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

An open letter to METRO's persistent naysayers

Every time I read an article on METRO Light Rail, I am shocked at all the negative (and naive) comments that readers post. I offer this open letter to everyone who is still vehemently opposed to METRO.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but METRO Light Rail is here and it's slated to open up in 13 days. I know that many of you are opposed to METRO and think that through your persistent complaints on it that it's going to go away and the investment will suddenly make Arizona's budget crisis disappear. I know that $1.6billion is a lot of money, but it was spent when the economy was in fine shape.

First, some history. METRO was originally going to be a project just within the City of Phoenix. When the Transit 2000 bond in Phoenix passed on 14 March 2000, the original route was just over 13 miles long would have been METRO's alignment from Christown (19th Ave/Montebello) to the Airport (44th St/Washington). Through many iterations, the process became a regional effort and METRO Light Rail (as we know it today) was born. The Transit 2000 bond called for a 20-year, 0.4% sales tax (or $0.04 in tax on a $10 purchase) with a federal match of $600million to METRO and $200million to the bus system. That bond passed and we are here today. In 2004, Maricopa County voters approved Proposition 400, allowing for a regional sales tax of 0.5% ($0.05 in tax on a $10 purchase).

Second, the art. Phoenix city ordinance requires that 1% of the capital construction costs of all publicly-financed buildings/projects go to art. For METRO, the artwork goes to the stations. In addition to the architecture of the station, each station has its own identity that individual artists have put into that station. The Heard Museum (Central/Encanto) station, for instance, has artwork inspired by the cultures represented inside the Heard Museum. The Downtown Phoenix/City Hall (1st Ave/Jefferson southbound) has a mosaic of Arizona's own Sandra Day O'Connor because it is near the seat of Phoenix government. You say that the artwork will be defaced. There have been reputable studies by many institutions that artwork at a public gathering point decreases crime because it increases microregional (the area nearby) pride.

Third, the future. I know that the economy isn't all that great now, but nobody projected this back in 2000 when METRO started. For every $1 put into capital improvements like light rail, the return is $3-$4. As a result of METRO, investment in the 20-mile corridor has been significant. When the economy rebounds soon, you watch what will happen along the route. When the price of gasoline goes back to record levels, won't you want to be where you can live, shop, work, and play along the line? Or now: is sitting in traffic congestion to commute from the far exurbs of Phoenix to downtown Phoenix fun? I look at traffic congestion maps of the Valley during rush hours and I see more red than yellow or green. If your commute is 60-90 minutes each day one way, that's 2-3 hours per day stuck in traffic doing nothing and breathing toxic fumes. If you lived and worked along the METRO line, that is an extra 2-3 hours per day with the people you love.

A quick note on crime: you say that light rail and public transportation will bring crime into your neighborhoods. Evaluate that statement. If I was a criminal, I probably wouldn't take public transportation as my getaway vehicle! First, they're not all that fast; second, you would be in close quarters with other people watching what you're doing. This argument makes little sense.

I leave you with this: You say that public transportation is subsidized by taxpayer dollars. This is true; no system is completely self-sufficient. But aren't your roads also subsidized by taxpayer dollars? What return do we get from those? Aren't your schools subsidized by taxpayer dollars? What financial return do we get from those? What about your police and fire departments? Do we get a financial return from those?

I probably cannot speak for you, but I can speak for myself and all of my fellow residents who choose to live the urban lifestyle: we cannot wait for METRO to open up in 13 days.

METRO is reality and it is coming on 27 December 2008.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO and ASU intercampus commuting

Before I get too involved with this post, I should mention that there are:

50 days before METRO's grand opening!

A question that I'm asked a lot concerns the schedules of METRO Light Rail when it opens up on 27 December 2008. Will I have enough time to shuttle between classes? Will the Tempe/Downtown Phoenix intercampus shuttle go away?

