Progress being made on PHX Sky Train station

First phase of airport’s train to begin operations in early 2013 by Emily Gersema – Apr. 29, 2011 The Arizona Republic Dozens of workers have erected 10,000 tons of steel and 11,000 yards of concrete over recent months to make the pedestrian walkway that bridges Washington Street and the platform for the 44th Street PHX Sky Train station. Commuters who use Washington Street and the Metro light rail have watched the structure develop into a towering bridge near the Grand Canal and 44th Street. The platform where passengers will wait for the unmanned train to take them to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is about 40 feet from the ground. Photos of PHX Sky Train construction he ceiling and roof for the platform have not been built yet, but workers recently installed 17 elliptical steel arches, which will support the roof. Each arch weighs about 35,000 pounds. The platform’s emergence is a milestone for the $1.5 billion project, which crews began building more than a year ago. Media members were invited to take a look at the platform Thursday before workers closed it off for further construction. The interior will be finished, and workers will add moving walkways, escalators and elevators. Construction of the rail is expected to wrap up sometime early next year, said Dave Benjamin, the project superintendent for builder Hensel Phelps. Steve Grubbs, a Phoenix Aviation Department special-projects administrator, told the Aviation Advisory Board last week that workers at a Bombardier plant in Pittsburgh are piecing together 18 rail cars for thetrains, which will be opened to passengers in early 2013 after about a year of testing. Sometime next year...

North-central Phoenix may get bike-lane link

Project is in planning stage, does not yet have price tag by Sadie Jo Smokey – Apr. 21, 2011 The Arizona Republic This fall, north-central Phoenix may get a bike-lane connection between the Arizona Canal and the Uptown Metro light-rail station. But it will require cutting out two lanes for vehicles on Central Avenue between Bethany Home and Camelback roads. “My primary goal is to provide a link between riders who use the canal and the Metro station,” city traffic engineer Kerry Wilcoxon said. “Right now, they don’t have access between Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street.” The project, which is in the planning stage and therefore does not have a price tag, would add one bike lane northbound and one southbound on the southern stretch of the route, providing cyclists a route between the start of the Murphy Bridle Path (at Bethany Home Road) and Camelback Road. Read...

Connect to Sky Harbor Airport with Light Rail

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...

Phoenix Metro Light Rail stresses safety with Red Train Wrap

PHOENIX — METRO light rail unveiled a new train wrap today. It showcases a bold, yet simple, public safety message: Stop on red. Obeying traffic signals is key to safely sharing the road with the 20-mile, in-street METRO light rail system. “We wanted to use our most visual asset – our light rail vehicle – to convey the importance of this message,” said CEO Steve Banta. “Safety remains a METRO priority and we continue to think of creative ways to keep the message fresh in the minds of drivers and passengers.” The Stop on Red wrapped train is now in service. The wrap will remain through the fall and winter – a busy ridership and visitor season for both METRO and the Valley of the Sun. “The Stop on Red train wrap is a great way to remind drivers to use caution around light rail when it matters most – when they’re driving!” said METRO Board Chairman and Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot. “METRO is using this innovative way to take the safety message right to the street.” Also launched today is the Stop on Red online pledge. The pledge is intended to solidify drivers’ commitments to stopping on red and remaining an aware driver. As incentive, each person to sign will be entered into a drawing for 52 free all-day transit passes – a little encouragement to leave the car behind and try transit once a week, for a year. To take the pledge or for more information on METRO’s safety campaign, visit www.metrolightrail.org/safety. Photos of the wrap and its unveiling are available on METRO’s Facebook page. Photos can be emailed upon request. Information courtesy of Metro Light Rail....

It’s a Wrap: Phoenix Metro Light Rail Trains Begin Advertising

Have you seen them yet? I mean, the light rail train cars wrapped with advertising? If not, soon you will. For starters, the first train wrap was sold to Grand Canyon University, then an event at the Phoenix International Raceway and a condo complex near the Osborn Station in Phoenix. Passengers will also begin to see ads for the U.S. Census as well as WrestleMania. Already in place are display ads for the Census, IHOP restaurant and a townhouse complex near the end station at Montebello Ave. Metro reports the new ads could generate an estimated $350,000 revenue per year, an amount that is certainly worth considering. Metro’s portion of the revenue share is about 60% of the total take. -courtesy of Sean Holstege, AZ Central March 23,...

Phoenix Valley Light Rail Expansion Plans Pushed Way Back

The Metro Board pushed back planned light rail extensions and will require a new regional tax to be built, according to actions taken this week. These include extensions to towards the Paradise Valley Mall, Glendale, and toward Peoria Avenue in Phoenix. All these extensions will now be funded by the  2004 voter-passed Prop 400 plus state and federal funds. Money from Prop 400 runs out in 2025 and the region does not have the money to fund these and other project that were originally planned.  -courtesy of AZ Central, April 22,...