Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[vertex]

Am I the only one here who uses the names?

What if I directed you to the 101 and Bell road? Or the 101 and Thomas? Country Club and the 202? I could go on all day with the duplication game.

Memorizing the names isn't hard. They're even labeled in Google maps.

[plinko]

I think it might depend on where you live in the Valley...and how long you've been around (since they started building all the freeways).

For me it was always:
I-17
I-10
The Superstition (remember when it used to have grass embankments and stop at McClintock?)
Squaw Peak
Red Mountain
143
The 101
The Santan

I know that 10 and 17 have names, but rarely have heard them used (although I will say I've heard the Black Canyon Freeway moniker used occasionally). Still, nobody in Tempe calls I-10 the 'Maricopa Freeway'.

The 101 for me always referred to the entire loop. I've seen 'Aqua Fria Freeway' on a map, but never heard it uttered. Then again, I didn't live in the West Valley.

Never really used '202', but always have referred to it by name. Why? Who knows?

I think the use of the numbers is becoming more and more common over the years. Most people weren't in Phoenix when they were built originally and don't get where the names come from anyway. I've also noticed that people are started to pick up the SoCal thing of placing 'the' in front of the number. Funny.

Squaw Peak will always be Squaw Peak, screw the politicians. Probably better known as 'the 51' now because Piestewa is too damn irritating to say.

BTW, does ANYBODY know what number the ill-conceived Paradise Parkway would have been? Just curious...

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...harbor-ON.html

Phoenix council authorizes $2.9 billion airport expansion
Ginger D. Richardson
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 20, 2007 05:34 PM

Phoenix City Council members authorized a $2.9 billion expansion of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Tuesday afternoon, despite strong objections from its two hub carriers, US Airways and Southwest Airlines.

Both airlines would help foot the construction bill by paying millions more in rent and landing fees in the coming years.

The city calls the rate hikes "modest," but the carriers say it would more than double their cost of doing business in Phoenix.

That, they say, could affect their ability to grow, or even maintain, their existing flight schedule.

"We are concerned that these cost increases would turn a modestly profitable hub into a money losing hub which would jeopardize our ability to grow or sustain our current level of operations," C.A. Howlett, US Airways senior vice president of public affairs said in a letter that was delivered to council members Monday. The airline has budgeted about $40 million for Sky Harbor rents and landing fees this year, he said.

Council members say they understand the carriers' concerns, but said that the expansion program - which includes the construction of a $1.1 billion automated train system, and a 33-gate terminal to replace aging Terminal 2 - is critical to ensuring that Sky Harbor can accommodate future passenger growth.

"This is an exciting opportunity to help this state and community move forward," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said shortly before the council's vote.

He and other council members encouraged the airport to continue discussions with the airlines and to try to minimize the impact on them in the coming years.

The carriers say they are disturbed by Phoenix's plan in part because they don't believe that some of the projects, most notably the driverless train system, are necessary.

Bob Montgomery, Southwest's vice president of properties, called it an "extraordinarily and prohibitively expensive" project that is designed to merely replace the airport's existing bus system. In a sharply worded letter to the city, he detailed the carrier's long history of cooperation with the city, but said that Tuesday's decision marks a sharp departure from that positive relationship.

He made similar remarks to the Republic over the weekend.

"It is self evident, given the short timeframe, the foregone conclusion, and the questionable benefit of the (train) project, that the polar opposite of our previous partnership is beginning to take hold in Phoenix," Montgomery said.

The two carriers were notified only late last week that the airport intended to seek the council's approval of the expansion plan on Tuesday. However, Sky Harbor executives said they had been talking with the carriers about the airport's needs for years.

Assistant Aviation Director Paul Blue also said that the airport would continue to work with its airlines to address their concerns and minimize their costs. The current proposal calls for raising the airline's cost per enplaned passenger from $4.65 to $7 or $8 by 2016 - an increase of about five percent a year over the next 10 years.

"We can't implement $2.9 billion of work without close collaboration with our airline partners," Blue said. "We have a long road ahead of us. We'll work with them and do this in the most cost-effective way we can."

Passengers could feel the effects of the construction in their pocketbooks too.

