Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[andrewkfromaz]

"every morning at 5 am" he says. See? It just depends on the time of day. Except on the Green Line. That one's pretty much always a zoo. Also the Red Line tends to be busy - but it has somewhat higher frequency. Funny story - I rode a Broadway bus one time on my way to east Phoenix for a drug test to start a new job (I am proud of my willingness to go anywhere by bus - I didn't just commute to ASU and back) and the bus was really close to full. This was between 10 AM and 1 PM, I can't remember the exact time of day, the bus had a security guard and I was one of two white guys. It was kind of weird. Anyway, that was my bus-riding anecdote for the day.

[PhxSprawler]

I took the bus from ASU to downtown twice a week a couple of years ago and it often had standing-only room, even before the surge in gas prices, although it was often because I and others waited over 30 minutes for a bus that is supposed to come every 15 minutes. Hopefully, the situation has been fixed.

Also, I also noticed the traffic was much lighter than it had been when I actually drove in rush hour traffic last week.

As Don said, I believe part of it is due to the summer exodus and the exodus of illegals. I also believe the increase in unemployment may be causing a slight but noticable difference.

More positively, I believe the telecommuting trend is becoming more commonplace. Personally, I was kicked out of my office and am forced to work from home full time, as was everyone else in my company that doesn't manage on-site employees. (This is not a complaint on my part!). There has also been a significant increase in those taking advantage of van pools within my company. I would think other major employers in the area have similar programs.

In addition - about half the people that live on my street telecommute.

[Sonoran_Dweller]

Wow...it was so cool. I just saw a TV commercial for the METRO Light Rail. It was on channel 12 around 10:35PM, immidiatly after the 10:00PM 12News. It was not a commercial to get riders, but to let people know about the dangers and just telling people to keep their eyes open. But it was cool. It also shows prominent valley landmarks in downtown Tempe and downtown Phoenix.

I looked for the video on the ValleyMetro website, but could not find it. If you know where to look, let us know.

[Sekkle]

^ There is a "safety TV commercial" posted on this page. I assume that's it, but I couldn't open it, so I don't know for sure.

[HX_Guy]

A bit of history on the 1989 Val-Trans proposal:

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

If that doesn't work, try the PDF version...

http://www.public.asu.edu/~icprv/cou...rs/Vaughan.pdf

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by Sonoran_Dweller

Wow...it was so cool. I just saw a TV commercial for the METRO Light Rail. It was on channel 12 around 10:35PM, immidiatly after the 10:00PM 12News. It was not a commercial to get riders, but to let people know about the dangers and just telling people to keep their eyes open. But it was cool. It also shows prominent valley landmarks in downtown Tempe and downtown Phoenix.

I looked for the video on the ValleyMetro website, but could not find it. If you know where to look, let us know.

I worked on that I can't believe its on the air so soon, we shot it at the beginning of this month.

[Sekkle]

Not much new news, but I thought I'd post it anyway...

Rural Road is on light-rail radar
The Arizona Republic

Residents listening to transportation experts describe Rural Road as the jackpot of options for extending light rail into south Tempe and Chandler wanted to know how their homes and local businesses would be shielded from what could be years of construction.

Many attending the Metro transportation presentation at Tempe Public Library on Tuesday live near Rural Road.

Gloria Lamancha, 67, has lived off of Southern Avenue and Rural for nearly 25 years and has watched the intersection grow into one of Tempe's busiest.

Lamancha said she would support Rural becoming the Tempe artery for expanding mass transit, as long as officials can promise to keep construction headaches to under a year.

"What's going to be the least of the messes? What's going to be the time for the messes?" Lamancha asked Marc Soronson, a transportation project manager for the Tempe South Alternatives Analysis study.

Soronson laid out options for connecting south Tempe and Chandler to a 20-mile light-rail line that opens in December and will cut primarily through Tempe and Phoenix.

"Dealing with the utilities takes the longest time. There's right-of-way (problems). It's hard to tell. Probably a year," he said.

