Today, I decided to take METRO Light Rail between the Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses in conjunction with picking up my Spring 2009 textbooks. This blog has reported travel times between campuses in excess of 30 minutes. But I have good news:
The travel time (one way) was 25 minutes for me. I got off at the University Dr/Rural Rd station (northeast corner of the campus) as it was closest to the Tempe campus bookstore, but as this blog has suggested, if you are traveling to the south side of ASU Tempe, your best bet might be to exit the trains at the Mill Ave/3rd St station and transfer to a Flash Back (anticlockwise) bus.
Remember that if you're traveling from Downtown Phoenix to Tempe, board at the Van Buren/1st Ave station (west side of Central Station). When you're returning back, you'll get off at the Van Buren/Central Ave. The difference is because 1st Avenue in downtown Phoenix is southbound Central Avenue.
Hope this helps! For maps of the University's campuses, click here. There's an online version and also a printable PDF version available.
Cheers-
Edward Jensen
Showing posts with label intercampus commuting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intercampus commuting. Show all posts
09 January 2009
27 December 2008
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 Light Rail now opened, getting between the Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses of ASU changes. This blog has reported the changes to ASU intercampus commuting so check that out.
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
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 Light Rail now opened, getting between the Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses of ASU changes. This blog has reported the changes to ASU intercampus commuting so check that out.
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
26 December 2008
Light Rail Opens: Tempe Town Lake, 26 December 2008
As part of METRO Light Rail's Media Day today, we took a ride on METRO across Tempe Town Lake traveling at a respectable 37.5mph (60km/h). Check it out:
If you cannot see the video, stop by my blog to see it!
Light Rail Opens tomorrow!
Cheers-
Edward Jensen
If you cannot see the video, stop by my blog to see it!
Light Rail Opens tomorrow!
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
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
14 December 2008
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
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
06 November 2008
METRO Light Rail on the ASU Tempe campus
Before I get too involved with this post, I should mention that this is my 100th post to this blog. And it's about an important subject: transportation and light rail.
A question that I'm asked a lot concerns the schedules of METRO Light Rail when it opens up on 27 December 2008 (51 days out!). 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:
WHERE DO I BOARD METRO LIGHT RAIL? WHAT'S THE BEST STOP FOR ME AT THE TEMPE CAMPUS?
Good question! Read on:
I received an e-mail about the shuttles this afternoon. Here's what's happening:
Until then, all I can say is keep watching!
Cheers-
Edward Jensen
A question that I'm asked a lot concerns the schedules of METRO Light Rail when it opens up on 27 December 2008 (51 days out!). 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.
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.)
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.
- New this semester was every third West/Tempe intercampus shuttle making an intermediate stop at the Downtown Phoenix campus. This service will continue.
Until then, all I can say is keep watching!
Cheers-
Edward Jensen
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