Subject: Urban Transit Systems

• Wanted: A Positive Story About Light Rail in Phoenix

  August 13, 2008

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

  September 17, 2008

• Downtown Phoenix Scenesters Vent to City Officials that Light-Rail Service Should be Extended Past Midnight on Weekends

  September 18, 2008

• Hot Links: Light Rail Extensions Not Coming Soon Enough for Some; Gag Order Revised in St. Johns Murder Case; First State Flu Patient of Season Reported

  Remember when folks were whining about light rail construction? (Okay, some of us still are.) The Repub reports this morning that a group of local residents and business owners are complaining loudly about project -- specifically, that it's not coming soon enough to their neighborhoods. This could be a case of being careful about what you're wishing for... In other news: the judge in case of St. Johns boy accused of murder wants to put a "cork" in leaks with a revised gag order. Cough due to col

  November 20, 2008

• Night Train: Price-101 Freeway/Apache Boulevard (Stop #27)

  Where: Bill's Market (2422 E Apache Blvd.) is a 30 second walk from the stop, directly north of the station.    Drink: Four MaXed Citrus. We'd never even heard of it before dropping by Bill's, but it's badass: A 16 oz. can of caffeinated malt liquor with a hefty 10% ABV for the bargain rate of $1.89. Scene: Not every stop on the new light rail system has a bar within walking distance, so, from time to time we'll be bringing you to places like Bill's Market. Bill's is an old school

  December 1, 2008

• 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 pigs - all before dawn at the METRO media preview held this morning in Tempe.

  December 26, 2008

• A Rundown of Today's Light Rail Celebrations (Both Official and Unofficial)

  Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers are scheduled to perform this afternoon at the "Destination Tempe" celebration at the Tempe Transportation Center."I hear the train a-comin'/It's rolling round the bend" -- Johnny Cash Plenty of partying is planned for today's long-awaited debut of the Valley Metro Light Rail system, with fetes and fiestas happening in both the east and west Valley. More than a dozen different celebrations (both official and unofficial) will occur, so to help make sense of all th

  December 27, 2008

• 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 light rail ends its service at around midnight. The duo is armed with a couple hand-drawn posterboards and are planning on demonstrating at several stations along the light rail's eastbound route (if

  December 27, 2008

• 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 ghetto fabulous 24th Street/Washington Stop, where I foolishly disembarked at one point -- the biggest in Tempe, where native son Roger Clyne managed to deliver a satisfying set in broad daylight.So

  December 28, 2008

• Light Rail Cream Ale, Anyone?

  Saturday afternoon. The light rail trains are packed. It's a good time for a pint. So some friends and I wound up at Sonora Brewhouse, just a few blocks' walk from the train. And look at what was there to tempt us before we even got in the door -- a cute handpainted sign advertising Light Rail Cream Ale. Timely! I ended up ordering the Nut Brown Ale (really tasty), but next time I'm craving a cream ale, I'll ditch the Boddington's and see what Sonora's is like. -- Michele Laudig 

  December 29, 2008

• 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 the long-awaited debut of Valley Metro's light rail system on Saturday, December 27, 2008. The trains were packed and so were the various parties that occurred around the PHX...see more images Read:

  December 29, 2008

• 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 air biscuit on the new Metro Light Rail, it makes the evening news. And so shall it be, ad nauseam: the first collision with a bluehair, the first time a rail-snoozing inebriate gets decapitated, the f

  December 30, 2008

• 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 environmental reasons. So for the whole month of January, they're doing a "Go Green, Save Green" promotion. Just show up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner -- with a light rail receipt from that 

  January 6, 2009

• '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 crowd with a way of getting home. (Currently the last trains of the night depart the eastern and western termini at 11 p.m.). And now they're taking a page from the 60s protest playbook to try and get

  January 7, 2009

• 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:

  January 8, 2009

• Business Hopes Light Rail Will Provide Customers -- the Hard Way

  January 9, 2009

• 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 about face on the matter and cancelled the event following a con-fab with Valley Metro officials.

  January 10, 2009

• 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. 

