Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[Code5]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

I don't claim to have all the solutions, but these are just some of the ideas that should be considered as alternatives to endless freeway widening:

• More express bus service
• Commuter rail linking Phoenix to the East Valley and Tucson
• HOT lanes (allowing HOV lanes to be used by those willing to pay a toll)
• Congestion pricing (tolls that vary -- being high at peak, low or zero off-peak)
• Allowing more density so that people don't have to live so far from work to find affordable housing

I like you.
More and better public transit. Yes. This metropolitan area is huge. There are people paid alot more than me to figure that out though. Lol

I'd kill for a metro rail from Buckeye to Phoenix to Tucson.

And yes yes yes, get rid of this nasty single family housing nonsense like they did in Portland, Oregon and that one city in Minnesota, I think. More multifamily housing!

And yes I understand this is the transit section of the forum, but I feel the discussion is still good. Back to roads though.

[az_daniel]

Study after study shows that freeway widening does not improve congestion (in many cases it gets worse), does not impact commute times, and ultimately creates a mess of confusion and construction for many years only for everyone to be put in the same position where traffic relief is needed once finally completed. There is effectively little to no benefit to doing this.

[ASU Diablo]

Although I agree with the induced demand concept and would like to see other transportation projects to help alleviate traffic congestion, I have to say I welcome the updates to SR-143 interchanges including HOV direct access lanes. That whole stretch is such a mess during rush hour.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Although I agree with the induced demand concept and would like to see other transportation projects to help alleviate traffic congestion, I have to say I welcome the updates to SR-143 interchanges including HOV direct access lanes. That whole stretch is such a mess during rush hour.

That's a good point. SR 143 has had such an odd history. Long ago, it was the Hohokam Expressway and ran through the riverbed. Then it got upgraded to a freeway with a bridge over the river, but the interchange with I-10 was never fully developed. To make things even more messy, ADOT then built SR 153 parallel to 143 and then abandoned it to the City of Phoenix for airport access and the SkyTrain route. If there's something good to come from this project, I think better interchanges will be it.

[combusean]

This thing is a mile from a rail corridor that hardly sees any trains. I would be fine with this if other solutions were considered.

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

With the 202 just built, I would image that has helped some and also the amount of people working from home in the future as well should have already alleviated a lot of traffic there. There’s already what 6 or 7 lanes there as is? But yeah, more buses should help. And yeah, Live closer to work! When they build these freeways, why don’t they build it with more lanes to begin with!

[muertecaza]

Article on early stages planning for extending the Street Car through Mesa:

https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/ne...3266407c7.html

Sounds like there is a consensus growing that if an extension happens, it would extend along Rio Salado to Dobson Rd., then south to Southern to loop in MCC, then back north on Country Club to connect to DT Mesa. Seems right to me; it's a bit meandering for a street car route, but if they're going to do it, MCC, the Asian District and Sloan Park seem like the areas they'd want to connect to the system.

[exit2lef]

^It is somewhat meandering, but most passengers use streetcars for short trips, so the indirect route over longer distances shouldn't be a problem. Anyone wanting to travel from downtown Mesa to downtown Tempe would take light rail. The streetcar would be for places in between like the Asian Business District, MCC, and Banner hospital. A terminus at Country Club / Main seems sort of arbitrary, though. I wonder if there's been any consideration of extending it even further to Hohokam Stadium. Obviously, that would raise the price even more, so I'm dreaming about my ideal route rather than talking about proposals that I expect to implemented in the near term.

[N830MH]

The first Tempe Streetcar will definitely delivery. They will delivery Streetcar sometime next year, but not this year. I got email from Valley Metro this morning.

She says:

N830MH, the first delivery will definitely be next year. Still working with manufacturer, Brookville, on the delivery schedule. Brookville is experiencing some delays related to COVID-19.

[N830MH]

We have more light rail train#5. They just arrived in Phoenix yesterday.



Still more to come!!

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by N830MH

We have more light rail train#5. They just arrived in Phoenix yesterday.

Still more to come!!

Any idea when these will be put in operation or are they waiting on the extensions to be completed first?

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

Any idea when these will be put in operation or are they waiting on the extensions to be completed first?

Actually, they have wait to be completion in 2023 or 2024 during at that time. They will extend to South Central and Metrocenter.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Actually, they have wait to be completion in 2023 or 2024 during at that time. They will extend to South Central and Metrocenter.

Seems kinda weird to get them this early and mothball them for 3 or 4 years

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Actually, they have wait to be completion in 2023 or 2024 during at that time. They will extend to South Central and Metrocenter.

Why would they have to wait? I'm sure the cars can run on any of the tracks...

[Diamonddave]

I thought I saw new trains running in Main street in Mesa the other day.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Diamonddave

I thought I saw new trains running in Main street in Mesa the other day.

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

[exit2lef]

Some news about the Tempe Streetcar. It's definitely looking like it's almost ready to ride. What frustrates me a bit is that there still hasn't been any announcement of its schedule or fares. Both of those will influence ridership.

https://azbigmedia.com/business/temp...rs-completion/

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Some news about the Tempe Streetcar. It's definitely looking like it's almost ready to ride. What frustrates me a bit is that there still hasn't been any announcement of its schedule or fares. Both of those will influence ridership.

https://azbigmedia.com/business/temp...rs-completion/

As a streetcar, they won't delivery this year, but they will be delivery for next year from Brookville, PA. Right now, they delayed delivery due to related COVID-19.

[soled]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

What frustrates me a bit is that there still hasn't been any announcement of its schedule or fares. Both of those will influence ridership.

https://azbigmedia.com/business/temp...rs-completion/

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

[PHXFlyer11]

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?

I don't imagine there's much to it... I mean they need to announce hours but I would think frequency would need to be every 5 minutes on a street car for it to make sense.