Arizona Rail Passenger Association

A year after bus use followed gasoline prices to record highs, ridership has fallen by the millions on the Valley’s most extensive mode of public transit…

While bus ridership was down, more and more commuters climbed aboard light-rail trains in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, sending ridership numbers above 12 million for fiscal year 2010. The system had 5.6 million riders for the first six months of its operation, which began in January 2009…

Rest of the story in the Arizona Republic

Ninety thousand people showed up on opening day Saturday as Metro light rail made its debut through Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe.

Curious crowds were out Sunday as well, helping push toward Metro’s prediction of nearly 200,000 riders on the rail line’s first weekend, said Hillary Foose, Metro’s public information officer, who was in the middle of the fray both days.

Rest of the story in the Busines Journal of Phoenix, 28 December 2008.

New Mexico’s year-old Rail Runner Express [nmrailrunner.com] commuter-train system carries about 3,000 people a day into and out of downtown Albuquerque, removing cars from busy freeways and a lot of stress…Light rail debuts next year between Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Commuter rail would connect outlying cities such as Buckeye and Queen Creek to metropolitan Phoenix and run on the same tracks freight railroads use…

Commuter rail is gaining momentum in the Valley. City, state and county officials are meeting, and a study for creating a system in Maricopa and Pinal counties is under way. The Maricopa Association of Governments is overseeing that study, which is expected to be completed by year’s end…

Ridership [on the Rail Runner] has been increasing since the train began operating, and officials say it has exceeded expectations…

Rest of the story in the Arizona Republic, September 30, 2007

from the Metrolink Fact Sheet, received May 2007

• Metrolink operates 7 routes, serves 54 stations, and covers 388 route-miles (counting only once, track served by multiple routes).
• Metrolink operates 145 trains on weekdays, 40 on Saturdays, and 22 on Sundays. Trains average 40 miles per hour.
• In December 2006, 40,852 passengers rode Metrolink trains on an average weekday. (So much for the idea that Los Angelenos love their automobiles too much to ride transit!)
• 88 percent of Metrolink riders formerly made the trip, drove alone or carpooled.
• Metrolink carries 2.9% of the capacity of parallel highways.