Arizona Rail Passenger Association

…Although Metro’s passenger service isn’t set to begin until late December, earlier this week the rail line through Tempe into Mesa saw its first train. It was a test run, one of many scheduled over the coming months…Hallman, while touting light rail as part of an integrated transportation system, took the opportunity to voice support for commuter rail.

Commuter rail is a transit alternative that would be part of a $42 billion transportation ballot initiative that may go before Arizona voters in November…

Rest of the story in the East Valley Tribune

Here is an updated schematic map of proposed rail passenger service points in Arizona, showing existing and potentially revitalized rail lines, as published in the May 2008 newsletter:

Now available online: 200805.pdf

Among the contents:

• Regional Rail Making Progress: MAG Moves Forward on Commuter Rail
• AzTA Meeting in Tucson: a report by Jay Smyth
• ARPA and Phoenix Trolley Museum Members Tour METRO Operations & Maintenance Facility
• A Guide To Directions for Passenger Rail in Arizona (with map)
• Seligman “Harvey House” Slated to be Demolished
• Salt Lake City Joins Commuter Rail Ranks
• Senate confirms Carper, Naples to Amtrak board
• Coast Starlight To Resume
• Amtrak to Celebrate National Train Day

Twenty-five years after ARPA proposed light rail for metro Phoenix, it’s nearly here.

Our original proposal would have used the UPRR right-of-way, as opposed to the eventually designed street-oriented system.  But as you can see, early on we identified the high-capacity corridor… Here is the same page with the METRO Rail system as built in blue:

Moral: If you have a good idea, and stick to it long enough, and convince enough people, anything is possible…

(From the Alternatives Analysis booklet)

METRO [Valley Metro Rail], in co-operation with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is conducting a study to analyze potential high capacity transit improvementsin the cities of Tempe and Chandler

…The Tempe South study is funded by the Proposition 400 half-cent transportation sales tax extension approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004, and is contained in the adopted Regional Transportation Plan as a component of the 57-mile high capacity transit / light rail network to be implemented by 2026…

Tier I selection is  nearly complete, and recommended for study in Tier II are:

• Commuter Rail in the UPRR Corridor
• Bus Rapid Transit in the UPRRCorridor
• BRT on Mill Avenue
• Modern Streetcar on Mill Avenue
• LRT [hybrid LRT/Modern Streetcar] or Streetcar on Rural Road
• BRT on Rural Road

Hear the status of the Tempe South study at one of two public meetings:

• 10 June at the Tempe Public Library
• 11 June at Corona del Sol High School