Phoenix METRO, March 2011 Ridership April 12th, 2011
The Phoenix trolley (“light rail”) system had a good March even as weekday ridership declined slightly. Saturdays now see as many riders as weekdays did at the system’s opening, and Sunday ridership is nearly at the originally-projected weekday levels.
Phoenicians are using the trolleys not just as “commuter trains” but as all-day-long trolleys for school, shopping, and fun.
Can there be a clearer reason not to build the second line along Highway 10, but rather west on Thomas Road from Midtown Station (Thomas and Central) to 35th Avenue and out to Downtown Glendale? See How a METRO Green Line Might Look.
| February 2011 | March 2011 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Boardings | 1,080,821 | 1,214,276 |
| Average Weekday | 45,074 | 42,234 |
| Average Saturday | 29,006 | 35,692 |
| Average Sunday | 21,680 | 25,029 |
From: METRO
Phoenix Santa Fe depot reopens as county offices March 31st, 2011
Adjacent Union Station may still be idle (other than being used by SPRINT maintenance vehicles) but the Santa Fe freight depot is alive again:
After remaining vacant for more than 40 years, a historic Phoenix rail depot opened its doors this week with a new identity as a county office space.
About 70 employees of the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office moved in Friday at the old Santa Fe Freight Depot at Fifth Avenue and Jackson Street. The building, once a hub of railroad activity where goods were shipped in and out of Phoenix, will open in May for a different group of visitors: county residents appealing property valuations.
Maricopa County spent $4 million renovating the county-owned building to house employees… The county bought the building in 1999…
Rest of the story:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/03/31/20110331santa-fe-depot.html
Light Rail in Freeway Medians? Not Really a Good Idea September 19th, 2010
By John J. Gale
Imagine standing in the middle of a freeway as cars, trucks and motorcycles rush by on either side. Maybe you have experienced this if you have waited for a train at an in-median station. I have in LA on the Metro Green Line which is located in the median of Interstate 105 (Century Freeway), and certainly there are such stations in other locations around the country such as Chicago and the Bay Area. It is not particularly fun to wait for a train at these types of station. Now imagine doing that in Phoenix when it’s 110! Read the rest of this entry »
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…
Position on Phoenix-Tucson Routing January 20th, 2009
(Regarding current discussions of Phoenix-Tucson regional rail)
Adopted by the Board of Directors, 2009-1-17.
RESOLVED THAT,
ARPA believes
- That the current UPRR alignment via Coolidge represents the most expeditious route to early implementation, and should be implemented and built first; and
- That the former Maricopa to Tempe alignment, to supplement future growth, should additionally be planned, but built after operations on the Coolidge alignment commence.