Sky Harbor also hopes to take in extra cash via the passenger facility charge, a $4.50 fee tacked on to every ticket originating at the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has submitted legislation to Congress that would, among other things, increase that fee to $6.

In addition, the airport will consider increases in rental car taxes, parking fees, and concessions to help pay for the work.

Tuesday's council decision means that planning and design to on the new train system and terminal can begin almost immediately. In addition, the airport intends to build out a final, eight-gate concourse in Terminal 4 and give other passenger areas, like baggage claim and ticketing, a major facelift.

The new round of construction follows other major improvement work at the airport, including the construction of an $89 million air traffic control tower and a $285 million rental car center.

[DevdogAZ]

The only freeway name I've heard used regularly (by people other than traffic reporters) is the Superstition.

Sure, I know that the north segment of the 202 is the Red Mountain, but until the last couple of years there was only one segment of the 202 so there was no reason to use that name.

I never hear anyone use the names of the 101, especially since it changes several times. In Chandler it's the Price Freeway, in Scottsdale it's the Pima Freeway, on the west side it's the Agua Fria Freeway, and as long as they have so many different names, they should make a different one for the north section that runs E/W so as not to confuse those people who are not driving along Pima Road or along the Agua Fria River.

I've occasionally heard the names of Black Canyon and Maricopa on traffic reports, but had no idea which segments those referred to.

I used to hear people use Squaw Peak, but rarely hear anyone use Piestewa. It's just the 51 as far as I'm concerned.

[Sekkle]

From azcentral.com...

State money sought to speed up light rail
Sean Holstege
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 21, 2007 02:17 PM
Metro has asked Gov. Janet Napolitano to find $1.7 billion in state money to speed up light rail plans and add more extensions.

Metro Executive Director Rick Simonetta outlined the request at the agency's meeting Wednesday. He wants to finish the voter-approved 57-mile system in 2020 rather than 2025 and add 37 miles of track not included in current plans.

That, along with a handful of bridges, would cost $2.3 billion, he reported. Currently, Maricopa County's regional transportation plan could contribute $670 million so Metro is wanting the state to pick up the difference.

Simonetta did not reveal where the 37 miles of new track might go, but his announcement comes one day after Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn confirmed that his city wants to join the four-city Metro organization this year.

The Metro board accepted Simonetta's plan without comment on a day it unanimously approved a $2.3 million contract to begin planning light rail extensions west along Interstate 10 and elsewhere into Glendale.

Metro's request for state money is a response to Napolitano's order last month to come up with a state rail plan before summer.

Currently, Metro has built just over half of its 20-mile, $1.4 billion starter line in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.

Planned extensions include west along I-10, west into Glendale, north to MetroCenter Mall, east to downtown Mesa, northeast to Paradise Valley Mall and a southern spur in Tempe.

[combusean]

The state's not the only one putting up the difference--there can be lots of federal help this pot too. The starter line was built with $600 million in federal money. The state's outlay could be closer to $500 milion if the same formulas can apply.

Either way this is good stuff all around--a line down Rural Rd and Chandler Boulevard could connect Chandler Fashion Center with downtown. Congrats to Boyd Dunn for pushing this in a traditionally right wing-leaning city.

[Azndragon837]

^ I agree, I hope the state and the federal government helps out Metro. An earlier opening day (in 2020) is better than 2025 (crap, I'll be 42 in 2025 and 37 in 2020, ahhhhhh!).

-Andrew

[combusean]

BTW, does ANYBODY know what number the ill-conceived Paradise Parkway would have been? Just curious...

50.

[combusean]

Work begins on Metro train

Sean Holstege and Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 22, 2007 12:00 AM

With the sound of an industrial buzzer and Aerosmith's Walk This Way, the door raised, the ribbon was cut and Metro's $64 million maintenance center officially opened Wednesday in Phoenix.

Within hours of the dignitaries leaving, work began to fully assemble the first built-from-scratch train. Train cars in silver tarpaulins and green netting sat outside the facility next to crates of plastic-wrapped wheel trucks. All were awaiting assembly inside. Within weeks, the public will see the real McCoy running in test tracks on Washington Street.

