This February, Valley Metro is asking residents to “Try 1 in 5” , share the ride via carpool, vanpool, bus or light rail at least one day a week. It reduces pollution, eases traffic congestion and saves money. They also want to help residents find a commuting partner using their new Share The Ride ride-matching system.

As a thank you to residents who are sharing the ride, Valley Metro will be giving out pairs of ASU Baseball and Basketball tickets to their fans and followers this month. They will announce via Twitter (@ValleyMetroRPTA) and Facebook (Valley Metro RPTA) ways that fans can win the tickets, and where they will be to give them out. Valley Metro staff will look for people with transit passes on hand or who are tweeting pictures of themselves on the bus.

I’ll be seeing you on either the light rail or the bus!

-Edward Jensen

GOLDEN PASS PROMOTION

Ala Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, METRO will specially mark “golden” transit passes in station fare vending machines along the line.  With more than 100 machines, METRO wants to help increase your odds.  Visit any or all of the following stations and their on-platform fare vending machines for your pass purchase and chance to win.

• Montebello/19^th Avenue
• Central Avenue/Camelback
• Roosevelt/Central Avenue
• Van Buren/Central Avenue and Van Buren/1^st Avenue
• Mill Avenue/3^rd Street
• Veterans Way/College Avenue
• Price-101 Freeway/Apache Boulevard
• Sycamore/Main Street

The 50 “golden” transit pass recipients will be entered into a raffle to receive one of 30 pairs of US Airways Center event tickets – either to a regular season Phoenix Suns home game or a family-friendly event, Disney on Ice or Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus – or one of two “Grand Golden VIP Experiences” that include:

• Four lower-level tickets to a Phoenix Suns home game
• Seats on the Suns bench during pre-game warm-ups
• Suns locker room tour
• Suns autographed memorabilia

For additional information, including rules, regulations and eligibility details, visit www.metrolightrail.org.   Platinum Pass and U-Pass cardholders have also been integrated into this program.

RIDER APPRECIATION DISCOUNTS

To sweeten the anniversary celebration, more than 45 gracious retailers along the line will offer special discounts or deals to anyone who presents a valid transit pass on December 19.  Riders will enjoy substantial savings such as two-for-one deals or as much as 30% off at these one-of-a-kind businesses.

The Suns are also offering a great deal extended through the holiday season. Present a valid transit pass at the US Airways Center ticket office between December 19 – 31 and receive $20 off lower level tickets or $10 off upper level tickets for any January 2010 game.  Great seats are still available.  Give a gift that will make your favorite Suns fan cheer!  The offer may be redeemed at the US Airways Center ticket office during normal business hours while supplies last.

For a complete list of businesses and their discounts, visit www.metrolightrail.org.

About METRO

METRO is celebrating it first year of operation having served more than 10.3 million riders through November 2009.  With the community’s support, METRO’s weekday ridership is 34 percent greater than projected, with Saturdays and Sundays fairing even better.  METRO will continue to look for ways to refine its 20-mile operation and level of customer service, while also planning for 37 miles of future extensions. Go to the www.metrolightrail.org site and click on Metro Turns One.  At Events to Enjoy there are lists of activities in the areas around Metro stations.

Preface given. Back a couple of weeks in the Dean’s Office of the College of Public Programs, friend and colleague Lonni Summers were discussing this same thing. Where’s the METRO light rail gift shop? Where can I buy a bumper sticker that says, “My other car is METRO light rail”? Or what about a keychain with a model of the trains?

The Phoenix METRO’s success isn’t really hinged on how many people ride it during the week. A recent New York Times article posited that it was the weekend users that make our light rail a success. My point here is that Phoenicians do it differently.

Why just limit this to the light rail? Who wouldn’t want a little replica of Her Secret is Patience (the art installation hanging over the Civic Space park) sitting on their desk? (I do!) Yes, the Grand Canyon might be the most clichéd and tourist-exploited place here in Arizona, but what about for urbanistas?

