Metro Phoenix Transit/Transportation Developments

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Dammitt ur right. I meant 7th St

https://www.phoenix.gov/streets/fillmore

I honestly would love to see this section whittled down in lanes. I drive it everyday and it's not near busy enough for 2 lanes per side...and with many ASU students crossing at 1st, 2nd and 3rd plus many riding on scooters and bikes along Fillmore, it makes sense to add the protected bike lanes for the safety of students.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

I honestly would love to see this section whittled down in lanes. I drive it everyday and it's not near busy enough for 2 lanes per side...and with many ASU students crossing at 1st, 2nd and 3rd plus many riding on scooters and bikes along Fillmore, it makes sense to add the protected bike lanes for the safety of students.

It took the death of Hans Hughes on Fillmore to motivate the city to make this change, which should have occurred a decade ago. Still, I'm glad it's happening now.

[TakeFive]

On-demand transit service for students, residents to launch in south Chandler
Dec 4, 2021 By Paulina Pineda - Arizona Republic

Chandler plans to launch a fleet of passenger vans that will operate across 18 square miles in south Chandler between Chandler Boulevard and Chandler Heights Road and Price Road and Arizona Avenue, with some exceptions.

The vans would provide rides for students who need transportation outside of the typical school bus hours or for students who go to school out of boundaries through open enrollment, Transportation Planning Supervisor Jason Crampton said.

There's also this shocking revelation




Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others
11/29/00

WASHINGTON, DC–A study released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association reveals that 98 percent of Americans support the use of mass transit by others.

[DesertRay]

Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others
11/29/00[/QUOTE]

Ha! Love The Onion.

[combusean]

The onion is great, but it's not on topic for this thread.

[TakeFive]

Good Grief; Forgive Me

Originally Posted by combusean

The onion is great, but it's not on topic for this thread.

It must have been my onset dementia kicking up. For some crazy reason I thought this was the Transit and Transportation thread.

Or Perhaps

We have very different views of (metro) Phoenix? That's fair. When it comes to "Car Dependency" I would be inclined to put Phoenix near the top of the list. And, if you have a different opinion I would be happy to hear it.

Or Perhaps

You just got overly excited for the chance to play Mr. Grinch.

Tis the Season

[N830MH]

Good morning everyone,

Tempe’s streetcar come to Mesa. Is that real?

Check out this article from azcentral:

If Tempe's streetcar comes to Mesa, federal infrastructure package is to thank, Valley Metro CEO says

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...es/6408367001/

Let the speculation begin!

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Good morning everyone,

Tempe’s streetcar come to Mesa. Is that real?

Check out this article from azcentral:

If Tempe's streetcar comes to Mesa, federal infrastructure package is to thank, Valley Metro CEO says

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...es/6408367001/

Let the speculation begin!

The original plan was to go all the way to Mesa Riverview

[TakeFive]

Transit Funding Summary Review

As regards the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill

With respect to Amtrak

While there's a total of $66 billion broken into three buckets, I recall reading in July that this is not fully funded and will require additional Congressional funding in the future. Slate had one of the best breakdowns (at the time).

Bucket One

With a target date for completion in 2035, you can count on "Amtrak Joe's" $24 billion for the Northeast Corridor being (fully) funded. Per Slate:

The biggest-ticket item is, as it should be, money for the route that not only delivers the best service and takes in the most revenue but also has the most potential: the Northeast Corridor. The string of cities between Washington and Boston is the densest part of the country. It’s home to one in five U.S. jobs, and its economy would be the fifth largest in the world on its own.

Bucket Two

consists of $20 billion for "intercity service, safety grants, and grade crossing improvements." If you figure that many pieces of the existing system are being held together by "bailing wire" then it's easy to assume this bucket is also already funded.

Bucket Three

entitled simply "Grants" with $22 billion in designated funds is by deduction likely still unfunded.

Comment:

Much about the Amtrak portion of the Infrastructure Bill is ill-defined or frankly yet-to-be defined. Whether some expansion could occur out of Bucket Two, who knows?

With respect to Phoenix-Tucson expansion this feels like one of the better prospects - although this whole funding package does seem to have a NE density tilt.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Transit Funding Summary Review

With respect to Phoenix-Tucson expansion this feels like one of the better prospects - although this whole funding package does seem to have a NE density tilt.

Lets be real, that's where the money is best spent. The Densities in most of the country are simply too low to make a good argument for lots of rail dollars.

I do agree though Amtrak pushed Phoenix-Tucson pretty heavily over the whole debate of the bill so it will likely get some money

[TakeFive]

Transit Funding Summary Review - Part Two

With respect to previous COVID-based funding
including earlier this year, this was intended to "keep the patient stable" through the end of 2022 awaiting post-COVID normalcy.

I'm not aware of Metro's specific budget and how they're faring as a result but generally speaking:

https://www.governing.com/now/what-d...nsit-ridership

Across the United States, transit ridership isn’t even close to bouncing back to its pre-pandemic levels. Passenger numbers are rebounding from the 70-to-95 percent declines seen at the start of COVID-19, but they are far from normal.

