Tucson, Tempe get behind trolley idea May 11th, 2010
by Sean Holstege – May. 11, 2010
The Arizona Republic
…modern, electrified streetcars are making a comeback around the country, including in Arizona.
In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Tucson a $63 million grant to help build a 4-mile streetcar line linking the University of Arizona and downtown. Arizona’s second-largest city beat out hundreds of competitors for the money.
In Tempe, momentum is building behind a proposed 2 ½-mile streetcar line along Mill Avenue that would connect with the Valley’s starter light-rail line. Planners found that the streetcar is cheaper in an era of tight budgets and quicker to build than an originally conceived light-rail spur on Rural Road…
Arizona planners envision new role, routes for light rail April 15th, 2010
Full story by Sean Holstege in the Arizona Republic, 14 April 2010
Changing demographics, ridership patterns point to different lines in future
Regional planners are mapping new light-rail lines in places that were inconceivable a few years ago, as they grapple with how urban Arizona takes shape in the coming half-century.
Preliminary studies show that sufficient demand will exist for light rail to succeed on 44th Street, Camelback Road, south Central Avenue, Bell Road and other routes not previously planned, building a web far more expansive than what is currently envisioned…
ARPA Breakfast, 10 April March 31st, 2010
| April 10, 2010 | ||
| 9:00 am | to | 11:00 am |
In recognition of Easter Saturday, we have moved the ARPA breakfast to the 10th of April, 9am.
Join fellow ARPA members and friends for informal train talk and fun.
Cooked-to-order American breakfasts available at great prices.
At the Athenian Express — http://www.athenianexpressaz.com
814 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004-2003
One block south of METRO’s Roosevelt station.
Gila Tomahawk Rides Again March 18th, 2010
Source: Arizona Eastern’s Copper Spike Excursion Calendar
Arizona Eastern Railway
AND THE
COPPER SPIKE TRAIN EXCURSION
announce the rare opportunity to “ride the rails” aboard the
Gila Tomahawk
Not once since 1954 has this named passenger train, the Gila Tomahawk, plied the rails on the tracks of the Arizona Eastern. Re-live the glory of passenger train travel on two special days of operation.
Operating out of the historic 1924 Southern Pacific Depot in downtown Safford, Arizona on:
Saturday May 8th and Sunday May 9th
Four departures from Safford at
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Safford, Arizona Depot
90 min round trip train ride pulled by our vintage 1953 Streamlined E-8 passenger locomotive; snacks and beverages available.
Don’t forget Sunday is Mothers Day…so…throw mama on the train and join the fun!
FARES: $12.00 ADULTS & $6.00 CHILDREN 12 and under.
1-866-979-RAIL (that’s 1-866-979-7245)
Reservations are recommended.
Sensible METRO Station Names February 25th, 2010
Proposed METRO Rail Station Name Changes.
Transit systems across the world all have stations named for landmarks, to help visitors and residents find their way. If Washington DC named their stations the way the Phoenix stations are named, they would have a station called “12th Street and Independence Avenue SW” instead of “Smithsonian.”
I served as a volunteer on opening day. On that day and ever since, tourists have asked me what station the Airport is at, and does the train go to Sun Devil Stadium? Even Congressman and former Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell didn’t know what “Veterans Way and College Avenue” was – it needs to be the Sun Devil Transit Center.
Short, simple station names help riders find their destinations quickly. They help tourists know what is along the line. They make maps easier to read. Stations become sources of neighborhood identity. Naming stations after street addresses is cold, confusing and unhelpful. When riding the #17 bus, the announcements say, “Approaching 16th Street” and “Approaching 24th Street” — not “Approaching 16th Street and McDowell” and then “Approaching 24th Street and McDowell” — the McDowell part is obvious because that’s the bus you are on. Repeatedly saying “…and Central” on the train is silly and pedantic.
Furthermore, the stations with two platforms need to be named as one station. Signs there should be updated to, for example, “For Dobson, use platform on 1st Avenue.” Boston eliminated confusing one-way station names (Milk one way, Water the other) in the 1960s.
These station names must be changed as soon as possible.
The entire line should then resume the Red Line name, as it replaced the (pre-metro) Red Line bus… and before that, the Washington Street #1 streetcars which carried red marker lights since the 1920s at least… giving the Red Line an eighty-plus year history. As other lines are built, they should resume the color line names (Green Line on Thomas — not Highway 10!, Blue Line northeast on Highway 51, etc.)
– William Lindley, Arizona Rail Passenger Association. 2010-02-25.
| Easy Name | Current, Long, Unhelpful Name |
| Chris-Town / Bethany Home | Montebello & 19th Avenue (Montebello not on most maps) |
| 19th Ave & Camelback | (No change yet, pending neighborhood development) |
| Melrose | 7th Ave & Camelback Road (Melrose District) |
| Uptown | Central & Camelback Road (Uptown Plaza) |
| Central High | Campbell & Central Avenue (also for Brophy, Xavier, etc.) |
| Indian School | Indian School & Central (Indian School Steele Park) |
| Park Central | Osborn & Central Avenue (Park Central Mall) |
| Thomas | Thomas & Central Avenue |
| Heard Museum | Encanto & Central Avenue (Encanto not on most maps) |
| Library | McDowell & Central Avenue (Central Library) |
| Cathedral / Roosevelt | Roosevelt & Central Avenue (historic Trinity Cathedral, Roosevelt Arts District) |
| Van Buren | Van Buren & Central & 1st Avenue |
| City Hall | Jefferson St. & Central Avenue and Washington St. & & 1st Avenue (whew!) |
| Convention Center | 3d St. & Washington and 3d St. & Jefferson (Needs easy tourist name) |
| Eastlake / 12th Street | 12th St. & Washington and 12th St. & Jefferson |
| 24th Street | 24th St. & Washington and 24th St. & Jefferson |
| GateWay / 38th Street | 38th St. & Washington & Jefferson (Gateway C.C.) |
| Airport / 44th Street | 44th St. & Washington & Jefferson (Airport buses/tram) |
| Papago / Priest | Priest Drive & Washington (Papago Park, Phoenix Zoo) |
| Mill | Mill Ave & 3d Street (3d Street is only one block long!) |
| Sun Devil | Veterans Way & College Avenue (Stadium is on all maps) |
| University | University Drive & Rural Road (ASU main campus) |
| Dorsey | Dorsey & Apache Boulevard |
| McClintock | McClintock & Apache Boulevard |
| Smith-Martin | Smith-Martin & Apache Boulevard |
| Loop 101-Price Rd. | Price-”101 Freeway” & Apache (“[Highway] 101 Freeway”? Current name is incorrectly and awkwardly worded – it is “Loop 101″ and “Price Freeway” ) |
| Tri-City / Dobson | Longmore & Main Street (Longmore not on most maps) |