The economy is bad. Cities need to be creative in generating new revenue. So why not start here? And I really want my light rail tchotchkes.

-Edward Jensen

Since I don’t have a car (or a license for that matter, but by personal choice), I’m limited to public transport, walking, biking, friends, and the parents.  Which is fine.  But a Segway, I feel, would complement this repertory of mobility extensively.

So yesterday, I sent out the following tweet on Twitter (as a complete aside, if you’re on Twitter, follow me: I’m @edwardjensen):

Does anyone know if Metro will allow Segways on its trains? If I get one, it better be able to go on the Metro… #raillife #phx

And I get the following tweet back in response from @PhoenixMetroBus, the Twitter account for Valley Metro (spelling, punctuation, etc. retained from the original):

@edwardjensen If u push it to the platform and onto the train, yes, Segways are allowed on the train. #raillife #phx

I should also thank @michichan for her reply tweets offering a clarification (again, spelling, punctuation, etc. retained):

@edwardjensen you can take a segway on board. you can’t ride it on platforms or trains unless it’s a mobility aid and it is marked as such … the only major restriction is on gas powered devices (including gas powered motorized bicycles) #raillife

Next, I have to figure out where I can park my hypothetical Segway on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus…

To do list: i. figure out where to park the Segway on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, and ii. raise capital to purchase a Segway. Then have lots of fun…

-Edward Jensen

But in this time of change, I’ve been doing a little bit of thinking on the new pricing scheme.  To summarize, the card will now cost $40 for a semester (August-December or January-May) or $80 for the entire year (August-May).  If you’re taking a summer class and require a pass earlier, then you can do that (still paying $40 or $80, depending on what you want).

From 1 July 2009, an all-day local pass (local bus + light rail) is $3.50 if purchased at a fare vending machine.  To justify spending $40 on a semester pass, one would have to use the bus and/or light rail 12 days (i.e. purchase 12 one-day passes) before spending more than $40.  If one were to buy the yearlong pass, that figure is 23 days (i.e. purchase 23 one-day passes).

Yes, this is a shock that this program now costs money, but if one is going to ride the light rail practically every day (as I do), this is an incredible bargain.  It would be really worthwhile if, during the semester, Metro doesn’t use any one-car trains…

Food for thought.

-Edward Jensen

Valley Metro will implement a 40 percent fare increase effective July 1. Consequently, the cost of the U-Pass program to PTS also increases. In charging $40 per semester, PTS continues to subsidize the majority of the cost to students for the transit pass. While PTS pays for each U-Pass boarding, students who purchase U-Passes pay the fixed $40 and can then ride METRO light rail or Valley Metro buses an unlimited number of times throughout the semester.

“Parking and Transit Services is pleased that we have been able to provide this valuable service to our community members,” PTS director Theresa Fletcher says. “We are not aware of any other university comparable in size to ASU that has been able to financially sustain a free transit pass program for their students and employees for as long as we have. We are proud that the program’s goals of offering multi-modal transit options to the ASU community were met.”

To assist students who are required to attend classes at the Tempe and Downtown Phoenix campuses, PTS is enhancing its free West-Tempe intercampus shuttle service. Beginning fall 2009, all buses on the West-Tempe intercampus shuttle route will make a stop at the Downtown Phoenix campus.

The U-Pass program was introduced as a pilot program in the fall of 2005. In its inaugural year, the U-Pass program cost PTS $600,000. The program’s expenses increased in each of the following years, with PTS seeing a price tag of $1.3 million in 2007-08. For the first three years, PTS paid for the program in full, without any contributions from ASU students or employees. As a self-funded auxiliary department of ASU, PTS does not receive any tuition, student fees or state money to support its operational costs. In July 2008, PTS began charging employees $10 per pay period for a local U-Pass ($15 per pay period for an express transit pass). PTS projects the U-Pass program costs for 2008-09 to reach between $1.5 million – $1.8 million.

