by bryan | Oct 4, 2012 | light rail expansion
Courtesy of AZCentral.com Nothing is in concrete yet, but Mesa is beginning to get a clearer picture of the possible timing and costs for what seems an ever-more-likely extension of light rail to Gilbert Road. About 50 people got up to speed on the project during a meeting Tuesday night at Mesa Church of Christ, just a block south of where the future tracks would transform the intersection of Main Street and Stapley Drive. Work already has begun on 3.1 miles of new track from the Sycamore Street station to just west of Horne Street; service on that leg is expected to begin in late 2015. The extension to Gilbert Road would be another 1.7 miles. Howard Steere, community relations manager for Metro light rail, said the agency would like to begin building the next extension the minute it wraps up work on the first. “We’re going to work hard to make that happen,” he said, “but that’s a very aggressive schedule to try to accomplish.” Much depends on funding. Jodi Sorrell, Mesa’s acting transit director, said the City Council is expected to begin looking at the money issue late this year. “It could be kind of complicated,” Sorrell said. Marc Soronson, project manager for the Gilbert Road extension, said light rail is currently costing $60 million to $80 million a mile. The Gilbert Road extension will be on the low end of that range, he said, if planners decide to restrict vehicular traffic to one lane in each direction. If Main Street must be widened to accommodate not only the tracks but four lanes of traffic, Soronson said...
by bryan | Oct 4, 2012 | News & Information
Courtesy of Metro Light Rail Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 24, 2012) Valley Metro wants to know if you are up to the challenge of sharing your ride at least once a week in the month of October. Employers, local residents and anyone that makes a regular drive to work or school is asked to consider alternative travel options next month. “Sharing a ride is beneficial on so many levels,” said Dawn M. Coomer, Valley Metro Business Services Manager. “You can add minutes or hours to your day and arrive at your destination less stressed.” Considering vehicle fuel and maintenance costs, limiting the drive alone trip just one day a week can help save up to $70 a month. According to regional air quality experts, 49 miles of vehicle travel creates one pound of pollution. With an average Valley daily commute of 32 miles, using alternative modes can reduce ground-level ozone and the additional churn of particulate matter or dust particles from vehicle use. Western Refining employee, Mary Korba, says that joining a Valley Metro vanpool has been an exceptionally positive experience. “Not only am I saving money and time, I have developed lifelong friendships,” says Korba. “In fact, I met my husband while riding in a Valley Metro van. I guess you could say that spending quality time together twice each day has really paid off.” Rideshare Month is an annual county-wide event that encourages the use of alternative commute options, public transit, carpools, vanpools or bicycling to help reduce emissions from vehicle use, decrease congestion and conserve energy. Here are the ways local residents and employers can participate in Rideshare...
by bryan | Oct 4, 2012 | light rail expansion
Courtesy of Metro Light Rail PHOENIX, AZ — Construction of light rail is back on the move in Phoenix, AZ with the re-launch of the Northwest extension along 19th Avenue from the current end-of-line north 3.2 miles to Dunlap Avenue. The project has received approval to accelerate the completion year from 2023 to 2016. Final design is underway; construction will begin in early 2013. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton says many in the city have been looking forward to the project beginning again, “Speaking on behalf of the residents and passengers, I know there is much anticipation to add light rail service to the highly-used bus service along this route. This project is an investment in the community I believe in and will prove to be a great benefit with its completion.” The Northwest extension was initially set to open this year; however, in 2009, the economic downturn and decline in local sales tax revenue forced the project on hold. With its postponement, the project was pushed out to a 2023 completion year. The positive strides in the economy, expected boost from the building of this extension and local willpower have helped to advance it by seven years. This project is one of six high-capacity/light rail extensions being planned for or in active construction in the metro Phoenix region. It will extend rail service farther north into Phoenix, capturing new riders, serving high-density neighborhoods and getting closer to the Interstate 17 freeway and its employment centers. “It’s an exciting time as we further expand into Phoenix, providing our customers with greater access to transit and choice in how they travel,”...
by bryan | Oct 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
Courtesy of Metro Light Rail Look out! Fares may increase in 2013. Proposed fare increase for March 1, 2013 Valley Metro is considering a fare change that would increase fare revenue to support operations and create greater equity in the fare structure. A fare increase is necessary to preserve service. The cost of transit operations continues to rise and fare revenue must keep pace. Regular adjustments will be required into the future in order to keep cost and revenue in the appropriate balance and service on the street. This fall, Valley Metro will continue to seek public comment on a revised fare increase proposal that is recommended for implementation on March 1, 2013. The public comment period is open now through November 3, 2012. Open houses and a public hearing will occur between October 22 – November 1. Background In fall 2011, Valley Metro initiated a public outreach process for a proposed increase of $.25 to the base fare, taking a single ride fare from $1.75 to $2.00; an Express/RAPID single ride from $2.75 to $3.00. With every fare increase proposal, a federally-required analysis must be conducted to ensure all riders continue to have equal access and pay equally for transit service. This fall, Valley Metro will continue the public outreach process with a revised fare increase proposal that would allow Express/RAPID riders to more equitably share in the cost of operations. The new proposal would take an Express/RAPID single ride fare from $2.75 to $3.25, an additional $.25 from the proposal in fall 2011. Fare increases and service reductions are occurring across the country; a shortfall in revenue is not...
by bryan | May 30, 2012 | light rail expansion
courtesy of Sean Holstege The Republic | azcentral.com Valley Metro is set to break ground today on the first light-rail expansion, a 3.1-mile stretch into downtown Mesa that city leaders hope will bring a sorely needed economic boost. The $200 million extension is expected to attract thousands more East Valley riders daily and potentially nurture new development along the line. Mesa’s hopes reflect a broader optimism among Valley transit planners. After delaying and scaling back projects during the recession, they see new signs of life for efforts to build out the system. “I’m encouraged right now. We were concerned because of the economy, and we had to slow down the program. But now, we may have three active projects under construction within a year,” said Wulf Grote, Metro planning director. The other two are a Tempe streetcar line and a northwest Phoenix light-rail extension. Two years ago, regional planners scaled back and postponed light-rail and freeway projects because the main source of funding, a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax approved by voters in 2004, was bringing in far less revenue than anticipated. Two light-rail lines in northeast and northwest Phoenix were deferred indefinitely. Now, with the economy picking up, the Maricopa Association of Governments last week moved up the starting date for the northwest extension. The Mesa project is ahead of schedule by months and could be open in a little more than three years. By 2016, it’s possible that the light-rail system will extend from 19th and Dunlap avenues in northwest Phoenix to downtown Mesa, a distance of 26 miles. It also would have a connection to the Sky Train people-mover...
