Passenger Transportation

Hot Links: Dust Storms, Alien Spyware, and Oakville Grocery

​Two siblings were killed yesterday in an auto accident on the I-10 near Casa Grande. The victims were driving in a dust storm that caused a deadly pile-up wreck. The siblings, teenagers Mark Eide and Katie Eide, were on their way to Dairy Queen when they got caught in the storm...Gilbert police d ... More >>

Flight Attendants for US Air to Picket at Sky Harbor Friday

​Flight attendants for US Airways aren't too thrilled with some of the working conditions after the 2005 merger with America West Airlines and they plan to let management know Friday morning, when they picket at Sky Harbor Airport.

Hot Links: Toll Roads, Mercury Spills, and US Airways Jets

​Almost $250,000 was found in a spare tire last night, after an Arizona DPS officer stopped a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer for moving violations. Officers found the money in the tire after receiving consent to search the vehicle, and arrested and booked the driver on money laundering charges...Arizona i ... More >>

Light-Rail Rides on Rise, August Stats Show; Boardings Bottomed Out in July

​ It was a sluggish summer for Metro light rail, but ridership is ramping up again thanks to a new semester at Arizona State University. Officials estimate the trains were boarded 882,328 times in August, which was far more than in either June or July. Traffic on the rail dropped from a high ... More >>

Valley Metro Sees 15 Percent Increase in Ridership

wikipedia.com​The piss poor economy is driving people across the Valley to the poorhouse, and apparently, they're taking the light rail to get there.Despite the struggling economy, Valley Metro ridership is up 15 percent from last year, partly due to the addition of the light rail, but also becaus ... More >>

Phoenix's Light-Rail Cities Receive $90 Million Reimbursement from Feds

www.valleymetro.org (image on left)​The hundreds of millions of dollars the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa fronted for the federal portion of the Light Rail Transit Project will soon be almost completely repaid, thanks to a $90 million reimbursement from the federal government. The $587. ... More >>

Metro and Valley Metro Honored for Helping People With Disabilities

  The Arizona Disability Advocacy Coalition, which has numerous Valley organizations as members, is giving Metro Light Rail and Valley metro an award for helping the disabled. Valley Metro runs the Valley's buses and oversees the light rail system. The public transportation agencies were chos ... More >>

Light Rail Ridership at Lowest Level Yet; Summer Doldrums Take Major Toll on New System

  Light rail ridership dropped to its lowest level yet in June, averaging less than 30,000 boardings a day. [You can be sure unpaid boardings make up a healthy fraction of that number]. Metro Light Rail and its boosters have plenty of excuses for the dwindling ridership, some of which ... More >>

Light Rail Service to be Tested by Crowds on Wednesday; Obama and D-backs Cause Service Changes

Light rail trains will not be allowed to run past Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday because of President Obama's commencement speech. Metro Light Rail says shuttle buses will serve as a "bridge" around the service gap.On top of that, thousands of peo ... More >>

Light Rail Fare Collections Fall as Ridership Declines

  Fare collection for Metro light rail, like the system's ridership, is trending in the wrong direction. The system brought in an estimated $547,294 in March, says Metro Light Rail. That's slightly higher than the $528,000 it collected in February (more days in the mont ... More >>

Hoping to See Kid Rock and Ride the Light Rail Home? Fear Not

Fear not, Festival goers! Valley Metro has your back...for two nights.For an unprecedented third time since its December launch, the Metro Light Rail will be extending its hours to accommodate those patrons of the Tempe Music Festival (April 3rd & 4th) hoping to catch either night's later ... More >>

US Airways Ships Corpse to Pet Store Instead of Fish

Wikimedia Commons Fish aren't usually shipped in coffins, but somebody at U.S. Airways was apparently confused.Tempe-based US Airways has already come under criticism for requiring flight attendants who complained about safety issues to handle their own defense in a lawsuit filed by a pilot. ... More >>

March 11 In Blogs: US Airways, No Age, Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and More

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever: US Airways Ships Corpse to Pet Store Instead of Fish UPDATE: City of M ... More >>

Light Rail Electric Bill for January was 38 Percent of Fare Revenue; System Took in Estimated 69 Cents Per Rider

The electric bill for the Metro light rail system is slightly different than yours, naturally. For one thing, it's not just one bill -- it's about 125 separate bills. There are bills for each station, bills for the juice in the overhead lines that make the 90-foot-long, 50-ton rail cars move ar ... More >>

This is What Happens to Bikes Locked Up Near the Light Rail in Tempe

Joe Arpaio Caves, Backs Off Dumbass Plan to Transport Inmates Via Light Rail

Sheriff Joe: He puts the CON into "Con Rail."Has Sheriff Joe's well-oiled media machine finally blown up in his aged face? Will Lisa Allen have to revert to grooming dogs full instead of part time, and leave Arpaio's upkeep to another PR handler? Below is the latest press release from the MCSO, back ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Outrage Du Jour: Transporting His Prisoners Via Light Rail (w/Update)

For the uninitiated, "Arpayaso" is a play on the word "payaso," which means "clown" in Spanish.Do you need another reminder that you live in a police state controlled by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his brown-shirted goons? If so, just take a trip on the Valley Metro Light Rail, which our clownish top con ... More >>

The Top 10 Reasons Light Rail Should Run 'Til 2 A.M.

