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  #2001  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2009, 9:51 PM
Buckeye Native 001 Buckeye Native 001 is offline
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If you live in the Southeast Valley, the town of Maricopa's an option for Amtrak service, but not worth the drive for most of the city's residents (especially on the west and north sides of town)
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  #2002  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2009, 9:59 PM
JDRCRASH JDRCRASH is offline
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Phoenix is also nearly twice as large as SF, so HSR definitely must be considered.

Unfortunately, with anti-rail cronies like John McCain along with his loyal suburban NIMBYS roaming Arizona, getting something as expensive as HSR to L
a will most definitely be a hassle.
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Last edited by JDRCRASH; Apr 25, 2009 at 10:12 PM.
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  #2003  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2009, 10:29 PM
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Nice job finding those renderings Hx_Guy it looks pretty slick. Im glad to see a future link to commuter rail is being planned for.
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  #2004  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2009, 10:33 PM
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^^Where can we find more info on that (commuter rail at Sky Harbor)? Does anyone know what happened to all the studies that Napolitano had ordered regarding commuter rail between PHX and Tucson?
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  #2005  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2009, 1:53 AM
glynnjamin glynnjamin is offline
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Ya commuter rail is what caught my eye. The airport looks pretty much like JFK's SkyTrain so I'm not that surprised. But commuter rail would be amazing. Obviously there is a large business for people who come up from Tucson to take flights and a commuter rail line that went from Tucson, through the SE Valley, through the airport, connected with Union Station, then went up Grand Ave stopping in Glendale, Surprise, and Wickenburg would be awesome.
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  #2006  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2009, 3:46 AM
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Those renderings of the Sky Train station look great. It's in Phoenix and it's actually impressive. What did we do to deserve this?

Leaving the option open for a commuter rail link is fantastic. It's another thing to be impressed with - genuine transit foresight. I'm almost shocked. Now, if we can only get Union Station up and running again, HSR and Amtrak to Phoenix (at Union Station), a genuine commuter rail network, expanded LRT, etc., etc., and gosh, I'll just be gushing with pride!

I hope this gets built as planned.
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  #2007  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2009, 4:36 AM
exit2lef exit2lef is offline
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Don't read too much into the wording about commuter rail. Does anyone remember the signs in the I-10 tunnel saying "future express bus station"? That never came to pass. I'm very much in favor of the SkyTrain, but sometimes projects will be presented with add-on capabilities that are never used. It's great that SkyTrain can link to commuter rail, but that's no guarantee that commuter rail will ever be built. Right now, it isn't even in the planning stages.
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  #2008  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2009, 1:49 PM
Leo the Dog Leo the Dog is offline
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Just imagine if our LR (or Heavy Rail) system looked like that! Those stations look great.

Has anyone else noticed how there aren't nearly as many LR haters on AZCentral? Seems like the public is ready for LR extension more/now vs. never/too much $$.
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  #2009  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2009, 3:34 PM
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NIXPHX77 NIXPHX77 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glynnjamin View Post
Ya commuter rail is what caught my eye. But commuter rail would be amazing. Obviously there is a large business for people who come up from Tucson to take flights and a commuter rail line that went from Tucson, through the SE Valley, through the airport, connected with Union Station, then went up Grand Ave stopping in Glendale, Surprise, and Wickenburg would be awesome.
Same here. just the fact that it was thought of to be included (and was included) gives me hope. seems a no-brainer.
we have to help make commuter rail (and Amtrak's return, whether it's HSR or not) somehow. write or call your local and federal congresspersons and other elected officials.
i like the renderings a lot mostly, but a few concerns come to mind.
do architects in this day for local projects still render surface lots without any landscaping/trees/shade? as pictured, that would be horrible, tho i don't think the city would allow it.
it looks like one would have to go up not one but 2 levels to reach the sky train from LR if i'm seeing it right. the sky train station should be on the same level as the bridge over washington it seems to me.
also, i'd like to see the extra empty space at the sw corner of wash. and 44th st parceled off and sold so someone could build something at that corner and contribute some money to the coffers. why not activate the corner; is all that empty space adjacent to bus bays and back to the canal necessary? seems wasteful in many ways. Thx for finding and posting this cool stuff vwwolfe and hxguy!
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  #2010  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2009, 3:33 PM
Leo the Dog Leo the Dog is offline
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^ 44th St/Washington development is coming along. The new Aloft is looking like the one in Tempe, should be open in the Fall and the low-rise office building to the east of the Aloft has cool lighting at night. I like how they added the blue horizontal lighting to make it stand out. I'm sure the Aloft will add to the lighting as well.