PTS and university officials carefully examined a number of options with respect to the administration of the U-Pass program for the upcoming school year. One option was to discontinue the U-Pass subsidy altogether. Additional proposals included implementing a mandatory student transit fee aimed at $50 per academic year, or requiring a lower mandatory student fee with the option to purchase the U-Pass at a significantly higher rate per semester. After thorough consideration, PTS is pleased to provide students the lowest cost alternative in adopting the $40 per semester charge for an ASU U-Pass.

Student U-Passes will be available for students enrolled in Summer Session II to purchase at any ASU campus permit sales office beginning June 29. Students who are not enrolled in classes until the fall 2009 semester may purchase their U-Pass beginning Aug. 10.

View Student Frequently Asked Questions, including including eligibility requirements for purchasing a Student U-Pass, payment options and refund policy.

I am undoubtedly one of your biggest fans.  Since you’ve been open for business, I think there have only been 15 days where I haven’t boarded one of your trains.  So there’s just one question I must ask:

What’s with these one-car trains?

This week (through last night), I have been on a Metro train eight times, and all during peak travel times (morning, lunch, evening).  Of those eight times, six trips have been on a one-car train.  Of those six trips, the train has been packed, standing room only.  When there is demand for people to ride the Metro, why cut capacity?

I understand that you’re trying to save some money, and given the current economic climate, it’s necessary.  But in reality, how much does it cost to operate a one-car vs. two-car train?  It would seem like the biggest cost – the operator’s salary – is the same whether they are driving a one-car train or a fifteen-car train.  Is the electricity to power a second car that much?  Or the maintenance costs?  If you planned your rolling stock purchase right, you should have enough cars to take one or two out of service while maintaining enough cars to keep two-car trains along the entire route.

If we look at wasteful spending on the Metro, it would be having the driver open all doors when it’s hotter than Hades outside when the air conditioning is running full blast to keep the cars comfortable.  Isn’t that what those yellow buttons on the doors are for: for people to open the train’s doors as they need while keeping the hot outside and the cool inside?  I know that when you tested that out in the winter, few people figured out that that’s what the yellow buttons were for.  So then, put a little sign on the outside of the trains to tell people to push the yellow buttons to open the doors.

When the infrastructure of the Metro was built for three-car trains (e.g. platform length), running one-car trains seems and looks silly.  I hope that you reconsider this, because you’re just reinforcing the notion that “buses can do everything trains can do,” which you and I know is completely not true.

-Edward Jensen

In the days since Metro’s been operating, I have heard drivers that have sounded the bell along the entire route without interruption.  For those who live along the route and for those who are on the train, this is rather annoying.  (If you’re on a train and you hear a clicking noise, that’s the bell ringing.) The standard procedure for Metro is to ring their bell once upon crossing an intersection, arriving a station, and again when departing a station.

Here’s what you do: if you’re on a train where the driver is bell-happy, send a tweet with the train’s number (e.g. 132B), where you are (e.g. Palm Ln/Central Ave), direction of travel (east- or west-bound), and, if not posting in realtime, the time (May 7th, 7.30am).  If you live near the Metro line, getting the time is incredibly important since you might not get the car/train numbers.  Most important, though: put the hashtag “#metrobell” so we can easily identify these tweets and pass along the drivers to Metro.

Please share (and retweet!) so this becomes most effective!

-Edward Jensen

For those familiar with Downtown Phoenix, there are two free shuttles that connect various parts of the area: the Downtown Area Shuttle, or DASH. One travels from Central Station to the Arizona State Capitol (Government Loop) and the other meanders around the area, traveling to the two stadia and up to Roosevelt St (Downtown Loop). Both shuttles operate from 6.30a-6.30p. For the Government Loop, this may make sense since that’s when state offices are open. But it doesn’t make sense for the Downtown Loop: the areas served by the Downtown Loop start to come alive after that shuttle service is finished for the evening.

