Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by soled

They're probably 7 months or so away from opening. What's the typical timeframe for pre-announcing schedules for new transit like this?

Good question, and I don't remember the timeframe for announcements of service levels back in 2008 when light rail service started. I guess it's good not to announce too early because conditions can change quickly, especially with the impact of the pandemic.

Here's some more coverage I just read. Apparently, construction accelerated during the pandemic, but the pandemic has delayed production of the vehicles. As a result, service won't begin until fall. That's probably for the best because it is unlikely ASU will be back to typical levels of campus activity before then.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ng/6443457002/

[locolife]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Good question, and I don't remember the timeframe for announcements of service levels back in 2008 when light rail service started. I guess it's good not to announce too early because conditions can change quickly, especially with the impact of the pandemic.

Here's some more coverage I just read. Apparently, construction accelerated during the pandemic, but the pandemic has delayed production of the vehicles. As a result, service won't begin until fall. That's probably for the best because it is unlikely ASU will be back to typical levels of campus activity before then.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ng/6443457002/

Agreed, that seems like a more ideal time to kick it off considering the timeline estimates for vaccine distribution leading to any type of return to normalcy. By then the multiple residential buildings and hotels should also be ready to go putting the largest ever population density in DT Tempe.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Good question, and I don't remember the timeframe for announcements of service levels back in 2008 when light rail service started. I guess it's good not to announce too early because conditions can change quickly, especially with the impact of the pandemic.

Here's some more coverage I just read. Apparently, construction accelerated during the pandemic, but the pandemic has delayed production of the vehicles. As a result, service won't begin until fall. That's probably for the best because it is unlikely ASU will be back to typical levels of campus activity before then.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ng/6443457002/

Yes, of course. Due to COVID-19. The production was delayed in Brookville, PA. Tempe Streetcar won't delivery this year. They will definitely be delivery for next year. I am not quite sure when they will be delivery. We'll find out when they are ready to be delivery.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

I think they're already in use. They're purple and the seats inside are not upholstered as they were on the original cars.

I'm out in Downtown daily walking around and also still riding every couple of days. I have not seen any new cars yet on the tracks yet. The old ones have been getting a new purple paint job which may look like new cars, but they are the old ones still.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

I'm out in Downtown daily walking around and also still riding every couple of days. I have not seen any new cars yet on the tracks yet. The old ones have been getting a new purple paint job which may look like new cars, but they are the old ones still.

Thanks. I guess the frayed upholstery is being removed and replaced with hard seating as part of the renovation process.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Just an update article of the Central Ave/I-17 bridge construction with a picture showing the progress:
https://www.constructionequipmentgui...-project/50589


Edit: Also found a good 22 minute of the history of Phoenix freeways. Long video to watch, but has some updated shots of Downtown occasionally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK5t0FaUYLc

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

Just an update article of the Central Ave/I-17 bridge construction with a picture showing the progress:
https://www.constructionequipmentgui...-project/50589


Edit: Also found a good 22 minute of the history of Phoenix freeways. Long video to watch, but has some updated shots of Downtown occasionally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK5t0FaUYLc

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing! I wondered why they didn't have a wider on I-17 bridge/Central Ave. Because the I-17 is too narrow. Not enough space. So today, they will constructed a new I-17 bridge/Central Ave. This is for the future. Because of this, those people are complaining about traffic.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing! I wondered why they didn't have a wider on I-17 bridge/Central Ave. Because the I-17 is too narrow. Not enough space. So today, they will constructed a new I-17 bridge/Central Ave. This is for the future. Because of this, those people are complaining about traffic.

Its a 60 something year old bridge that is too small and I dont think the light rail will fit under it.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Its a 60 something year old bridge that is too small and I dont think the light rail will fit under it.

Actually, they will go under the bridge. They shouldn't have any issues.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Actually, they will go under the bridge. They shouldn't have any issues.

yes but thats why they need a new bridge I think

[exit2lef]

The bridge is being replaced for a variety of reasons:

It's too low to accommodate light rail.
It's too narrow to accommodate future freeway widening.
It's old and would eventually reach the end of its lifespan anyway.

https://azdot.gov/projects/central-d...uction-project

[RichTempe]

Apparently this is in addition to the $200 million in money already allotted from the DOT.


PHOENIX — The South Central light rail extension in Phoenix will receive $638 million from the United States Department of Transportation to help complete the project, Arizona Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly said in a press release Friday.