Discussions about the location of future extensions have begun in Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Glendale. But Wednesday was a day for light-rail fans to gawk at a new train, whose cars were preassembled in Japan. They checked out its maintenance center. And politicians crowed about what Metro Executive Director Rick Simonetta called the heart of the 20-mile system. They spoke as if the full system was ready to open, something not due until December 2008.

"This is the future. We get to have a glimpse at that future when we look at these cars," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said, touting 2,000 jobs that light rail is expected to bring.

About 250 employees will work in the Operations and Maintenance Center just east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

His Tempe counterpart, Mayor Hugh Hallman credited forward thinking transportation planners in his city and generous voters.

"The progressive voters of our region have paid to try this on for size, and they will not be disappointed," Hallman said.

U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, who also sits on key congressional transportation committees and was an early campaigner for rail transit in the Valley, addressed the worries of light-rail critics in an interview after the ceremony.

"People who base the success of this on the day it opens miss the point. It will change people's shopping habits, living habits," Mitchell said. "We're not going to see all of a sudden emptying the streets of cars or cleaning up the air. It's about the future."

Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker also talked about the future.

"We will someday extend a rail to downtown Mesa," said Hawker, whose city now has one mile of track. "I want to point out that the line will start in Mesa, progress through Tempe and end in Phoenix."

An hour later, Metro's governing board approved a $2.3 million contract to begin planning an extension into Glendale.

In Tempe, speculation is frequent about how Proposition 400 money would be used for light rail extensions.

Current tentative plans include a 2-mile leg that goes to Southern Avenue and Rural Road. Other options on the table include using Mill Avenue, Rural Road, McClintock Drive or the Loop 101 as corridors going to Scottsdale or to Chandler.

Tempe's City Council won't make a decision on where additional routes could go for at least 18 months, according to Councilwoman Shana Ellis, chair of the council's transportation committee.

Ellis, who also attended the ribbon cutting, said she wants to wait until studies are done about projected ridership and costs for the different routes. She also wants to hold public forums and get input.

"Right now with all the construction being very fresh in people's minds, there is some resistance to the idea of even more of it," Ellis said. "But I believe once light rail is up and operating, there will be interest Valley-wide in getting spurs and seeing those rail cars in more parts of our community in order to get our money's worth."

In Chandler, there is hope that Tempe's light rail line could serve as a conduit to go south and serve other Southeast Valley municipalities.

Chandler is making plans to join Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Glendale on the Valley Metro Rail Board this year, Mayor Boyd Dunn announced Tuesday, during his annual State of the City address. Membership will cost $50,000 a year.

Hallman said, Rail through Chandler "is probably 20 years away, but we anticipate the system will eventually be extended down here," said Mike Normand, Chandler's acting assistant public works director.

The city has identified Rural Road, Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard as possible corridors.

Reporter Edythe Jensen contributed to this article.

[NorthScottsdale]

Originally Posted by vertex

Am I the only one here who uses the names?

What if I directed you to the 101 and Bell road?

there actually is only one "101 and bell" roads. on the east side. bell road turns into frank lloyd wright at scottsdale road, and thats what hits the 101. there is a bell road that starts about a half mile north of that, but there isnt an exit for bell.

[JI5]

Originally Posted by Azndragon837

^ I agree, I hope the state and the federal government helps out Metro. An earlier opening day (in 2020) is better than 2025 (crap, I'll be 42 in 2025 and 37 in 2020, ahhhhhh!).

-Andrew

Oh well folks, at least our kids will have good mass transit. Sucks to be born in the 20th century, i guess.

[Sekkle]

Similar article to the one Combusean posted ^^^. This one's from the Tribune and a little shorter.

METRO light rail unveils first assembled vehicle
J. Craig Anderson, Tribune
METRO light rail unveiled its first assembled vehicle Wednesday inside the agency’s new Operations and Maintenance Center, 605 S. 48th St., in Phoenix. The agency is purchasing a total of 50 such vehicles.

Twelve are in pieces awaiting assembly, and the rest will be delivered periodically throughout the year. Each will take about three weeks to assemble, with the bulk of the work beginning this summer.