I noticed that the truck trailer on the empty lot between the 2 buildings had the name "Trillium" painted over. I guess they're no longer planning residential there now??
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  #2011  
Old Posted May 1, 2009, 3:41 PM
HX_Guy HX_Guy is offline
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It looks like we could have extended light rail hours on the weekend as soon as June 2009. Would be great to see...

http://phoenix.gov/PUBMEETC/1015.html#item7
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  #2012  
Old Posted May 1, 2009, 4:02 PM
glynnjamin glynnjamin is offline
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Sweet!
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  #2013  
Old Posted May 1, 2009, 4:08 PM
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/\ Great news and thanks for posting....

Last weekend I was at the Sail Inn (bar) in Tempe. My friend and I knew we had to unfortunately catch the last train back downtown at around 11pm. We were riding our bikes and got to the platform and paid our money for the pass and started waiting. A security guard told us we missed the last train, but for some reason I didn't believe him. We waiting and one more train WB did come and stopped at Mill Ave. Some people got off and I was glad we'd at least get a ride part of the way home (to where the trains head off to the MSF). We got on and then the conductor came by and said the train is now out of service (at 11:15ish). Why would it be out of service at Mill? I can see being out of service once it hits the 48th St or Priest or whatever it is station, but Mill? It didn't make any sense. But we got off and proceeded to ride our bikes home from Mill Ave back to downtown (a nice 10 mile jaunt along Washington).

Three things sucked about last Saturday night:

1. That the ticket machines and marquees say nothing about the last train already leaving the station. It still let us buy one-way tickets wasting our money. They should somehow know, let the platform know, and stop selling the same-day one-way tix at a certain time.

2. That the westbound train continued service until Mill only, and then went out of service. I thought at the end of the night they always continued service until the point they break off to go to the maintainance facility.

3. That the trains stopped running on a Saturday night at freaking 11:15 or 11:30!!!

Glad they'll be extended (hopefully) in the coming months.
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  #2014  
Old Posted May 1, 2009, 8:26 PM
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Lightbulb

Quote:
Originally Posted by PHX31 View Post
Three things sucked about last Saturday night:
1. That the ticket machines and marquees say nothing about the last train already leaving the station. It still let us buy one-way tickets wasting our money. They should somehow know, let the platform know, and stop selling the same-day one-way tix at a certain time.
2. That the westbound train continued service until Mill only, and then went out of service. I thought at the end of the night they always continued service until the point they break off to go to the maintenance facility.
3. That the trains stopped running on a Saturday night at freaking 11:15 or 11:30!!!
Do they have train schedules pamphlets anywhere?
Here it is from their web site:
http://www.valleymetro.org/images/up...e_03_23_09.pdf

The last few westbound trains are shown going out of service at Mill.
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  #2015  
Old Posted May 1, 2009, 10:33 PM
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PhxPavilion PhxPavilion is offline
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Providing later weekend service is not in the METRO operating budget. The operating budget is 100 percent funded by member cities based on the service miles in their jurisdiction. The City of Phoenix currently does not have funds budgeted for extended hours. City staff requested that METRO provide cost estimates and options for providing light rail service until 2:00 a.m. The following options include METRO’s operating costs for one year of extended service, security for the extended hours, and the provision of Dial-A-Ride service, as required by federal regulations.