The presentation also covered the benefits of high-capacity rapid bus transit and light rail over commuter rail and streetcars. Streetcars carry fewer passengers compared with light rail and Tempe would have to work out an agreement with Union Pacific Rail Road to use its tracks for commuter rail, Soronson said. He said Rural Road rose to the top of the Tempe transit-line options because it is one of the busiest streets in the city and one of the few streets that extends into Scottsdale and Chandler. Kyrene Road would lead to high costs because a bridge would have to be built over the Union Pacific Rail Road tracks, Soronson said. McClintock Drive is further from public hubs such as downtown Tempe and Arizona State University.

Dan Olsen, 59, a civil engineer who lives with his wife, Jacque, 58, near Southern and Rural, asked Soronson why transportation officials had highlighted the difficulties related to the railroad tracks on Kyrene but had not told the audience that Rural would present the same difficulties.

Soronson acknowledged that if the light rail line were extended along Rural, an overpass would have to built to cross the tracks between Apache Boulevard and Broadway Road.

"But if we're going to spend the money we might as well spend it where we get the residents," Soronson said, remarking on the transportation demand along Rural.

Of the Tempe streets studied, the bus route along Rural had the most users at about 3,500 daily boarders.

Olsen said he appreciates transportation planners holding the series of meetings to garner public input, but he thinks it is a bit of "dog-and-pony show."

"We're going to have light rail along Rural Road. They've made up their minds," he said.

If light rail is the only mass-transit option Valley cities are willing to provide its residents, Olsen, a bus rider himself, said he would take it. But as a civil engineer who helps manage local public works and land development projects, he said he does not consider light rail the best option for curing Valley traffic woes.

"We needed buses that travel throughout this city every 10 minutes. It would have been cheaper and moved more people," he said. "I hope Tempe realizes this and chooses more buses."

Soronson said transit options are still being evaluated and a final recommendation is expected by early 2009.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/t...trail0612.html

[vertex]

I was unable to get to that meeting on Tuesday, but I had a good feeling that Valley Metro had already decided on Rural Road too. Like the article stated, it's easier to run the guideway north into Scottsdale in the future, although the junction at University and Rural would be a clusterf*ck. I think the city (or ASU) would have to buy-out (or use eminent domain against) the fraternities on the NW corner to make room for this.

Since they aren't allowed to have commuter or mass transit train tracks cross freight train tracks at-grade, I would hope Tempe and the surrounding neighborhood puts pressure on Valley metro to build an underpass for the guide-way instead, or even better, build an underpass for the Union Pacific tracks. An overpass is just going to be U-G-L-Y.

I still wish they would consider the UP right-of-way through south Tempe instead. It's much closer to the population centers in Ahwatukee; there is a ton of pent-up demand for transit alternatives there.

[HX_Guy]

I love how there are daily news stories on the light rail. I'm guessing the closer to opening, the more we'll see. Can't wait till December!

http://www.azcentral.com/community/a...ppers0612.html

[Don B.]

Originally Posted by vertex

I was unable to get to that meeting on Tuesday, but I had a good feeling that Valley Metro had already decided on Rural Road too. Like the article stated, it's easier to run the guideway north into Scottsdale in the future, although the junction at University and Rural would be a clusterf*ck. I think the city (or ASU) would have to buy-out (or use eminent domain against) the fraternities on the NW corner to make room for this.

Since they aren't allowed to have commuter or mass transit train tracks cross freight train tracks at-grade, I would hope Tempe and the surrounding neighborhood puts pressure on Valley metro to build an underpass for the guide-way instead, or even better, build an underpass for the Union Pacific tracks. An overpass is just going to be U-G-L-Y.

I still wish they would consider the UP right-of-way through south Tempe instead. It's much closer to the population centers in Ahwatukee; there is a ton of pent-up demand for transit alternatives there.

^ Because Union Pacific won't play ball? Of course, if that's the case, I don't know why eminent domain isn't on the table. Maybe because it is easier to beat down a bunch of disconnected small individual property owners than a single giant national railroad conglomerate. Also, I'm guessing the U.P. tracks run through some desolate areas with little if any commercial activity. The Rural alignment will make more sense for the businesses along Rural. They just need to find a way to speed up the construction process, as two years is too long to have your business ripped apart. Parts of Camelback Road in Phoenix are ghost towns now because many of the businesses closed up and moved or went out of business entirely.