Here’s the proposal: get rid of the DASH Downtown Loop and replace it with a free-ride zone on the Metro Light Rail that extends from the Roosevelt St/Central Ave station to the 3rd St/Washington & Jefferson St stations.  Most major downtown areas have a free-ride zone to encourage people to take public transport to get from one part of the downtown to the other.  Phoenix should not be different.

It would work by not having fare enforcement officers check between the Roosevelt/Central Ave station and the 3rd St/Washington & Jefferson St stations.  There would still be ticketing machines at those stations so people who need to go outside of the free-ride zone can buy their tickets.

-Edward Jensen

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Phoenix City Council members today to announce two projects that will bring thousands of jobs to Arizona.

Secretary LaHood presented a $10.5 million check to the Mayor for the completion of a taxiway reconstruction project on the northwest side of the Airport. This project will create 285 construction jobs.

The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Mayor Gordon and Phoenix City Council members also broke ground and unveiled the name of Sky Harbor’s automated train: the PHX Sky Train. Stage one of the PHX Sky Train will connect with METRO light rail and transport passengers and employees between 44th Street and Washington, East Economy Parking and Terminal 4. Stage one, which will be completed in 2013 is creating 5,900 jobs.

Mayor Gordon has been meeting with leaders in Washington D.C. to discuss the acceleration of the PHX Sky Train construction to Terminals 3 and 2. An additional $200 million in federal stimulus funding would create thousands of additional jobs and serve all three terminals at Sky Harbor seven years earlier than originally planned.

“We are grateful to our partners in Washington for recognizing the ongoing infrastructure needs at one of the nation’s ten busiest airports,” said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. “We are also excited that the Recovery funding for taxiway improvements is putting nearly 300 Arizonans back to work.”

While in Phoenix, Secretary LaHood also visited Sky Harbor’s Air Traffic Control Tower and spoke at the 18th Annual Phoenix International Aviation Symposium.

So, in 2013, we can transfer from the Light Rail to the PHX Sky Train and get to our airport even faster! This is exciting.

-Edward Jensen

So I read an article from the online Arizona Republic that reported that Glendale, one of the partners in the metro area’s light rail system, is considering changing its route from serving its historic downtown to serving Westgate and the University of Phoenix Stadium.  The route that Glendale wants would be an extension of the I-10 West route, traveling up SR-101 to the area.

Glendale is pushing to change the route of the first light-rail line planned for the West Valley, seeing greater value in taking the line to the city’s bustling stadium district than its quaint downtown. But it’s likely an uphill battle, as Phoenix officials say they can’t provide the financial support that Glendale needs from them.

Building the alternative rail route would cost hundreds of millions of dollars more, require months of extra planning and support from other Valley cities. Backers of the new line argue it would boost regional economic growth and reduce the crush of rush-hour traffic along congested stretches of freeway. It could also ferry football fans to University of Phoenix Stadium, as well as hockey and baseball fans to nearby games.

[source: Rebekah Sanders and Scott Wong, The Arizona Republic]

The success of this line lies in having Phoenix fund the portions of the extension that are in Phoenix (from the 79th Ave/Interstate 10 station until SR-101 and Camelback Road, about six miles) fund the remaining two miles.  Mayor Gordon and the City of Phoenix have said that there is no money for this extension.

I bring this up to go back to a post I wrote on 28 February 2009 – “Contemplating METRO’s extensions” – about a light rail extension that connects the existing twenty-mile line to both Downtown Glendale and Westgate/University of Phoenix Stadium.  The key to linking Downtown Glendale and Glendale’s stadia lies in utilizing Grand Avenue as a principal corridor.  This 14.5-mile link would also connect the state government offices via Washington and Jefferson Streets: 7.3 miles would be in Phoenix while the other 7.2 miles would be in Glendale.  To illustrate the line, I created a map (click here).

I encourage you to read the full article by Rebekah Sanders and Scott Wong.  Their article also reports on a proposal by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon to link the light rail to ASU’s West campus.  I don’t see how that will work, but then again, I haven’t seen any proposals on that suggested route.