  January 13, 2009

• Won Tons at China Chili Make a Cheap, Tasty Lunch

    Sometimes you find an appetizer so good it passes for the main event -- and these days (time-crunched, wallet-crashed) that can be a very good thing. Such are the Boiled Won Tons at China Chili near downtown Phoenix. Served in a big bowl, the soup features ten pork dumplings swimming in a broth of spicy Szechuan peanut sauce, topped with fresh scallions, garlic and ginger. After taking a bite, you may not want to share. This dish stands alone and at $5.95 could be a

  January 21, 2009

• 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 should run later.

  January 16, 2009

• Tag You're It: The First Pics of Phoenix Light Rail Graffiti

  This tagger ain't no Basquiat, but then again, it's only a tag... As was recently mentioned in a report by my colleague Ray Stern, the Phoenix PD has released images of some of the first graffiti ever on the Phoenix Metro Light Rail. And for this historic occasion, wherein the PMLR gets its graff cherry busted, I'm happy to provide you with pics of the tags in question. Other images may involve instances of "scribing," or scraticing a tag into plexiglass. The PPD spokesman I talked

  January 16, 2009

• Jan. 16 In Blogs: Phil Gordon, SXSW, Rare Vox, Light Rail 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: Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's Red-Light Violation Video Phoenix Light Rail Platform Graffiti Vandals Sought by Police Up on the Sun: SXSW Starts Anouncing Bands Yo, Stephen Hawking Raps Chow Bella: Carb Loading at the Health & Fitness Expo for the PF Chang's Rock n

  January 16, 2009

• Phoenix Light Rail T-Shirts: The New Hotness

  I've always been a fan of public transit map shirts, bags and umbrellas. It's the classy way to show off from your vacay. I mean, it says "I went to this city" but also "See, I'm cool, not only did I hook up with some Dutch guy at my hostel, I rode a subway. How's that for a half-assed attempt to act like a non-tourist?"You can get such shirts for Paris, London, New York and, now, Phoenix. Brand X in Tempe has been printing up four types of light rail inspired shirts, for sale at $16. And, beca

  January 21, 2009

• Hot Links: Janet Napolitano Steps Down and Jan Brewer Steps Up; Peanut Butter Snacks Linked to Salmonella; Super Bowl Promos Could Bring Lawsuits

  No mo' JaNo -- Janet Napolitano literally stands behind Barack Obama now, and Jan Brewer is our new governor. Conservatism, here we come. More warnings on peanut butter snacks. The NFL might come after you for using unauthorized Super Bowl-related promotional material -- does that include putting Cardinals signs on someone's lawn? John McCain's picture now hangs in the unofficial gallery of presidential losers. The light rail is proving popular with airport workers -- but you still have to get

  January 21, 2009

• Four Light Rail Cars to be Wrapped with NBA Advertising

  Four light rail cars will sport more color and flash after they're wrapped with ads promoting the NBA's upcoming 2009 All-Star game. Look for media coverage of the trains on Monday, when Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon introduces the first ad-covered car at the Metro Operations and Maintenance facility at 2:30 p.m. and rides it into downtown. The trains will remain wrapped till the All-Star Game, which is scheduled for February 15.

  January 23, 2009

• 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 constable says he'll be using to transport inmates downtown, assuming this is not all some sort of pathetic joke on Arpayaso's part.Metro Light Rail doesn't think it's a joke. I phoned Hillary Foose, the

  January 27, 2009

• 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, backing off the Sheriff's ludicrous "Con Rail" plan. Although our corrupt top cop is not averse to negative publicity, usually there's a little positive pub mixed into the batch. Not on this one. Joe's be

  January 29, 2009

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

                                         

  February 9, 2009

• Light Rail Collision Nets Bus Driver a Ticket for Running Red Light

  Contrary to speculation in several media outlets, including ABC-15 News (KNXV) and the Arizona Republic, the driver of a bus that hit a light rail train yesterday did not have a green light, police said. The Orbit bus driver received a citation today for running a red light at Lemon and Terrace streets in Tempe, writes Tempe police spokeswoman in a  news release. That seems to jibe with an account by a student quoted in the Arizona State University Web Devil, who allege

  February 11, 2009

• Light Rail Issues Few Citations to Freeloaders So Far, But Fare Pass Checkers Out in Force