--don

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by vertex

I was unable to get to that meeting on Tuesday, but I had a good feeling that Valley Metro had already decided on Rural Road too.

When I went to the Phoenix City Council meeting on running LRT on I-10 vs Thomas, I got this same impression. The entire public input process largely seemed like a joke. The impression I got from the city was "shhhh, we're the experts, we know it all, why don't you shut up."

[Tfom]

This mentality extends far beyond transportation in this state.

[Sonoran_Dweller]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

I worked on that I can't believe its on the air so soon, we shot it at the beginning of this month.

When you say that you shot it, are you refering to video. Because the commercial I saw was not video. It was all computer generated, and the images were very non-life-like. They were just drawings.

It looked like this (it was the same campaign).

This image is from the ASU State Press Newspaper. ValleyMetro has but advertisments in the newspaper the past two weeks.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by Sonoran_Dweller

When you say that you shot it, are you refering to video. Because the commercial I saw was not video. It was all computer generated, and the images were very non-life-like. They were just drawings.

It looked like this (it was the same campaign).

This image is from the ASU State Press Newspaper. ValleyMetro has but advertisments in the newspaper the past two weeks.

Ah, gotcha. Yah, the thing I worked on was video, so I'm sure thats not running yet (thats why I was so surprised). It was a cool shoot though, I got to ride on the train and it was pretty slick.

So what you saw was probably the animated thing they did. I believe Jason Hill did the artwork.

Also, I was working on a feature this week and we we're shooting at the Phoenix Greyhound track. From the upstairs area, I could see lots of trains being tested up and down Washington, it was cool seeing them in the foreground with Squaw Peak and Camelback in the distance.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

So what you saw was probably the animated thing they did. I believe Jason Hill did the artwork.

Yes, it is indeed Jason Hill behind the illustrations. He mentions it briefly on his blog: http://jasonhilldesign.com/infomat.html

[Sonoran_Dweller]

I found the exact link for the video I mentioned earlier.

Here is the link:
http://www.valleymetro.org/METRO_lig...y%20TV-PSA.wmv

Please note that it is a Windows Media Player link so in order to play you might need Windows Media Player.

Earlier I said it was a sefety commercial. But seeing it again and not being so overly excited as I was the first time, I realize it is both an ad for the METRO as well as a safety notice. Sorry for the confusion.

[HooverDam]

http://www.azcentral.com/business/ar...trail0617.html

Light rail impacts Valley real-estate market
by Andrew Johnson - Jun. 16, 2008 05:18 PM
The Arizona Republic

Light rail is six months from operation, but the transit system's impact on the Valley's real-estate market has been in full swing with new condos, office buildings and mixed-use developments rising throughout metro Phoenix.

Transit officials estimate that since 2004, developers have spent close to $6 billion on public and private projects on and around the future light-rail line. Critics, however, say the transit system has put a burden on taxpayers and construction of the line has shut down businesses.

The figure is based on information Metro light rail routinely gathers from planners in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, the three cities in which the 20-mile system will operate beginning in December.

The price tag includes projects already completed, developments under construction and announced projects within a half-mile radius of the line that officials from those cities say will likely come to fruition, according to Ben Limmer, a Metro light rail planner.

Light rail is not the sole reason why projects in the transit system's vicinity have developed, real-estate analysts note.

But the future system has definitely been a catalyst prompting developers to pay higher prices for property adjacent to the line for condominiums, office buildings and retail centers.

Economic factors, including soaring fuel prices, have caused developers like Eugene Marchese to focus attention on transit-oriented projects.

Marchese's San Diego-based company, Constellation Property Group, bought about 2 acres near Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe on which it intends to develop Stadium Tower.

Current plans for the project, which Marchese expects to break ground on in early 2009, include a 20-story residential building, a 17-story hotel and retail space.

As gas becomes more expensive and drive times grow longer, public transit becomes more attractive, said Marchese, who added that's whydevelopments built with commuters in mind fare well.

"What we find is there's a higher demand for the product because of the location (near light rail)," he said.

Developers also expect the arrival of light rail to deliver a boost to property values in certain areas surrounding the line - a phenomenon that has happened in other cities that have built their own systems.

