Mayor Smith decries ‘parochial’ transit planning

by | Apr 17, 2011 | light rail corridor, light rail expansion

by Gary Nelson – Apr. 14, 2011 The Arizona Republic Mesa Mayor Scott Smith told a room full of Arizona transit experts Monday that the state needs to get over its border problem. No, not that border. He was talking about the borders that separate one city from another on maps that barely make a difference to residents who move among communities to work, shop and recreate. Unless politicians and transit planners get over their parochialism, Smith said, the Valley will be stuck with a “hodgepodge system that is not meeting our needs and . . . is a detriment to our future.” Smith made his comments at an Arizona Transit Association conference at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa that continued into Tuesday afternoon. Returning to the theme of regionalism that has been a cornerstone of his nearly three years in office, Smith said civic narrow-mindedness is an even bigger threat than public transit’s chronic lack of money. He used the proposed extension of light rail to Gilbert Road as an example. Mesa wants to push the line 2 miles farther east of its scheduled terminus near Mesa Drive. Only last week the City Council approved an initial study of the idea, which has no funding and no timetable. Light-rail planners believe Gilbert Road is a more logical collection point for passengers than is the eastern edge of downtown. It’s not that Mesa thinks those 2 miles of Main Street will be a gold mine of redevelopment if the trains go through. It doesn’t. “But from a system standpoint, that’s a huge game-changer,” Smith said. “It will benefit the entire system a lot more than it...

Healthy Choices, Fresh Produce in one easy location

by | Apr 11, 2011 | Business, light rail corridor, News & Information

Healthy Choices, Fresh Produce in one easy location By Lynlee Smith This is a must visit whether you’re a local or just passing through the area, The Phoenix Public Market is a great place to pick up fresh locally-sourced produce, meats, dairy and packaged food items. Visit the Wine Bar, selling some of Arizonas finest gems, an extensive range of Arizona’s finest beer and wine. If your feeling the desire for a meal the Market Café offers great daily breakfast specials as well as delicious sandwiches, soups and salads to eat in or on the run. This market was introduced to the Phoenix area to increase the access to fresh and healthy food in an underserved area. It brings together the specialties of many local producers into one central location. The market has created a lot of job opportunities along with helping micro-businesses get started and build their capacity. This market is a great addition to the Phoenix area, creating a vibrant gathering place in the heart of the community. Open Hours– Year Round Rain or Shine Urban Grocery and Wine Bar Tuesday through Saturday, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm First Fridays, 7:00 am to 11:00 pm Open-Air Market Wednesdays, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Saturdays, 8:00 am to Noon (May through September) Saturdays, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (October through April) The Market Accepts Mastercard, Visa and Food Stamps (SNAP) in both the Urban Grocery and Open Air Market. The Open-Air Market also accepts AZ FMNP, WIC cash value vouchers This is located on 721 N. Central, Phoenix, AZ. Get down and support your local...

Residential Real Estate 3-Year trends near light rail

by | Apr 4, 2011 | light rail corridor, Market Report, News & Information

Light Rail Corridor Real Estate Trend: .5 miles from the tracks Residential Sales by Property Type: 3-year Trend Average and Median Sales Prices: 3-year Trend by Bryan Watkins, Light Rail Advisors We all know what happened during the past 3-4 years in the real estate economy here in the Phoenix Metro area, right? So what happened in the light rail corridor during that same time? Let’s focus on the light rail corridor, that spot in which taxpayers invested $1.4 Billion, or $13,258 per linear foot. Home prices stood in Q4 2007 at an average price of $266,000, and a median price of $215,000. The next 5 quarters were all downhill. The slide stopped in Q1 2009 at an average price of $104,000, and has been relatively flat up until the current time. We can see that actual numbers and trends in the chart below: Interesting to note is the type of property that was reported sold on MLS. Q1 2007 reported total sales at 86 units of all residential property types, with the breakdown as follows: 31   Single Family Detached 16   Apartment Style 5   Loft Style 30   Townhouse 4   Patio Home 86    Total From Q12007 forward, sales of residential property types started increasing until the current point at Q1 2011, where MLS reported the following: 110   Single Family Detached 139   Apartment Style 20    Loft Style 53    Townhouse 2      Patio Home 324  Total The light rail corridor real estate market has been moving along at an average 300+ unit quarterly sales rate for the past 4 quarters.  Prices...

Light rail would link 79th Ave., I-10 and downtown Phoenix

by | Apr 2, 2011 | light rail corridor, light rail expansion, News & Information

by David Madrid – Apr. 1, 2011 The Arizona Republic The Southwest Valley is in line for light rail that would move riders to and from downtown Phoenix along Interstate 10 to the 79th Avenue Park-and-Ride. The line is scheduled to open in 2021, but a reduction in Proposition 400 tax money due to a bad economy could push that date back a year, said Hillary Foose, a spokeswoman for Metro Light Rail. Foose said half the money for the light-rail route comes from Prop. 400 and half is federal funding. “The time frames are directly related to available funds, so every year we rebalance that (light-rail) map with updated funding forecasts,” she said. “We’re in the process of doing that right now, and we’ll be sharing that with our board in coming months. . . . Over the last couple of years we’ve seen some of those dates get pushed out by a year or two.” Prop. 400, passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004, extended a voter-approved half-cent-per-dollar sales tax by two decades. That money funds the Regional Transportation Plan, which includes buses, light rail and roads. Avondale just wants transit options. “As many modes of transportation we can get to move people and get them out of their cars is always welcomed and needed,” Avondale Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers said. The city has a long-term transportation vision. It is preparing a circulator route to move residents to key points around the city. The circulator will consist of four vans that hold 11 passengers. “One of those ways is to increase the circulator so that people aren’t waiting an hour to...

Connect to Sky Harbor Airport with Light Rail

by | Feb 26, 2011 | light rail corridor, News & Information, Valley Metro

Courtesy of Metro Light Rail METRO connects to Sky Harbor International Airport at the light rail station at 44th and Washington streets using the PHX Airport Shuttle. From the 44th Street/Washington METRO station, passengers can cross Washington Street heading south and board the free airport shuttle bus. The airport shuttle buses travel to all terminals and parallels METRO’s service schedule. Click on the map to the right to download the airport shuttle map. The PHX Sky Train™ will soon replace the existing PHX Airport Shuttle. Stage one of the PHX Sky Train will transport airport visitors and employees between METRO light rail, east economy parking and Terminal 4, which serves 80 percent of Sky Harbor’s passengers. Construction will be complete in late 2013. Stage two, which will continue through the airport all the way to the Rental Car Center, will be up and running in 2020. A new gateway to Sky Harbor will be created at 44th St and Washington. This station is just a short walk in an air conditioned pedestrian walkway from the 44th Street / Washington light rail station. The elevated train will help relieve traffic jams, reduce wait times, provide hassle-free travel in climate controlled vehicles and connect to the Valley’s light rail and bus systems. Equally important, the PHX Sky Train™ will accommodate our region’s future growth and be a welcomed addition to Sky Harbor’s renowned customer service. The PHX Sky Train™, free to the public, will run 24-hours with predictable travel times—arriving at stations every three minutes during peak periods and delivering passengers to their destinations within about five minutes of boarding. For more...