  A few citations have already been handed out to freeloaders trying to ride the light rail without paying the fare, says Valley Metro spokesman Hillary Foose. She expects to provide the number to media outlets next week. "The number of people who have been fare-evading has been extremely minimal, and so have the number of citations," Foose tells New Times. As previously reported in this blog, getting busted on a light rail train without a ticket c

  February 11, 2009

• Light Rail Ridership in First Month Far Short of Capacity; Fare-Collection Data Not Released

  Sure, one way to look at it is that light-rail ridership "is off to a positive start," as a Valley Metro news release opines. Or, as the Arizona Republic put it this morning in a headline, "Rail ridership tops expectations."That's the glass-half-full version of the story.In fact, the "average weekday ridership" of nearly 31,000 people is about 60 percent of what the trains could carry.True, it took people in other parts of the country a few years to warm up to their light-rail systems, but light

  February 19, 2009

• 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 around, bills for the lights in the park-and-ride lots and bills for the system's operations center.Metro officials say they're still sorting through all those bills and still don't know exactly what li

  March 5, 2009

• Light Rail Ridership Up Slightly in February; Metro Still Lagging in Releasing Fare Data

  Light rail ridership went up slightly in February, driven by an apparent increase in the number of commuters using the 20-mile system. The estimated daily average of boardings in February was 32,430, higher than January's estimate of 29,415. Helping the system out was about 5,000 extra riders each weekday, according to a Metro news release (see below for text). The crowds on Saturdays were about the same, but holiday and Sunday ridership saw a few thousand less ride

  March 12, 2009

• Hot Links: Light Rail, Meth Salon, and Pelosi's Capitol Cats

  A spokesman for APS says the company's seen a 45 percent increase in power thefts, with people running cables to utility lines or neighbors' homes. APS says high jacking power is not only illegal, but dangerous, and vows to prosecute power thieves. SRP, on the other hand, reports that power thefts are down because of "smart meters" that detect possible power thefts faster...A light rail train hit a car at Central and Highland last night, after the car reportedly turned in front of the train. No

  March 18, 2009

• 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 sets. The Tempe Music Fest now joins New Year's Eve and the NBA All-Star Game festivities as worthy of breaking the 'Nix's strict light rail curfew. It's a gracious move passed down by those in charge

  March 25, 2009

• Photography at Transit Station Can Merit Inquiry by Security Officers, Police Say

  Phoenix police confirmed on Tuesday that a local photographer was questioned in late March for taking pictures at a transit station -- and that such questioning is routine. Following a police memo put out last May, Phoenix security officers have been contacting people observed observed taking pictures at Central Station with the aim of preventing a terrorist attack, New Times has learned. Central Station is a bus and light rail terminal at Central Avenue and Van Buren Street in downtown Pho

  April 7, 2009

• Maizie’s Café & Bistro Shows Central Phoenix is on the Right Track to Eatery Expansion

  January 8, 2009

• RPMS Light Rail Pub Crawl Encore

  April 9, 2009

• All Aboard for the Best Eateries Along the Light Rail

  January 1, 2009

• A Trolley Car Named Desire

  County residents unwrap new $1 billion Christmas gift

  December 25, 2008

• Light rail may not start on time — and Arpaio’s investigation of AG Goddard may never finish

  May 22, 2008

• Michael Nowakowski’s unlikely Phoenix City Council win puts him on Big Money’s radar

  January 10, 2008

• Scenes From a Mall

  Et tu, Orange Julius?

  October 18, 2007

• Letters From the Issue of Thursday, January 11, 2007

  January 11, 2007

• Stop Your Railing!

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

  December 28, 2006

• 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

  October 19, 2006

• Rail Against the Machine

  A long-hidden allegation of impropriety is finally about to be investigated

  July 20, 2006

• Brotherly Love Fest

  Philly journalist Don Russell hates Phoenix. Even though he's never been here.

  July 24, 2003

• Spiked

  A wealthy jerk and uninspired name calling

  June 19, 2003

• 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 month, remember), but still much lower than in January, its first full month of operation. Since opening, the system has been plagued by technical glitches at the fare boxes that resulted in an estimated

  April 20, 2009