Chance to win tickets during light rail 1 yr celebration (Phoenix: house, to buy)

[cmist]

Does anyone know if light rail is running for extended hours on New Years Eve?

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by cmist

Does anyone know if light rail is running for extended hours on New Years Eve?

Yes, just like last year! The last trains will leave the end of the line stations around 2:30am just like on the weekends.

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

It was actually 1.4 billion, LOL. But about 42,000 people use it daily; that number expected to rise in November. That is tens of thousands of cars off the roads into the central areas of the valley daily. Even if you count that 10,000 used to ride a portion of the line on a bus daily, that still means many busses off the road in the central city which can use all the help available to move people around.

There is also the added benefit of future growth and density. Imagine thousands more cars off the road as more and more people use the train and move in proximity to it.

I have a really hard time believing 42,000 people ride it each day, any evidence to back that up?

Everytime I have seen the LR it's been mostly empty.

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by KarmaPhx

I have a really hard time believing 42,000 people ride it each day, any evidence to back that up?

Everytime I have seen the LR it's been mostly empty.

I do: http://www.valleymetro.org/images/up...-ridership.pdf

Also, I use the train daily and it is often crowded or no seats available so one must stand. I thought you didn't really go anywhere near the train? Since you see it, I'm assuming you'd be in an area to use it from time to time? But maybe not.

METRO October ridership – another record-breaking month

PHOENIX — METRO ridership reaches an all-time high with 1,124,924 riders in October. With
70,000 more riders than the high in September, daily ridership peaked at 41,077 for the average
weekday, 30,517 for the average Saturday and 17,160 for the average Sunday/holiday in October.
In September, METRO ridership totaled 1,054,286 boardings, resulting in an average weekday
ridership of 40,772, average Saturday ridership of 28,612 and average Sunday and holiday ridership
of 16,726.
METRO had its single highest ridership day on Friday, Oct. 2 with 50,562 riders. Several factors
could be contributors to this peak including the arrival of the fall season and visitors as well as events
such as the First Friday art walk in downtown Phoenix.
METRO achieved 50,000+ riders one other time on May 13 during ASU’s spring commencement
featuring President Barack Obama. METRO served 50,011 riders that day.

http://www.valleymetro.org/images/up...dership_nr.pdf

[cmist]

What I noticed about the pattern was this. It was really dead at the northernmost stop at Montebello, no trouble getting a seat. It seems to pick up little by little the closer you get to downtown, with people getting on and off at various points in the center of the city. It got the most packed from Mill Ave through the ASU stops, then started thinning out again as it got further into Mesa.

It seems there are more people riding it for short almost walkable/bike-able distances within the center of Phoenix than people who start out at Montebello with a need to go to no mans land in Mesa.

I like the light rail though and would like to see it expanded right to my neighborhood along with adding a bar after a few drinks it feels like the disneyland monorail!

[Finger Laker]

i've yet to find any need for it, so my life has had very little impact

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by cmist

What I noticed about the pattern was this. It was really dead at the northernmost stop at Montebello, no trouble getting a seat. It seems to pick up little by little the closer you get to downtown, with people getting on and off at various points in the center of the city. It got the most packed from Mill Ave through the ASU stops, then started thinning out again as it got further into Mesa.

It seems there are more people riding it for short almost walkable/bike-able distances within the center of Phoenix than people who start out at Montebello with a need to go to no mans land in Mesa.

I like the light rail though and would like to see it expanded right to my neighborhood along with adding a bar after a few drinks it feels like the disneyland monorail!

LOL, that is funny. That's usually how my weekend goes. However, what may seem like "short bikeable or walkable distances" really aren't. Each stop is from 1/2 a mile to a mile or more in between so it is quite a distance. The Montebello and the Mesa stops are high commuter use stops, and if I remember correctly, you weren't really on board during those times.

[cmist]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

LOL, that is funny. That's usually how my weekend goes. However, what may seem like "short bikeable or walkable distances" really aren't. Each stop is from 1/2 a mile to a mile or more in between so it is quite a distance. The Montebello and the Mesa stops are high commuter use stops, and if I remember correctly, you weren't really on board during those times.

I was on it at rush hour coming home. The Mesa stop had a completely empty train at 5:30pm but I understand its not exactly a hot spot to be jumping on going inwards at that time. I couldnt really assess much else from that point because that was the day the accident held up the rail line.

I took it one more time during the weekend to go to Tempe Towne Lake and it was the same thing. Montebello had a practically empty train sitting there waiting to take off, and at the point where we returned to Montebello there weren't many left on board to exit. There was a good amount of people... just less than any of the others since it was the end of the line and not carrying passengers looking to ride beyond.

I'm sure my 2x shouldnt be construed as hard core facts, although I believe it be accurate that the furthest stops on each end were lightest and it got busier in the middle. In any case, I probably will never be up with the chickens to get a reading on morning commuters, so I'll have to take your word on that one.

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by cmist

I was on it at rush hour coming home. The Mesa stop had a completely empty train at 5:30pm but I understand its not exactly a hot spot to be jumping on going inwards at that time. I couldnt really assess much else from that point because that was the day the accident held up the rail line.

I took it one more time during the weekend to go to Tempe Towne Lake and it was the same thing. Montebello had a practically empty train sitting there waiting to take off, and at the point where we returned to Montebello there weren't many left on board to exit. There was a good amount of people... just less than any of the others since it was the end of the line and not carrying passengers looking to ride beyond.

I'm sure my 2x shouldnt be construed as hard core facts, although I believe it be accurate that the furthest stops on each end were lightest and it got busier in the middle. In any case, I probably will never be up with the chickens to get a reading on morning commuters, so I'll have to take your word on that one.

That or look at Metro numbers; those stations are some of the busiest, LOL! Maybe you just happened to miss the crowd on your train or something. I remember that accident. 15 minute delay when the van got wrapped around the pole after the driver ran a red light and then slammed on their breaks on the tracks as they realised the train was coming!

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

I picked up a flyer today about a Metro promotion celebrating the light rail success. How many of you have yet to ride it?


Valley Metro | Welcome (http://www.valleymetro.org/metro_light_rail/how_to_ride/golden_pass_promotion - broken link)

I rode on the LR on its first day-----------and, many times since