Full article from KTAR News:

https://ktar.com/story/3730955/south...deral-funding/

[exit2lef]

It’s going away at the end of the year:

https://buff.ly/2VG7jQT

[TakeFive]

Disappointing - for now.

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

That's very disappointing to me, I had put that project in the back of my mind thinking it was a done deal. It was going to help revitalize VB.

I have previously (naively perhaps for Phx) suggested Van Buren was ripe for redevelopment; not much has changed. With all the vertical development downtown it's only a matter of time before development goes "infill" horizontal. The hottest corridors off downtown Denver are in industrial mish-mash areas. Makes redevelopment easier, cheaper as well as accommodating interesting adaptive reuse.

Bit of a chicken-egg case but when Van Buren becomes more 'livable' from added redevelopment then the demand for being 'walkable' will also grow.

Originally Posted by DesertRay

It was designed one way before, was designed a different way, and can be designed yet another way. $$ will be spent either way, and it's time to reconsider the car-first and car-only planning. There is always pushback (the constant refrain on these boards is the cry against NIMBYs, who just resist change). Other cities make these changes all the time, and it's time for Phoenix to continue to push towards multipurpose transportation that doesn't pit walkers against drivers against bicyclists against.... It's well past time.

FWIW, I walk by these protected bicycle tracks being put in, and I can't wait to see who uses them. I don't have a bike, but everybody in the neighborhood is excited about them.

Originally Posted by exit2lef

I wonder where Take Five went. I used to have this debate with that forum member all the time.

I was hoping if I left you time and space..... You'd figure it out on your own.

Long story, actually stories but I took a long, long blog break due to various time-consuming interests.

Originally Posted by RichTempe

Apparently this is in addition to the $200 million in money already allotted from the DOT.


PHOENIX — The South Central light rail extension in Phoenix will receive $638 million from the United States Department of Transportation to help complete the project, Arizona Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly said in a press release Friday.

Full article from KTAR News:

https://ktar.com/story/3730955/south...deral-funding/

That is super impressive.

It's breaks out as a "$530 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants Program. The other $108 million comes from the Federal Highway Administration."

I also wondered if that was on top of the previous $200 million; likely the case as those were other topic grants.

With an updated project cost estimate of ~$1 billion that is $182 million per mile; par for the course in 2020. The $530 ml FTA grant is very generous; add in the $108 mil and that is 64% of estimated costs. Phoenix is living right!

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I was hoping if I left you time and space..... You'd figure it out on your own.

Long story, actually stories but I took a long, long blog break due to various time-consuming interests.

Good to have you back no matter what.

[combusean]

The FHWA grant is interesting ... wouldn't mind reading the award statement. I'm guessing it's there to upgrade ancient Central Ave bridge and underpass?

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

It’s going away at the end of the year:

https://buff.ly/2VG7jQT

Not surprising given the rise of electric scooters.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Not surprising given the rise of electric scooters.

I think scooters and bikes complement each other more than they compete. GRID seemed shiny and new when it launched in 2014 but did not age well. The last few times I tried to rent a bike, I found so many of them inoperable that I gave up. Maybe the business model didn't do enough to foresee ongoing fleet maintenance and replacement needs.

Whatever happened, the final nail in the coffin might have been the pandemic. Although people have been bicycling a lot more since March, that hasn't translated into use of bike share because people are less likely to be riding light rail and spending time in urban centers where bike share is concentrated. Plus, exaggerated fears of germy surfaces might have dissuaded use of shared assets in the early days of the pandemic.

[combusean]

I'm in San José which is very similar to Phoenix in the urban form in and around downtown and the Lyft bikes are well in use still. I suppose this is because Lyft has the capital to burn while GRID floundered with the difficulties exit2lef mentioned.

Did GRID have any corporate partnerships? Lyft bikes here are extensively sponsored by Alaska Airlines with monument signs next to the stations. Also the bikes here can be left anywhere (which of course blocks the sidewalk) and I know Phoenix had crazy regulations for scooters.

[TakeFive]

Phoenix takes its turn as the whipping boy

Phoenix Leaders Are Climate Hypocrites
Dec 4, 2020 By Joe Cortright - Streetsblog

You can’t be a climate mayor — and your city can’t be a climate city — if you’re constantly widening freeways.

One doesn’t have to look far to find a city that is pledging to be much, much better (in a few decades), while its current efforts are failing perceptibly, and it’s actively spending money that will make the problem worse.

Image courtesy City of Phoenix

Going faster—in the wrong direction


Source

FWIW, I am not your climate activist; maybe climate-interested would peg me better. It's fair to say that cleaner is better than dirty.