In April, METRO will begin testing vehicles on a one-mile section of track on Washington Street near the Phoenix/Tempe border, between 48th and 56th streets. The 20-mile METRO light rail starter line will open for passenger service in December 2008

There's a slideshow with some not-too-interesting pictures. I posted two of them above. Here's the link to the article. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/84533
Click "view slideshow" on that page if you want to see the rest.

[sundevilgrad]

I love the idea of running a line down Rural or McClintock. Mill would be very difficult and short since it pretty much dead-ends at Baseline.

[vertex]

Why the heck isn't anybody talking about putting a spur into Ahwatukee? They could probably use it more than any other area in the valley right now.

[sundevilgrad]

Why the heck isn't anybody talking about putting a spur into Ahwatukee? They could probably use it more than any other area in the valley right now.

Probably because nobody wants to deal with all the NIMBY's that call that area home. I can just imagine the uproar when a neighborhood finds out that the light rail is proposed to go "their" street.

[vertex]

I know plenty of people who would welcome the LRT, and are fed up with the commuting on the 10, 48th st. and Baseline. The Rapid Route from Pecos Rd. to downtown is probably the most successful bus route in the valley right now.

[DevdogAZ]

I think any decisions on the future of Metro will have to wait for a few years until we see how successful the initial stretch is. There are a lot of people who think it will be very successful, but I would say that there are a LOT more who think it will flop. I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm glad we're finally getting some reliable mass transit, but I shudder to think of how long it will take to get anywhere, and since the Valley's employment centers are very decentralized, this initial line will only be viable for a very small percentage of the population.

I hope it's successful and that once people see how well it's doing, they'll be more supportive of future spurs. But until the current tracks are proven, I think there will be a lot of opposition to additional spurs.

(Yes, I know Prop. 400 funded quite a bit of additional track, but I'm thinking that until people see that it's successful, they'll be fighting about where the lines should go.)

[JCarp]

Originally Posted by vertex

Why the heck isn't anybody talking about putting a spur into Ahwatukee? They could probably use it more than any other area in the valley right now.

How I wish that they will put a spur strait down Rural Rd to Chandler Blvd, now that Chandler is in with Light Rail. This I believe would be one of the most used lines in the whole system from all of us who have to commute north on the 10 (or should I say Maricopa Fwy) each day. Also from there, it wouldn’t be to hard to build another spur west on Chandler Blvd straight into Ahwatukee.

I know I would use this route. Sadly, the current route will not be of any use to me in its current configuration, even though my company is moving to Hayden Ferry at the end of this year. By the time I will get to the closest station, I will be just a block from my destination. IMO, Metro will be great, but not effective until they expand the current layout to accommodate more areas of the valley.

[DevdogAZ]

Originally Posted by JCarp

How I wish that they will put a spur strait down Rural Rd to Chandler Blvd, now that Chandler is in with Light Rail. This I believe would be one of the most used lines in the whole system from all of us who have to commute north on the 10 (or should I say Maricopa Fwy) each day. Also from there, it wouldn’t be to hard to build another spur west on Chandler Blvd straight into Ahwatukee.

I know I would use this route. Sadly, the current route will not be of any use to me in its current configuration, even though my company is moving to Hayden Ferry at the end of this year. By the time I will get to the closest station, I will be just a block from my destination. IMO, Metro will be great, but not effective until they expand the current layout to accommodate more areas of the valley.

With as slow as Metro is going to be (less than 20 MPH overall), would anyone in Ahwatukee actually ride it if it they had to go all the way east into Chandler, then North into Tempe and then back west to DT? Seems like that route would take 60-90 minutes to go less than 20 miles from Ahwatukee to DT.

[JCarp]

Originally Posted by DevdogAZ

With as slow as Metro is going to be (less than 20 MPH overall), would anyone in Ahwatukee actually ride it if it they had to go all the way east into Chandler, then North into Tempe and then back west to DT? Seems like that route would take 60-90 minutes to go less than 20 miles from Ahwatukee to DT.

In my personal experience, light rail (that is TRAX in SLC) goes the same speed as traffic does on surface streets). With the larger blocks and further spaced traffic lights (at least in that part of town), I bet METRO will be quicker then 20 mph. Regaurdless, since i go about 20 mph on the 10, it will be a wash.