paradise Valley Mall and to the Mayo Hospital.

III. BUS SERVICE HOURS AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS All weekday bus trips that start within the city of Phoenix before 5am and those starting after 10pm will be eliminated due to budget reductions. Saturday service will be reduced to Sunday levels. Also, the final colored line, the Green Line, will be renamed Route 29 (Thomas Road).

IV. TEMPE TRANSPORTATION CENTER Also opening tomorrow is the new Tempe Transportation Center. Bus routes that serviced College Avenue will be routed instead to the Tempe Transportation Center, at Veterans Way and College Avenue.

For more information, check out the Valley Metro Rider Alerts page on December 29 service changes. Be sure to pick up the new Transit Book (the former Bus Book) that takes effect 29 December 2008.

If you are going to get in on Phoenix's biggest party tomorrow, our good friend Nick Bastian of RailLife.com (your life is on the line!) has some notes of what to expect. Go check out his excellent article here.

All that's left for me to say is: Happy METRO Light Rail Day! I'll be at the Heard Museum tomorrow helping out with the Midtown Museum District Neighborhood Association, but I'll get in the madness and see what's going on. Stop by and say hello! (I'm the tall one with the hat.)

Cheers-
Edward Jensen