At the least, it will be interesting to see how this turns out.  I’ll be watching…

-Edward Jensen

Valley Metro and METRO Light Rail, the operators of the new twenty-mile line that opened up in December, have provided a ride guide with some basic policy instructions, like how to purchase your fare, what you can and can not bring/do onboard the trains, and so forth. I wish to call that information “how to board Light Rail.”

But nobody really has given you instructions on how to ride in a moving train. For instance, if you have to stand, how should you stand to keep your balance? What is proper etiquette for passengers? In this post, I hope to share those things with you.

First, keeping your balance. There is no way to stand on the moving trains that doesn’t require you to hold on to a handrail. Always hold on to a handrail. But make sure that you stand perpendicular to the direction of motion (see diagram). Very rarely does the train change direction. It usually accelerates or brakes. Standing perpendicular to the direction of motion allows you to shift your balance to either of your legs depending on how the train moves.  If you have to move, do something that I call “the Light Rail Shuffle.”  When walking, drag your feet across the train car floor; if you have to lift your feet to move, the lower, the better.

Second, etiquette. The thing that drives me crazy is when people will flood onto the train right after the doors open. This creates a problem for those who want to get off the train because they have to fight a flood of people who want to get on and also get through that same pack of people. So first, allow passengers to exit before boarding. If you’re on the platform when the train arrives, you won’t be denied boarding. Trust me.

When you’re on the train, do not stand next to the doors or in the doorway area. Stand in between the seating area, but make sure to stand perpendicular to the motion of the train so that you don’t lose your balance so easily (see above). Standing in that middle area allows for people who need to get off at the next station to do so without having to fight a crowd.  Also, occupy only one seat.  If you have bags or such, don’t put them on the seat next to you.  You can use the space under your seat if you want.  This gives cause to traveling light.

Also, remember that you’re in a public place when you’re on the trains or on the station platforms.  When you’re on your mobile phone, don’t talk so that everyone on the platform or in the train can hear you.

-Edward Jensen

[this blog is not affiliated with Valley Metro or METRO Light Rail]

Thanks!

-Edward Jensen

Right now, the light rail turns off of Washington and Jefferson at Central Ave and 1st Ave respectively. New tracks would be installed that would connect the existing system with my proposed 14.5-mile extension.

Here are the stops that I propose:

• 2nd Ave/Washington and Jefferson (City/County complex)
• 7th Ave/Washington and Jefferson
• 16th Ave/Adams and Jefferson (State complex)
• Van Buren/19th Ave
• Roosevelt/19th Ave
• McDowell/19th Ave/Grand (State/County fairgrounds)
• Thomas/27th Ave/Grand
• Indian School/35th Ave/Grand
• Camelback/43rd Ave/Grand
• Bethany Home/51st Ave/Grand
• (optionally, Maryland/55th Ave/Grand)
• Glendale Ave/59th Ave/Grand (Downtown Glendale)
• 63rd Ave/Glendale (Glendale High School)
• 67th Ave/Glendale
• 71st Ave/Glendale
• 75th Ave/Glendale
• 83rd Ave/Glendale
• 91st Ave/Glendale (Westgate/University of Phoenix Stadium)
• (optionally, 94th Ave/Maryland, Jobing.com Arena/University of Phoenix Stadium)

Reasons why I believe this is a good alignment:

1. It connects the existing light rail line to the state complex, the fairgrounds, downtown Glendale, and the Cardinals stadium.
2. It would foster redevelopment along Grand Avenue and also Glendale Avenue
3. It would bring in Glendale, one of the partners in METRO Light Rail, as having light rail.
4. Grand Avenue has not had local transit service since the Yellow Line was phased out about a decade ago.
5. The Glendale Avenue corridor, I believe, has a high share of transit ridership.  Adding light rail would be highly benefical to them.

For a visual of this route, here’s a link to a map I made illustrating this alignment.  The blue line is the route and the blue dots are the stations.

I welcome your comments.

if you cannot see the video, then stop by my blog to see it!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

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