In metro Dallas, median values between 1997 and 2001 increased nearly 25 percent for office buildings and about 32 percent for residential properties near light-rail stations, according to a University of North Texas study.

That compares to an 11.5 percent increase for comparable office buildings and a 19.5 percent hike for residential properties not located near light-rail stations.

Phoenix-based Equus Development Corp. currently is putting the finishing touches on Century Plaza, a 15-story office tower in midtown Phoenix it has converted into a 17-story condo building.

Equus bought the building at the southeast corner of Central and Lexington avenues in December 2004. The property's location just south of a future light-rail station was one factor that enticed the company to develop there.

"We were very specific to select right around a light-rail station," said Douglas Edgelow, president of Equus.

Equus also is drafting plans to build four new high-rise towers that could include a five-star hotel, office space and more residential units.

The condo project has seen a significant amount of leasing activity. The company has received down payments on about 80 percent of Century Plaza's 145 units, which are currently priced from about $370,000 for a one-bedroom unit to $2.5 million for a two-floor penthouse, according to Michael Webb, a sales representative for Equus Realty LLC.

Webb and Edgelow say the project's location on the light-rail line, which cuts down Central Avenue to downtown Phoenix, has helped spur demand, along with proximity to office buildings and downtown's entertainment venues.

Commercial real-estate brokers say light rail also has become an attractive selling point for non-residential projects.

Marcus Muirhead, an associate vice president in Colliers International's Phoenix office, said the transit system has even helped spur interest in older office properties that are within a stone's throw of the line.

There is "strong interest" among investors for Class B and C office properties, older buildings that do not include the latest amenities and need improvement, that are located within a few blocks of Central Avenue, Muirhead said.

Muirhead and his colleague, Charlotte Christian, say they expect to see properties within a half-mile of the line to get a boost in value down the road.

"It has created demand and I think it will create more price increases when the rail is in operation," said Christian, a senior vice president with Colliers International who specializes in mixed-use projects.

Christian represented Marchese, the San Diego developer, in his purchase of land for his proposed Stadium Tower project. Marchese said he paid $6.5 million for the approximately 2 acres about two years ago.

As the Valley's office market struggles to retain and attract tenants during the economic downtown, light-rail proximity also could be an effective marketing point for landlords trying to lease space.

Mindy Korth, an executive vice president with CB Richard Ellis Inc. in Phoenix, recently highlighted the presence of light rail in a marketing package for Meridian Tower, a 21-story office building at 3550 N. Central Ave. she is marketing on behalf of its owner.

Light rail also could benefit retail centers, which have taken a hit because of the general downturn in the economy.

Mike James, deputy transportation director for Mesa, pointed to the Tri-City Pavilions at the end of the current light-rail line.

The neighborhood retail center, which is anchored by a Safeway, could fare well from people who don't want to drive to do their shopping, said Greg Greenstein, president of JG Management Inc. The Westlake Village, Calif.-based real-estate investment firm bought the center in 2006.

"Our feeling is that (its location) will add trips to the shopping center because of the adjacent park and ride station," said President Greg Greenstein.

EDIT: Whoops. Apparently this article was already posted in the Tempe thread. Ah well, this seems like a fitting place for it.

[tempedude]

Metro tested the light rail all the way from the ASU campus in Tempe to the end of the line at Sycamore Station in Mesa today (something like a 4 mile test run). I was lucky enough to see it. The line basically runs right in front of my apt complex.

[vertex]

Pics?

[tempedude]

Originally Posted by vertex

Pics?

Pictures? What a cool novel idea!

I wish I did have some to share. But, I have not had anything to take pictures with since I accidentaly broke my cell phone camera. I at least used to have an old skool 35mm camera that used film. That somehow disappeared along with several of my CD's and DVD's during my last move when a bunch of "buddies" were helping me out.

Anyway, I have been trying to save my money for a nice camera. I don't want just any old camera, been shopping around and what I have looked at runs $480 or more. I would really prefer something in the $900-$1,200 range. Since I am bascially just going to be a novice weekend photographer though, that really is more than I need to spend right now.

Anyway a link to the news story about todays test run: Mesa welcomes first light rail train