Here's what I know based on e-mails and contacts to people who are in the know:

METRO LIGHT RAIL SCHEDULES AND FREQUENCIES
At this time, we only know frequencies and not an exact schedule. A telephone call to the METRO Light Rail helpdesk affirmed this statement. Here's what we do know, however:

• It will take about 25 minutes to get from the Downtown Phoenix campus stations (Central or 1st Avenue at Van Buren Street) to Tempe. I'm not sure what is meant by "Tempe", but I would assume Mill Ave/3rd Street.
  
• The frequency of METRO's service is posted at METRO's website here. Given that you'll have to wait (theoretically) at most 10 minutes between 6a-7p and 20 minutes between 5-6a and 7-12midnight, allow yourself 35-40 minutes to get to Tempe.
• Having been on the sprawling Tempe campus, a safe bet would be to allow yourself no less than 45 minutes between classes on the Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses. Ideally, give yourself an hour.

Remember that you'll need an ASU bus pass to ride METRO for free.

WHERE DO I BOARD METRO LIGHT RAIL? WHAT'S THE BEST STOP FOR ME AT THE TEMPE CAMPUS?
Good question! Read on:

• On the Downtown Phoenix campus, there are two sets of stops that work. If you're at University Center, Cronkite/Eight, Taylor Place, or NHI, use 1st Avenue/Van Buren Street to head east to the Tempe campus. If you're at the Mercado, use 4th Street/Jefferson Street to head to Tempe.
• Remember, though, when you're arriving back to the Downtown Phoenix campus, for University Center, Cronkite/Eight, Taylor Place, or NHI, disembark METRO at the Central Avenue/Van Buren Street station. For the Mercado, disembark at the 3rd Street/Washington Street station.
  
• On the Tempe campus, there are three stops (from northwest to southeast): Mill Avenue/3rd Street, College Avenue/5th Street, and Rural Road/University Drive.
• All three METRO stops on the Tempe campus are on the north end of that campus. If the FLASH buses don't change their routes, then the best bet to get to the south end of the Tempe campus would be to disembark at the Mill/3rd St station and transfer to a FLASH FORWARD or FLASH BACK bus. (For our purposes, the FLASH University Drive buses wouldn't do much.)

INTERCAMPUS SHUTTLES
I received an e-mail about the shuttles this afternoon. Here's what's happening:

• When METRO Light Rail comes on board 27 December 2008, the Downtown Phoenix/Tempe intercampus shuttles will stop as METRO makes the shuttles redundant.
• The West/Tempe and Polytechnic/Tempe intercampus shuttles will still operate and still terminate at the Tempe campus. It had been mentioned that the West/Tempe would terminate at the 19th Ave/Montebello METRO station and students would transfer to METRO there, but this will not be happening.
  
• New this semester was every third West/Tempe intercampus shuttle making an intermediate stop at the Downtown Phoenix campus. This service will continue.

This list is by no means complete and the information will change as I get more of it. A new Valley Metro Bus Book will be released in a couple weeks' time and we might get a complete METRO Light Rail schedule then.

Until then, all I can say is keep watching!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

75 days to METRO!

Today marks 75 days to the opening of Phoenix's METRO Light Rail! Are you excited?

As part of the grand opening weekend (27-28 December), METRO is planning festivities along the entire 20-mile route.

Anyway, in 75 days, we'll be riding this:


Cheers-
Edward Jensen

This is the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown

Today was a big day in downtown Phoenix history. Downtown Phoenix's first new hotel in over 30 years opened. This is the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, located along 3rd Street between Taylor and Van Buren Streets.

I went inside and had a look around to see what was on the inside (after a couple of years of seeing construction on the outside!).


if you cannot see the slideshow, click here for the album

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

100 days to METRO!

METRO opens for operation on 27 December 2008, which just happens to be 100 days from today.

This definitely calls for a celebration. Perhaps we'll see trains again in downtown Phoenix just like we did on Monday?

In the meantime, check out this video from the Arizona Rail Passengers' Association of METRO tests from the Central at Roosevelt station.

if you cannot see the video, click here

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO enters Downtown Phoenix, part II

As promised, here are still images from today's historic METRO test in downtown Phoenix.


The images are presented in a Google Pictures slideshow. To see larger versions of these images, click here.

Isn't this exciting?

