Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

Work to start on the I-17 Central Ave bridge replacement:

https://azdot.gov/adot-news/project-...avenue-phoenix

Nice. This is tied to the South Central light rail extension. I'm glad to see that project continuing to move forward, even though I'm sure the prospects for extensions planned farther in the future have been diminished due to current events.

[N830MH]

Tempe Streetcar to be delivery in the Fall 2020. Coming from Brookville, PA.

Be lookout for Tempe streetcar near you!

[exit2lef]

Public comment is now open on the latest proposals for the Capitol / I-10 west light rail alignment.

https://www.valleymetro.org/project/capitoli-10-west

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Public comment is now open on the latest proposals for the Capitol / I-10 west light rail alignment.

https://www.valleymetro.org/project/capitoli-10-west

My feedback was that I want to see this on surface streets because one of the major benefits of light rail is the redevelopment. That doesn't happen along a freeway. I'd like to see them get more creative and have express trains that go directly to major stops and transfer points. I realize it would take some work with lights and some dual tracks to allow for passing, but I think it's doable and a needed technology anyways as light rail expands.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer11

My feedback was that I want to see this on surface streets because one of the major benefits of light rail is the redevelopment. That doesn't happen along a freeway.

Yes, I said the same thing. Right now, the plan is for BRT on Thomas and light rail along I-10. That's exactly the opposite of how it should be. I also noted that I didn't like the use of a couplet (one-way tracks westbound and eastbound a block apart) on the segment between downtown and the capitol. Couplets confuse people and decrease the area within walking distance of a station because even if one platform is within a quarter mile, half mile, or any other specific distance of a destination, the corresponding platform in the opposite direction may not be.

[Phxguy]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Yes, I said the same thing. Right now, the plan is for BRT on Thomas and light rail along I-10. That's exactly the opposite of how it should be. I also noted that I didn't like the use of a couplet (one-way tracks westbound and eastbound a block apart) on the segment between downtown and the capitol. Couplets confuse people and decrease the area within walking distance of a station because even if one platform is within a quarter mile, half mile, or any other specific distance of a destination, the corresponding platform in the opposite direction may not be.

Have the routes been selected for BRT through Central Phoenix? I thought 3 routes of the 6 options were to be decided for a ‘foundational line.’

I think with all east-west options terminating at Desert Sky Mall, sans McDowell, extending the light rail those final 2 miles up 79th Ave to the Transit Center is not only obvious, it would be criminal to leave a gap like that between LTR and BRT.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Phxguy

Have the routes been selected for BRT through Central Phoenix? I thought 3 routes of the 6 options were to be decided for a ‘foundational line.’

I think with all east-west options terminating at Desert Sky Mall, sans McDowell, extending the light rail those final 2 miles up 79th Ave to the Transit Center is not only obvious, it would be criminal to leave a gap like that between LTR and BRT.

I don't think there has been a final decision, but I know Thomas was a strong contender for BRT.

[combusean]

I don't believe they've made any real start on BRT based on the most recent update on the T2050 website.

[exit2lef]

Good news from an unlikely source. POTUS has tweeted an announcement of federal funding for the South Central light rail extension:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...22849225506819

Edit: I'm wondering if this represents a next step in federal funding, or if Trump is tweeting old news. The same amount was awarded last year:

https://www.valleymetro.org/news/fed...ondowntown-hub

Is it the same $100 million or another $100 million?

Another Edit: It appears that the President (or more likely a staffer) is tweeting out news from 2019 about many transit projects. Laura Bliss of CityLab has recognized the pattern, even as many of our local media outlets have treated it like new money:

https://twitter.com/mslaurabliss

[combusean]

I had an idea and emailed this to mag@azmag.gov MAG, Maricopa Association of Governments includes all the cities here and does nearly all of the regional transportation planning in Maricopa County.

Subject: Special Transportation Districts?

To whom it may concern:

I have an idea that I have never heard about in Arizona before.

Phoenix is a huge city, probably too big, and the needs of residents on Thomas Rd, including the needs of Scottsdale residents near Thomas, are vastly different from the needs of the northern suburbs of both cities.

I have long pondered the idea of an enormously expensive corridor on Thomas to augment what voters approved in Phoenix with T2050 and prior elections when tax funding goes away.

I don't believe there's any mechanism in Arizona for people, say, within in a mile of the Thomas corridor in both cities to vote to tax themselves (bonds, sales taxes, even income taxes, property taxes, etc) to enhance transportation within their corridor.

I suppose this would be a version of an Enhanced Municipal Services District but this is a touchy issue in Phoenix. In any event, it avoids taxing people for services they may never use with their distant location from the services offered.