It’s impossible to know when, or if, ridership will ever fully recover because there’s no comparable analog to this moment in America’s modern history.

“This is a deeper and stranger challenge than we’ve ever faced before,” said Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America, in a 2020 interview.

With respect to the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill

which included $39 billion for public transit, the FTA states:

The legislation will advance public transportation in America’s communities through four key priorities:

• Safety: Enhancing state safety oversight programs by strengthening rail inspection practices to protect transit workers and riders from injuries and ensure safe access to transit.
• Modernization: Reducing the state of good repair investment backlog by repairing and upgrading aging transit infrastructure and modernizing bus and rail fleets.
• Climate: Replacing thousands of transit vehicles, including buses and ferries, with cleaner, greener vehicles.
• Equity: Improving transit service for communities that have historically had more limited access to transit and provide for substantial upgrades to station accessibility.

It will be fun to see how METRO and the metro areas utilize their allocated funding. I suspect many agencies will focus on operating capital needs like replacement of existing buses etc. There will be incentives for purchasing electric buses.

[Warren Peace]

It will be fun to see how METRO and the metro areas utilize their allocated funding. I suspect many agencies will focus on operating capital needs like replacement of existing buses etc. There will be incentives for purchasing electric buses.

I could see this being an area for Waymo to eventually grow into. It seems like a fully autonomous variable route busing endeavor based on passenger pickup and drop off locations would be a game changer for municipalities. I could see where cities would supply and maintain bus stops, while Waymo provides the technology and maintenance for the transportation.

[TakeFive]

Excellent Insight

Originally Posted by Warren Peace

I could see this being an area for Waymo to eventually grow into. It seems like a fully autonomous variable route busing endeavor based on passenger pickup and drop off locations would be a game changer for municipalities. I could see where cities would supply and maintain bus stops, while Waymo provides the technology and maintenance for the transportation.

I'll be joining your party... "Coming Soon."

[CrestedSaguaro]

ABC15 article on the Tempe streetcar delays and possible streetcar extension into Mesa.

https://www.abc15.com/news/region-so...empe-streetcar

[combusean]

That article has some really wonky reporting. They finished the feasibility study this past summer, and only one route would extend into Mesa, the most viable one.

https://www.abc15.com/news/region-so...empe-streetcar

The prop 400 extension has that extension heading south on Dobson to Fiesta Mall, foolishly stopping short of going into Downtown Mesa.

https://www.ourmomentumplan.com/prop...nvestment-plan

I am again going to lament the garbage amount of light rail proposed in the measure. Not even what was proposed the Valley would get out of the current proposition measure but those maps have of course been scrubbed from nearly everywhere. Even the millennials like me will be dying off by the time any of this happens, if ever.

[thespiandave]

I went for a long jog this morning and snapped some pictures along the way! Enjoy!

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by Warren Peace

I could see this being an area for Waymo to eventually grow into. It seems like a fully autonomous variable route busing endeavor based on passenger pickup and drop off locations would be a game changer for municipalities. I could see where cities would supply and maintain bus stops, while Waymo provides the technology and maintenance for the transportation.

I would prefer that public transportation remain public. You think that Waymo would operate at a loss?

[Warren Peace]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

I would prefer that public transportation remain public. You think that Waymo would operate at a loss?

There's no shortage of examples where publicly funded services are ultimately privatized. Why would you think businesses willingly engage in these partnerships at a loss (after all, you're the one choosing to phrase the question with that assumption in mind)? Why do you think municipalities embrace the benefit? If you need someone else to provide the answer it is that private businesses can often manage the operations more efficiently and at a lower cost than a government bureaucracy.

In the case of Waymo, there aren't many competitors pioneering the technology and utilization of fully autonomous vehicles. Once Waymo starts becoming more competitive with Uber and Lyft, wouldn't it be reasonable for them to explore other autonomous vehicle opportunities?

[muertecaza]

Small-ish project, but Mesa is underway filling in another gap in the canal-path network. It is the stretch of the South Canal roughly between Brown and McKellips roads, here:

The project is estimated to begin January 2022 and will be completed within six months.

The City of Mesa has contracted with Combs Construction to construct a 10 foot wide asphalt pathway along the South Canal from the Consolidated Canal (north of Brown Road) to McKellips Road. Improvements include LED lighting, a 4 foot decomposed granite equestrian trail and trail signage. Other improvements include pedestrian ADA ramps and signals at the intersections of the South Canal and Horne and at the South Canal and McKellips Road.

https://www.mesaaz.gov/business/engi...ects?locale=en

[CrestedSaguaro]

I didn't know a study was being done on the possible removal of the reverse lanes on the 7's. The study found the reverse lanes are needed and it looks like improvements are on the horizon including removal of current static signage. I'm hope this means LED signs going up which I think would greatly improve flow and safety, but the article doesn't specifically mention LED signs.

https://ktar.com/story/4830195/study...are-essential/