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO enters Downtown Phoenix, part I

Earlier today, METRO made its grand march into Downtown Phoenix and turned north onto Central Avenue. I'm working on getting the pictures uploaded, but I have a couple of videos that share the exhilaration of the moment:


if you cannot see the video of METRO turning onto Central Avenue, click here


if you cannot see the video of METRO departing the Central/Washington station, click here


if you cannot see the video of METRO departing the Central/Van Buren station, click here

I'm working on a slideshow of the pictures I took. That is to come later today!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

MAG hearing on Phoenix's transit future

[Author's note: this comes from the latest post to the Downtown Voices Coalition blog. To check out the Downtown Voices Coalition, I invite you to go to http://downtownvoices.org/.]

The Maricopa Association of Governments is sponsoring a series of public meetings to get feedback on whether citizens would like more bus service, more light rail, or some other form of transit in the future. The public meeting in downtown Phoenix is at the ASU Mercado building C, located at 502 E. Monroe Street from 6pm to 8pm tomorrow (Thursday 26 June 2008). For all this information in iCalendar format to import into Outlook or other PIM, download here.

For further information, check out Building a Quality Arizona at http://www.bqaz.org/ or the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan at http://www.mag.maricopa.gov/project.cms?item=411.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

PS: I think you know what my opinion on this issue is: check out all entries with the theme "Light Rail and Transportation"...

Phoenix weather

It's raining (correction: not raining) here in downtown Phoenix, and it's simply wonderful. I've got my windows open at my house and the inside temperature is a nice 79F. I'm not complaining.

Anyway, the weather people are holding the days of 100F+ over our heads again so we should enjoy this weekend because it's probably the last nice weekend before the dog days of summer. The Phoenix Symphony is performing Osvaldo Golijov's opera (in concert performance) Ainadamar featuring sopranos Dawn Upshaw (for whom Golijov wrote the part of Margarita Xirgu), Emily Albrink, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, and the always energetic Phoenix Symphony Chorus.

You want something outside? Try hiking one of Phoenix's mountains or going to Encanto Park's Enchanted Island or rent a paddleboat and stroll the Encanto lagoon. Maybe walk Arizona's Capitol Mall and walk through (for free admission!) the historic Arizona Capitol Museum – open Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

Enjoy the weather (and the weekend!) – EJ

The Downtown Phoenix Cafeterias project

I am starting a project identifying all the cafeterias of various downtown Phoenix buildings. We all know that the Chase Tower (at 201 N. Central Ave.) has the Coin Room Café in its basement and that Phoenix City Hall (200 W. Washington St.) has their cafeteria on the 10th floor, but there simply has to be more in downtown Phoenix. If you know of any cafeterias, or would like to stay abreast of what's going on with the cafeteria project, send an e-mail to cafeterias@edwardjensen.net.

Thanks! -EJ

Downtown Phoenix resources

There are many Downtown Phoenix blogs that I read and from which I learn many things. One of those blogs is the Downtown Phoenix Journal (my friend and fellow StAR Sam Richard is a guest blogger for the ASU Downtown section, as is Phil Gordon, the mayor of Phoenix).

Anyway, the DPJ posted a link to Local First Arizona / Arizona Chain Reaction (http://www.localfirstaz.com/), which is a coalition of independent businesses. According to their website, "We are the locally-owned, independent businesses that are the backbone of the Arizona economy. When you shop at a locally owned business, 45 cents of every dollar stays in Arizona - versus only 13 cents of every dollar spent at a national chain!"

The cool part which is pertinent to downtown Phoenix residents is a 7-page PDF map of downtown Phoenix stores, shops, and restaurants. Go check it out at http://localfirstaz.com/downloads/small-wonders.pdf.

For those who say that downtown Phoenix is dead, I beg to differ!

Cheers! - EJ

I am here. (Sort of.)

On 30 April 2008, I went to the Arizona Club for the ASU School of Public Affairs awards luncheon. I took the opportunity to take some pictures of Phoenix from the 37th story of Phoenix.


To see the descriptions of what you're seeing, click on the bubble above.

(If the slideshow doesn't work, go here.)

Cheers! - EJ