by bryan | Oct 24, 2011 | light rail corridor, light rail expansion, News & Information
Progress on the Mesa light rail extension is underway. Part of the plans call for a 516-space park-and-ride to be constructed as part of the Central Mesa extension. This new park-and-ride lot will be located at the northeast corner of Mesa Drive and Main Street. Look for the changes to take place over the next year or so. Metro is developing plans for the 3.1 mile extension in a design-build concept. The contractor and architect will be selected sometime in the Spring of 2012. Stay tuned. Light Rail Advisors has developed a web and print presence to support the concept of Live, Work, Play in the light rail corridor. We are actively pulling business, cultural and governmental interests together to promote business and growth in the corridor. Our goal is to make it easy to live, work and play near the tracks. For more information, contact Bryan Watkins at 480.734.7878, or Don Mortensen at 602.451.3684....
by bryan | Oct 24, 2011 | Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
by Kellie Hwang – Oct. 20, 2011 Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editors Note: LightRailConnect endorses downtown Phoenix venues and expects the activity to increase each month as the economy improves] Although about 6 million people come to downtown Phoenix each year to watch sporting events, concerts and theater productions, the streets usually feel empty after 9 p.m. For years, the masses have not been sticking around after the buzzer sounds, the encore ends or the curtain falls. Out-of-towners are often asking Kathy Cline, co-owner of Steve’s Greenhouse Grill, if “this” is downtown Phoenix, she said. “People go to events, buy their food and drinks there, then get in the car and go home. There’s just not that downtown vibe yet.” But with the recent efforts of downtown business owners, entrepreneurs and developers, that is slowly changing. Through better promotion of late-night venues and a new smartphone application that tells users what’s open and what’s hip, downtown leaders are encouraging visitors to linger longer. “Five years ago . . . I would literally watch the wave of people leaving the ballpark, head straight to the parking garages, get into their cars and leave,” said Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks. “Now, the walking patterns are changing. People are going to Stand Up Live or bowling after, and that’s the way downtown should be.” Within a comfortable walking distance of downtown’s biggest venues, about 15 late-night restaurants and bars cater to postevent crowds, staying open past 10, according to the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. The change has come in increments. Some downtown advocates say they still see too many restaurants closing early, and...
by bryan | Oct 15, 2011 | light rail corridor, light rail expansion, News & Information
Phoenix light-rail extension may be getting back on track Courtesy of Sean Holstege – Aug. 16, 2011 The Arizona Republic [Editors Note: The Phoenix 3.2 mile extension compliments Mesa’s 3.1 mile extension. LightRailConnect is a big proponent of the expansion helping business grow in the light rail corridor.] When the recession started biting hard into the region’s transportation plans, the light-rail extension due to open first went toward the back of the list. Workers were weeks away from digging into northwest Phoenix streets in July 2009 when a sharp drop in Phoenix transit-tax revenue forced officials to push the starting date back indefinitely and suspend contracts. Two years later, and three since Metro light rail debuted, transit and city leaders are confident they can find a way to restart the extension around the end of the year. The project would add 3.2 miles of track and three stations north of Montebello Station on 19th Avenue. “The mayor is challenging us to get this done by December,” said Metro CEO Steve Banta, referring to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. “It’s the most shovel-ready project we have.” Building the line won’t require new taxes, Phoenix officials say. Because of improving revenues from a city transit sales tax, Phoenix can issue bonds to cover most of the cost, they say. Resurrecting the project will require votes from Metro’s board and a regional transportation group, as well as a fresh agreement with contractors. If all goes well, Metro says, passengers could ride the line in 2015 – three years late. The extension will require Metro to run more trains on the line to maintain its existing...
by bryan | Oct 15, 2011 | light rail corridor, News & Information, Sports
P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona courses get facelift going into ninth year Courtesy of Jeff Metcalfe – Sept. 28, 2011 The Arizona Republic [Editors Note: The January 15th P.F Chang’s Rock n’ Roll Arizona bumps onto the light rail corridor numerous places. LightRaiConnect.com is a strong supporter of the race!] The P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and 1/2 Marathon is getting a course face-lift going into its ninth running Jan. 15. The start line for the 13.1-mile half marathon is being moved to downtown Tempe with the course to include a downhill section in Papago Park. The 26.2-mile marathon start will remain in downtown Phoenix but shift from the State Capitol area to CityScape, with other changes in the second half of the course. The races will overlap on opposite sides of Mill Avenue Bridge in Tempe and Rio Salado Parkway to finishes near Sun Devil Stadium. “The half-marathon route and (transportation) buses have been our biggest complaints,” said Alan Culpepper, a two-time Olympian and 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials champion who designed the course changes for the Competitor Group. “We’ve changed both of those. “It’s been one of our marquee events, and it’s time for the course to live up to how great the Valley is. We made the half (marathon) more convenient for the runners with a nicer, more-scenic route.” Runners will be able to take the light rail to and from the start/finish lines, depending where they park or are housed if visiting the Valley, likely eliminating the need for the bus transportation that was required in the past. Race organizers still are working out details...
by bryan | Oct 15, 2011 | light rail corridor, News & Information, Valley Metro
Phoenix light rail: Private rail security urged Courtesy of Emily Gersema – Sept. 6, 2011 The Arizona Republic [Editors Note: Any large city has security concerns. LightRailConnect.com supports the move to private security.] Mesa and Tempe have a private-security company to monitor Metro light-rail passengers in their areas, but Phoenix has continued to rely on its police force to check on passengers and be on watch for crime at platforms and in the trains. That appears about to change. The Phoenix Citizens Transit Commission last week unanimously approved a proposal for the Police Department to switch to a private-security company to monitor the passengers for the Phoenix stretch of the 19-mile light-rail system. The measure now goes to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability Subcommittee and the City Council, which are expected to approve it later this month. Cmdr. Jeff Alexander of the Phoenix Public Transit Police Bureau told the commission that Metro light rail has a goal that police or security officers inspect around 20 percent of all fares to be sure light-rail passengers are paying and validating their passes. “We have struggled with that,” Alexander said. “We have never been able to attain that goal without having outside resources or using more officers or putting more officers on the train.” Mesa and Tempe rely on G4S, the company formerly known as Wackenhut, to monitor passengers and check fares. G4S security officers are easily recognized by their white shirts with purple sleeve badges and dark pants, and they carry handheld devices that, with a quick swipe, can check a rider’s ticket and determine whether it’s valid. This helps Metro light rail...
by bryan | Oct 15, 2011 | Jobs, light rail corridor
Jobs Near Light Rail – Are you a returning Veteran? Are you a Vet? Returned from your tour and trying to find that job again? Been looking for awhile but have not found it yet? Look no further. We can help! Doesn’t it seems just like a mission to search and locate that enemy fighter in the foxhole? He is around here somewhere, but just where should you look next? I chatted recently with Cindy, a member of one of the veterans local support groups who confirmed, “Many veterans have had a hard time to return from their tour and pick up their lives from where they left off”. It is understandable that over the course of one or two years may things can and have changed on the home front and job front. She added: “this is such a tough time in the economy that everyone is scrambling to find any job that is available. It is hard sometimes to know where to even start to look!” While some companies have and will keep a position open for a returning veteran, others are so small that they must fill the vacated position immediately to survive, especially in these challenging economic times. We have a local fresh and updated search option for a constant stream of jobs that are also conveniently located where you can use public transportation if and when needed. You will find it today on the popular local website LightRailConnect.com. Click on the JOBS section and view over 130 “application ready” jobs posted by employers. One very big advantage these jobs have is that you...
