Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[combusean]

The Downtown Hub being where these lines intersect and Central Station where all the buses transfer not being the same spot is just the worst of bad planning.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Valley Metro has started to determine details of the conversion of our current single (very long) light rail line to a two-line system. This will happen next year when the South Central construction is complete.

It looks like the east-west tracks between downtown Phoenix and Mesa will become the A Line, and the north-south tracks between MetroCenter and South Phoenix will be the B line.

The agency is now asking for public input about what to call the downtown hub where people will transfer between the two lines:

https://www.valleymetro.org/news/202...ne-rail-system

I'm not thrilled with any of the proposed naming conventions. I'd rather just go with CityScape, but maybe that's off limits due to it being associated with a specific commercial destination. If not that, may it could be called "Downtown Crossing" like the hub where the Orange and Red lines meet in Boston.

Regardless of the names chosen, I'm still curious about two other aspects of this change:

1) What changes will Phoenix's street transportation department make to improve conditions for passengers crossing the street to transfer from one train to another? Ideally, I'd like to see all four corners converted to scramble intersections in which the lights have a phase when all vehicular traffic is stopped and pedestrians can cross diagonally. I'd also like to see both right-on-red and left-on-red prohibited at those intersections.

2) What frequency of service will Valley Metro provide once the conversion to a two-line system is done? If headways are still at their current level of 15-minutes, you're going to have a lot more jaywalking by passengers who don't want to miss a train and wait 15 minutes for the next one. Also, increasing total travel time between the Midtown and Uptown areas of Phoenix and Sky Harbor and the East Valley may result in lost ridership.

Agree on the naming conventions, 'Downtown Phoenix Transfer Hub' and the various proposed variations aren't my favorite.

Definitely agree they need higher frequency, for lots of reasons including the ones you list. Ridership overall for Valley Metro is still cratered from pre-COVID, but light rail ridership has been recovering more rapidly. Hopefully that motivates them to increase frequency.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by combusean

The Downtown Hub being where these lines intersect and Central Station where all the buses transfer not being the same spot is just the worst of bad planning.

Yeah, transfer hub being 5-ish blocks from central station and 8-ish blocks from Union Station if/when Amtrak service is restored to Phoenix is not ideal. Not the worst, they're all pretty easily walkable, but not ideal. Not sure if it could have been easily changed though and still have the light rail head toward the Capitol.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by combusean

The Downtown Hub being where these lines intersect and Central Station where all the buses transfer not being the same spot is just the worst of bad planning.

Yes, that seems weird. Many people transfer between bus and light rail. Fortunately, it's correctable. With the Central Station development, there's almost no transit infrastructure other than regular rail platforms and bus stops left at Central and Van Buren. Many of the bus stops could probably be moved three blocks south without much trouble.

[J_PHX]

Deleted

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Yeah, transfer hub being 5-ish blocks from central station and 8-ish blocks from Union Station if/when Amtrak service is restored to Phoenix is not ideal.

Downtown Phoenix People Mover

[exit2lef]

I admire Congressman Stanton and have been proud to support him with votes and campaign contributions. Nevertheless, I think it's a terrible idea to name infrastructure after elected officials while they are still in office. Such honors should be either posthumous or made once the official has retired. Stanton's a long way from either. To be clear, I don't think this is his idea, but I wish the current mayor and her allies would think twice about this.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...n/73692290007/

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

I admire Congressman Stanton and have been proud to support him with votes and campaign contributions. Nevertheless, I think it's a terrible idea to name infrastructure after elected officials while they are still in office. Such honors should be either posthumous or made once the official has retired. Stanton's a long way from either. To be clear, I don't think this is his idea, but I wish the current mayor and her allies would think twice about this.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...n/73692290007/

I absolutely agree, not least of which you have no idea how his career could end and could prompt name changes

Better to wait until such people are retired or passed on and any current day political baggage is fading into the past.

[azsunsurfer]

He's just an empty suit with politically expedient values (or lack thereof). He's just good at bringing home the pork when necessary.

Just name it after Jane Hull and be done with it.