Options

1. Continue 20-minute service through Phoenix and Tempe downtown stations until 2:00 a.m. This means the last eastbound train passes through the Phoenix downtown stations shortly after 2:00 a.m. and the last westbound train leaves 3rd Street and Mill Avenue shortly after 2:00 a.m. The cost of this option is $300,000.

2. Same as Option 1 with the exception that after 11 p.m., trains will run every 40 minutes instead of every 20 minutes. The cost of this option is $250,000.

3. Same as Option 1 with the exception that after 11 p.m., trains will run every 60 minutes instead of every 20 minutes. This option costs $225,000.

4. Continue regular service as currently scheduled except for the last two trains. In this option, the last two trains remain at 19th Avenue and Montebello and Sycamore and Main stations, departing in time to arrive at westbound Tempe and eastbound Phoenix downtowns at 2:15 a.m. The cost of this option is $200,000.
Anyone catch this from the report? Trains running every 40 or 60 minutes is pretty ridiculous.
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  #2016  
Old Posted May 2, 2009, 12:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by electricron View Post
Do they have train schedules pamphlets anywhere?
Here it is from their web site:
http://www.valleymetro.org/images/up...e_03_23_09.pdf

The last few westbound trains are shown going out of service at Mill.
They must have changed it because I was always under the impression that the last trains went out of service at Priest as they went off the main tracks to the maintenance yard. In fact, I was on a train a month or two ago that went out of service there and we had to get off. Besides, it makes sense to end there, because there are still a couple stops they could let people off at after Mill before going out of service. Unless they think it's better to dump people off on Mill where there is stuff to do, rather than at Priest where it is nothing but a bunch of closed office buildings.
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  #2017  
Old Posted May 2, 2009, 1:20 AM
Vicelord John Vicelord John is offline
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Originally Posted by PhxPavilion View Post
Anyone catch this from the report? Trains running every 40 or 60 minutes is pretty ridiculous.
I think it is fine. If I am at the bar and I know the trains are on the hour, I'll just leave accordingly.
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  #2018  
Old Posted May 2, 2009, 4:45 AM
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They should run it at 20 minute intervals and have someone on board selling beer to the passengers to help raise the 300k.

It would also be one more incentive for the drunks to use LR instead of driving.
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  #2019  
Old Posted May 2, 2009, 6:13 AM
trigirdbers trigirdbers is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhxPavilion View Post
Anyone catch this from the report? Trains running every 40 or 60 minutes is pretty ridiculous.

I'm with Vicelord, I'd just leave accordingly. Besides, after they see how fucking packed the trains are, they should up the frequency, if not now, when the econ gets better.
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  #2020  
Old Posted May 2, 2009, 6:43 PM
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Trains after midnight would clearly primarily benefit the bar and club owners along the route (specifically Mill and Downtown Phoenix), has anyone suggested that they pay for part of the increased cost? I could be wrong, but I think there are late night trains or buses in LA paid for by the bar owners.

Another option might be to stop the trains at midnight but have a late night bus that continues until 2 or 3 in the morning along the light rail route. There won't be as many people in the middle of the night and the buses should be a lot cheaper to run. I know they do that in Amsterdam and London. Although, since reducing the frequency of the trains doesn't look like it reduces the cost all that much, I'm suspecting that other factors like security are the real cost of keeping the system running longer.

Also, since operating costs are paid for by the cities, couldn't they just run a truncated route in the late night? It sounds like Phoenix is the problem here and obviously the train doesn't do a whole lot of good if it doesn't run into Phoenix. But hypothetically, if Mesa didn't want late night trains would it be an option to just not service the Sycamore station after midnight?

Finally, does anyone know if that's $300,000 a year? a month? a week? if it's $300,000 a year that seems like a pretty negligible amount of money relative to the cost of the system.
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