Light Rail Opens: Traveling from Downtown Phoenix to Tempe

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

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

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

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

Light Rail Opens: Schedules for 27-31 December 2008

Our good friend and supporter Nick Bastian of RailLife.com has been following METRO's progress and is excited to see it open up in a week. He wrote an excellent post summarizing highlights of the Grand Opening and just today, he wrote another excellent post talking about hours of operation in METRO's first week.

Some highlights:

• SATURDAY DECEMBER 27: Grand opening! METRO's hours of operation will be 10a-8p with station celebrations happening from 10a-5p.
• SUNDAY DECEMBER 28: 10a-6p.
• MONDAY DECEMBER 29: Normal hours of operation, with the first train starting from either end at 4.40am and the last train leaving from either end at 11.00pm
• TUESDAY DECEMBER 30: Normal hours of operation (see above)
• WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31: Normal hours of operation, but the last train will leave from either end at 2am January 1 to accommodate New Year's revelers.

The best part: ride METRO for free in 2008! Fare service begins at 4.40am January 1.

Thanks again to Nick Bastian for compiling all this for us! We can't wait for METRO to open up!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Happy Last Weekend in Phoenix without METRO!

I know you're all sad that this is the last weekend in Phoenix without METRO Light Rail. I am, too. [end sarcasm]

The thing that is extremely hard to believe is that it seems like yesterday when Central Avenue was still 3 lanes with the fancy bricks running down the center. Or when construction started in front of my house. Or even when we hit the 100-days-to-go plateau. But it's here, and the grand opening celebrations are in ONE WEEK!

I'm probably going to be helping out that day at the Heard Museum (Encanto/Central Ave station) promoting the Midtown Museum District Neighborhood Association. I work with them as a community engagement partner for businesses, residents, and METRO Light Rail. So, if you're going to be riding the rails that day (so to speak), stop by and say hello. (I'm the tall one.)



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 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:

• 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. At the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, the parking office is in the elevator lobby on the 1st floor of UCENT.

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.
  
• 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

METRO starts regular testing on the entire 20-mile line Monday

[source: azcentral.com] METRO Light Rail will expand testing across all 20 miles of the line starting next week.

Until now, tests have been limited to the track south of McDowell Road, in downtown Phoenix, along Washington Street and through Tempe and Mesa.

Vehicles will now begin regular testing on Central Avenue. In addition, some trains will go all the way to the end of the line in Phoenix at 19th Avenue and Montebello.

Testing primarily occurs during the day; however, in coming weeks, testing will also take place at night to simulate service.

Expect a train anytime, from either direction, according to Hillary Foose, spokeswoman for METRO. She says testing will continue to ramp up and become more recurring in the weeks leading up to the system's grand opening on Dec. 27.

Testing will become so regular, in fact, it will appear as though METRO is in service, she said.

Each train is required to travel 1,000 miles during testing before it can be placed into regular service. Testing also helps Metro coordinate the various systems needed for light rail to run.

With trains testing at such a regular pace, Metro offers these guidelines to staying safe around light rail:

• Light rail is quiet; look and listen for the train.
• Obey the traffic signals; stop on red.
• Use the crosswalks and obey all signals.
• Stay off the trackway; never drive, bike, walk or skateboard on the tracks.
• Stay clear of the overhead wires; they are energized.

So far, Metro has not had a serious accident. For more on how to ride and ways to be safe around light rail, visit www.metrolightrail.org.

Monday will mark 61 days to the grand opening of METRO on 27 December 2008. Stay tuned to this blog for more information as we get it in.

The excitement, as I've said before, is palpable.

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. I wonder what ASU and the Downtown Phoenix campus will be doing as part of the celebrations.

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


Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO is back in Downtown Phoenix!

As reported in this blog in September, METRO Light Rail has been back in downtown Phoenix since 15 September 2008. Here is a collection of pictures of the first few weeks of METRO's testing here in downtown Phoenix:


if you cannot see the album, click here

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO Light Rail Dinner & Dialogue

On October 8th, METRO Light Rail in conjunction with ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus Student Affairs, is hosting a Dinner & Dialogue event where you can be part of an active discussion on METRO safety awareness. The event takes place in POST room 120 from 5.30-6.30p.