The Phoenix Metro Light Rail has been the talk of the town since voters approved the $1.4 billion project in 2000. The public transit system opened on December 27, and Valley denizens have both praised and bemoaned the rail. The most common complaint is that Light Rail service stops at midnight, but ... More >>

To Anyone Thinking the Light Rail is No Fun: Try Taking Off Your Pants

For seven years now New York improve troop Improv Everywhere has celibrated their own holiday on the New York subway system called No Pants Day. On January 10th Phoenix residents were finaly able to join the Holiday on our new Light Rail. 

Light Rail Sit-in Called Off As Organizer Loses His Nerve

Is it just us, or have people in this town lost their balls? For instance, we reported on Wednesday about local photographer Morgan Bellinger's plan to stage a light rail sit-in later this month as a way to protest the fact that the trains stop running at midnight. But now he's pulled an complete ... More >>

Things I Learned Riding the 'Rail

I rode the light rail for the first time last night, from downtown Phoenix to downtown Tempe and back again. For my money (which is to say, free, because I have a student pass that allows me to ride public transit to my hearts content) it was a most excellent experience. A few things I learned:

'Til 2: Staging a Sit-In To Protest Light Rail's Early Closing Time

The fervor over the light rail's early closing time continues to get bigger. As we've previously written about here and here, a growing number of Valley urbanites are pissed off over the fact the light rail system stops at midnight instead of running until 2 a.m. and providing the drinking cro ... More >>

District Offers Discount to Light Rail Riders

Everybody's doing it, man. Riding the light rail, that is. Whether for a daily commute or just a joy ride, people seem to be packing the cars, and it's not even the free ride period anymore. The folks at District, the restaurant at the downtown Sheraton, hope even more people get into it for environ ... More >>

Graffiti on the Light Rail? Hey, I Told You So...

If these two were around today in P-town, the knuckledraggin' KTAR-types'd shoot 'em on sight: Keith Haring (above) and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Ah, let the provincialism roll like a mighty wave of something brown through our benighted Valley, where every time someone hacks a loogie or lets fly an a ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Light Rail, Club Candids, Night Train and More

Welcome back! We hope you had a sufficient amount of ho-ho-hoing and present opening to last another twelve months. Just in case you haven't, here's a package of some of the stories and photos you may have missed during the holiday.  Light Rail Launch Hundreds of thousands turned out to celebrate ... More >>

Roger Clyne Delivers Solid Show At Frustrating Light Rail Debut

Valley Metro pulled out all the stops for yesterday's debut of the 20-mile light rail system we've been writing about all month. They had parties scheduled at pretty much every stop on the line -- though, honestly, I'm not sure there was anything beyond an unmanned purple tent full of fliers at the ... More >>

Twentysomethings Are Out Protesting The Light Rail's Midnight Stop Time

The mobile protesting pair of Erin Searle (left) and Kevin Sweet at the light rail's Central Avenue and Roosevelt Street station. It's not all sunshine and roses at crowded light rail stations today. Kevin Sweet and Erin Searle, a pair of college-aged sweethearts, are out protesting the fact the l ... More >>

Local Politicians and Journalists Help Test Out Light Rail Before Tomorrow's Grand Opening

From left: Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, and light rail CEO Richard Simonetta. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith called Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman a game show host, light rail CEO Richard Simonetta called Spawn's Todd McFarlane "Scott," and Hallman called potential light rail vandals pig ... More >>

Downtown Phoenix scenesters want the light rail to run past midnight (and so should you)

US Airways faces class action lawsuit from America West pilots

Wanted: A Positive Story About Light Rail in Phoenix

Scenes From a Mall

Et tu, Orange Julius?

Stop Your Railing!

Sure, light-rail construction is painful, but it will be worth it in the long haul

Head Rolls Finally

A Valley Metro Rail manager's fired after New Times confronts the agency about ignoring complaints that she'd pressured contractors to hire a particular firm

Art Scene

Reviews by Gina Cavallo Collins and Kathleen Vanesian

Art Scene

A peek at five Valley exhibits

Spiked

A wealthy jerk and uninspired name calling

Are You Ready to Testify?

Delta 72 bears witness to the enduring power of rock 'n' roll with 000

Letters 03-23-2000

Letters

March 16, 2000

Traffic Thicket

Will Phoenix voters finally get onboard a transit plan?

Flashes

Flashes

Trainplotting

Transit-plan backers say they see a bus in your future--so how come they've been working on the railroad?

Deception and Denial at America West

Will America West Fly Away?

Prospectus' fine print reveals that if America West decides to sell, Continental is in the pilot's seat

FLASHES, 4-27

POCKET CHANGEBANKRUPT AMERICA WEST SHUFFLES ITS DEBTS, BUT NEEDS MORE THAN FRANKE TALK TO SURVIVE

GO FOR BROKE

AS AMERICA WEST GOES, SO GO PHOENIC AND TEMPE? GULP.

Maglev Comes To Phoenix

Don't get too excited, commuters. It's only a license plate--so far.