Edit- Also didn't they name the transit center at Metrocenter after Debra Stark? Ain't she alive? I know she looks like she has one foot in the grave but c'mon man that's a little rough isn't it?

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

He's just an empty suit with politically expedient values (or lack thereof). He's just good at bringing home the pork when necessary.

Just name it after Jane Hull and be done with it.

Edit- Also didn't they name the transit center at Metrocenter after Debra Stark? Ain't she alive? I know she looks like she has one foot in the grave but c'mon man that's a little rough isn't it?

what politician has actual values? but I digress.

Not Debra, Thelma Williams who did pass away

[combusean]

It was named after Thelda Williams, not Debra Stark, and Thelda recently died.

[azsunsurfer]

RIP Thelda!

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by combusean

It was named after Thelda Williams, not Debra Stark, and Thelda recently died.

Yeah, exactly! She has passed away years back. They named after Thelda’s died.

[halicem]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Yeah, exactly! She has passed away years back. They named after Thelda’s died.

Caught the council meeting yesterday where, as it turns out, Central Station was hand-shake promised to be named after late Cong. Ed Pastor especially since the current Ed Pastor transit center was getting repurposed to not be a transit center anymore and that was part of the compromise with the community and city staff.

So council is moving forward with the process anyway and asked to "trust" in the process that the right/proper name will emerge.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by halicem

Caught the council meeting yesterday where, as it turns out, Central Station was hand-shake promised to be named after late Cong. Ed Pastor especially since the current Ed Pastor transit center was getting repurposed to not be a transit center anymore and that was part of the compromise with the community and city staff.

So council is moving forward with the process anyway and asked to "trust" in the process that the right/proper name will emerge.

Pastor would be a better choice. He had a long, distinguished career and is now deceased.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Pastor would be a better choice. He had a long, distinguished career and is now deceased.

Right! He has passed away a long time ago. He’s dead now. He had a heart attack.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Pastor

[ASU Diablo]

What am I missing here? Why do we need two lines heading West (I-10 West Extension & Indian School) within miles of each other?

https://azbex.com/planning-developme...ght-rail-line/

On a unanimous vote, the Phoenix Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee has approved a new light rail line along Indian School Road.

With that approval comes a reallocation of $153M in transit funds that had been planned for a different line along Camelback Road that was dropped years ago.

Expenditures for preliminary engineering and community feedback will not start until 2036 if the Indian School Road line earns the approvals it needs from the Phoenix City Council, Valley Metro and the Maricopa Association of Governments.

Expected benefits from the new line include improving access into the Maryvale portion of Phoenix, enhanced access to high-activity areas, and improved mobility for residents near the line who are currently dependent on bus-only transit services.

If approved and built, the Indian School Road line will connect to the planned I-10 West Extension at 75th Avenue and Thomas Road and to the existing light rail lines at either Central Avenue and Indian School or 19th Avenue and Camelback. An extension to the medical district around Banner Estrella hospital at Thomas Road and 91st Avenue is also under consideration.

The end-of-line options, station locations and other details will be part of the 2036 planned public input process.

By approving the line now, officials say they are trying to give residents and businesses as much notice as possible.

Council scrapped plans for a light rail line following Camelback Road and reaching to 43rd Avenue in 2019. At the time, future money for the line was reallocated for street repair on Camelback and was scheduled to become available this year. That was paused when officials began looking into the new line, and officials said there would be no problem with the Phoenix Streets Transportation Department shifting the $153M in funding back to public transit uses since the funding had not yet been included in the Department forecast.

[combusean]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Pastor would be a better choice. He had a long, distinguished career and is now deceased.

There has been an Ed Pastor Transit Center for a very long time now.

https://www.valleymetro.org/how-to-r...nd-broadway-rd

They named that after him while he was still alive.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

https://azbex.com/planning-developme...ght-rail-line/

Well, I'll be old, retired and living on an island somewhere by the time this starts construction

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

Well, I'll be old, retired and living on an island somewhere by the time this starts construction

Yeah, me too! I staying in Arizona for a long time. I’ll be there until when I die in the future. We love Arizona so much. Better than Florida.