Sincerely,

Sean Horan
Former resident of Phoenix

I would love feedback on this concept and possibly get forumers involved, even tho I don't live in Phoenix anymore.

And in retrospect I probably should have picked a better acronym than STDs. Oops.

[xymox]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Good news from an unlikely source. POTUS has tweeted an announcement of federal funding for the South Central light rail extension:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...22849225506819

Edit: I'm wondering if this represents a next step in federal funding, or if Trump is tweeting old news. The same amount was awarded last year:

https://www.valleymetro.org/news/fed...ondowntown-hub

Is it the same $100 million or another $100 million?

Another Edit: It appears that the President (or more likely a staffer) is tweeting out news from 2019 about many transit projects. Laura Bliss of CityLab has recognized the pattern, even as many of our local media outlets have treated it like new money:

https://twitter.com/mslaurabliss

Nope - sounds like this was confirmed by Fox 10 that this is an additional $100M - just happened to hear the story on 'tv' while browsing this thread...

[RichTempe]

Originally Posted by xymox

Nope - sounds like this was confirmed by Fox 10 that this is an additional $100M - just happened to hear the story on 'tv' while browsing this thread...

It's also being reported on AZCentral as well as an additional $100M:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ct/5279860002/

[combusean]

Originally Posted by xymox

Nope - sounds like this was confirmed by Fox 10 that this is an additional $100M - just happened to hear the story on 'tv' while browsing this thread...

The amount of Federal funding for this line is rough. Light rail is about 30 - 60% dependent on fed funds and I'm wondering where the money is coming from and why the Feds aren't contributing like they should to a huge project.

$100 million is about a tenth of what it will cost to rebuild the Salt River bridge as fast as I can tell. It's piecemeal.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by xymox

Nope - sounds like this was confirmed by Fox 10 that this is an additional $100M - just happened to hear the story on 'tv' while browsing this thread...

Originally Posted by RichTempe

It's also being reported on AZCentral as well as an additional $100M:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ct/5279860002/

KTAR is also reporting the funding as additional, but I won’t be 100% convinced until I see that wording in a press release from either Valley Metro or the Federal Transit Administration. As Laura Bliss noted yesterday, the Trump Twitter account was posting a string of announcements all with dollar amounts identical to those reported in 2019. It would not surprise me if old news was being recirculated for election year advantage. The irony, of course, is that some Trump-loving Arizonans replied to his staff’s tweet by saying they didn’t want the project.

Originally Posted by combusean

The amount of Federal funding for this line is rough. Light rail is about 30 - 60% dependent on fed funds and I'm wondering where the money is coming from and why the Feds aren't contributing like they should to a huge project.

$100 million is about a tenth of what it will cost to rebuild the Salt River bridge as fast as I can tell. It's piecemeal.

The total request from Valley Metro to the FTA is for just over $500 million, so if the amount mentioned yesterday is an additional $100 on top of last year’s, then we’d be 40% there in terms of federal funding. A full federal funding agreement is not expected until next year. That’s pretty typical of FTA-backed projects. They often break ground and are well into construction before all of the federal funds flow.

[exit2lef]

I think the FTA just answered my question:

PHOENIX, AZ: VALLEY METRO SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION/DOWNTOWN HUB
This project is a 5.5-mile extension of Valley Metro’s light rail system from downtown Phoenix to the South Mountain Village Core, and includes nine stations. FTA has allocated $100 million in FY 2019 funds and is allocating $100 million in FY 2020 funds to the project.

https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/ne...ion-12-transit

So, in other words, another $100 million. Local media were right, and I’m glad to have this confirmed.

[exit2lef]

New video presentation on the city's BRT plans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i06K5Q_rTPY

[Socalzonie]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

New video presentation on the city's BRT plans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i06K5Q_rTPY

Thanks! Very informative. And I already voted for my faves.

[N830MH]

Hi all,

Northwest Phoenix phase II extension has been approved yesterday. They will extended to Metrocenter.

They will start construction again soon in August. This is for light rail.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Hi all,

Northwest Phoenix phase II extension has been approved yesterday. They will extended to Metrocenter.

They will start construction again soon in August. This is for light rail.

Kind of questioning the purpose of this extension now that MetroCenter is pretty much done. There's not really anything else in the area that would require LRT. Everything that will be left in the area is mainly chain restaurants.

[azsunsurfer]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

Kind of questioning the purpose of this extension now that MetroCenter is pretty much done. There's not really anything else in the area that would require LRT. Everything that will be left in the area is mainly chain restaurants.

Metrocenter is suppose to be redeveloped....so they are hoping its a catalyst for that (although I am not sure about that). Maybe the hope is some people from the North and West parts of the Valley may use the park and ride to commute but usually those people use the rapid bus park and ride further up on the 17 so who knows...