RSVP's are required. For more information, see the flyer, available here.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

T-minus 100 days for 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?

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

Need to get to West campus?

ASU Parking and Transit Services announced today that the Tempe/West intercampus shuttle will now make an intermediate stop at the Downtown Phoenix campus!

For more details and a full schedule, go to http://uabf.asu.edu/parking_commuter_shuttle_west

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO Light Rail's hours of operation

The Downtown Voices Coalition is advocating that METRO, Phoenix's new Light Rail, should stay open longer than midnight.

[source: Downtown Voices Coalition latest blog entry] Advocates for a vibrant, 24/7 downtown Phoenix hope to convince the Phoenix City Council to extend light rail closing hours from Midnight to 1 a.m. The Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee will discuss this matter at their Thursday, September 18 meeting at City Hall, 12th Floor, 200 W. Washington St. (start time is 9 a.m.). The public is invited to attend.

To view the full meeting agenda, click here. To read the Downtown Voices Coalition position statement on the matter, click here.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

METRO returns to Downtown Phoenix starting September 15th

this is from the Downtown Voices Coalition blog, online at http://downtownvoices.org/

[Source: Valley Metro] — Beginning the week of September 15, as early as Monday, you can expect a train anytime from either direction in downtown Phoenix. The vacant tracks you may be used to walking or biking on will soon be busy with activity. METRO light rail will expand vehicle testing to downtown Phoenix this month and the rest of the Phoenix alignment in October. Testing will move in slowly, but will ramp up in the later fall and winter months. So now as you move around the METRO system, please take note of these simple guidelines to staying safe:

• Light rail is quiet; look and listen for the train
• Obey the traffic signals; turn only with a green arrow
• Use the crosswalks and obey all signals
• Stay off the trackway; never drive, bike, walk or skateboard on the tracks
• Stay clear of the overhead wires; they are energized

METRO light rail is a 20-mile system that connects the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa set to open December 27, 2008. The in-road system will have 28 stations, eight park-and-ride facilities, and 50 trains. Trains will operate 20 hours a day and stop at stations every 10 minutes during daytime hours. Sharing the same fare structure as the Valley’s bus service, fares begin at $1.25 for a single ride. For more information on how to ride and ways to be safe around METRO light rail, click here.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Where's the METRO safety campaign?

Like a lot of people, I commute to and from the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus on the bus system. I live about a mile north of ASU so this is easy. But something I always see on my incredibly short journey is people jay-walking across Central Avenue - and the new METRO light rail tracks - in front of the Burton Barr Phoenix Central Library. First, this is illegal. Second, this is unsafe.

Something that I believe METRO has not done enough - and even in cooperation with the cities - is to focus on and even enforce safety around light rail. Phoenix and the entire metropolitan area is not used to driving around train tracks. Unlike most major cities, Phoenix doesn't have that much for railroad tracks. It is my fear that - given Phoenix's automobile safety record and how we like to run red traffic lights - there will inevitably be an accident involving someone who thought that they could beat a train through an intersection. Or a pedestrian who walked out on the tracks and didn't see or hear the train coming.

So my question to the METRO people is this: Why haven't you started an aggressive safety campaign in cooperation with the cities? Why aren't we fining people who walk -illegally - across the tracks in all the cities in which METRO operates? Why aren't all the traffic signals at all METRO intersections - namely the left-turn signals - working? If we want a culture of safety around train tracks - which I think we all want - why haven't we started that from the inceptions of this project years ago?

Regardless of your opinions on METRO, it is a reality. It is here. The first trains are out on our streets and it opens up Safety issues are not a reason to oppose light rail.

If you want information on METRO safety, you can go to METRO's website for more: http://www.valleymetro.org/metro_light_rail/light_rail_safety/.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

New Fall 2008 DPC/Tempe intercampus shuttle schedules

The Fall 2008 ASU Downtown Phoenix/Tempe intercampus shuttle schedule is out! New this semester is extended operation (to midnight Mondays-Thursdays and to 2:00am Fridays-Saturdays), Saturday operation, and even Sunday operation!

The schedules are online at http://uabf.asu.edu/parking_commuter_shuttle_downtown for your information.

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