The last light rail service is regularly scheduled to end at 11 p.m. nightly; however, the schedule’s been extended on New Year’s Eve to 2 a.m. I have plans to go to Mesa that evening, and now I’m going to do it via the Metro–And it’s still free until the first service of the day on January 1, 2009.

Who else plans to use light rail for their New Year’s Eve celebrations? Post a comment if your plans include it.

RESTAURANT ROW: You can continue to read updates on restaurants opening up along the rail line at PHX Rail Food. For the past few years, this blog has run restaurant reviews, photos and updates, complete with rail stop location information. Now, the blogger is expanding his reports, he writes, to include the 3.2-mile expansion to Dunlap already under construction at the first station at Christown on 19th Avenue. TRAVEL TIP: If you want to know where to find a good restaurant along the rail line, as well as the future rail lines, check there first. 

CAR FREE: Could you go car free and ride the Metro Light Rail for an entire month? LightRailBlogger is doing just that. Visit his blog to see how it goes; he’s posting regular updates. I don’t think you’ll be able to contain his excitement. He’s already posted about Day 1. Scroll down a bit to watch the YouTube video from his Saturday Grand Opening Day ride. I think the music in the background is from a band I wrote about a few months back. Cool.

If you have any light rail news to share, be sure to post a comment. I’d love to hear about your first ride. And let me know if you’re hauling your bike with you. I’m curious to know how convenient Metro has made that. I’m wondering if I shouldn’t consider getting a folding bike myself.

Ummmmm.

(Photo used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

A day pass to ride on the new light rail costs $2.50. That’s a lot cheaper than driving a car to work, and it’s a safe alternative to getting around if you want to visit the bar scene in Tempe or downtown Phoenix.

The Arizona Republic calls the new light rail system a milestone for Phoenix. And if you’ve been around the Valley of the Sun since the 80s, when the light rail idea was first introduced but never made it past the voters, it’s been an idea the country’s fifth largest city has needed since way before then. This article notes that Phoenix once operated a trolley system, but that was 60 years ago. Today’s grand opening marks four years of construction and more than three times that in planning.

A local refrigeration school is celebrating the grand opening with a very “cool” event, according to an article in the Phoenix Business Journal. The Refrigeration School, located near the Sky Harbor rail stop at 44th Street and Washington, brought in 12 tons of snow, hot chocolate and live music to celebrate this special occasion. Valleywide, more than 100,000 people are expected to celebrate the grand opening.

An Associated Press article called the city “car crazy.” I guess Phoenix is. The metro area includes enough urban sprawl that it’s spread so far out, it has become impossible to get from here to there without reliable transportation: the car. Maybe light rail will help ease the pollution. If nothing else, it’s a start.

If you’re new to Phoenix, if you’re visiting, if you’ve lived here for a while now, what’s your view on the new light rail system? Will you ride it–for fun, to get to work, for entertainment purposes? Do you think it’s going to have an impact–on what? Go ahead and post your opinion here.

(Photo used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

At first he resisted–it was pretty cold outside this morning, 50 degrees, probably less, and he was still in his running clothes. But he relented, and we headed off to what used to be called the Christown Mall at Montebello and 19th Avenue. It’s now known as Spectrum Mall and is home to Stop #1 of the new Metro Light Rail in Phoenix.

My boyfriend predicted crowds, but I didn’t think it would be that bad. He was right. It was too cold to wait in line for too long, and the parking lot was packed–with people, portapotties and even ATM machines. 

Hundreds and hundreds of people were already there by 10 a.m., waiting for their turn to get a free ride on the first day. Luckily for us, all Metro rides are free till the end of 2009, so we opted not to ride today after all.

I did, however, snap several photos so you can get a taste of what we experienced on grand opening day, even without a ride on the rail car…

We first picked up the handouts. The city of Phoenix handed out free posters, a ride guide, the program, and a Passport booklet to discounts and savings at restaurants, shops and businesses located on the rail line.

The Passport includes offers from 144 Downtown Phoenix destinations, so you might want to pick a copy up at one of the venues listed. You can save on the cost of theater seats, meals, museum admission, and other purchases from participating vendors, including Chez Nous, Melrose Pharmacy and Curves.

The APS volunteer clown troupe was on hand to entertain the kids and distribute literature about environmental programs and new technologies being used by the utility company.

Live music entertained the adults.

The city of Phoenix had the bike patrol in place on their Cannondales to police the area and help keep everyone safe.

The food booths were a hit. Apparently, cheese steak tastes good even way before noon.

This was part of the line–You can see the rail cars behind the people–but I couldn’t tell which way it was going. We opted, as I said, not to get in it. There will be less crowded days ahead, and the ride won’t be any less exciting that first time out.

Each of the stops that I’ve seen so far in Phoenix are shaded with these triangular shaped canopies. All 28 stations include some kind of art installation, including sculpture, mosaics, photographs, tiles and paintings created by 31 artists from all over the country.

And here’s what all the fuss is about–the rail car. It takes an hour for each of the cars to travel the 20-mile route, from Phoenix to Mesa.

If you want to brave the excitement yourself, there’s still time today. Festivities, centering around different themes, take place not only at Station #1 but also at these stops as well:

Thomas & Central Avenue (Station #8)–Just outside Park Central Mall, north of the light rail stop, entertainment and venues highlight health and wellness.

Encanto & Central Avenue (Station #9)–The arts help celebrate grand opening day at this location near the Heard Museum.

Third Street between Jefferson & Washington (Station #14)–Find out what’s new in Downtown Phoenix at the various booths, listen to live bands, watch street performers and celebrate the grand opening also of the new convention center at this location.

44th Street & Washington (Station #18)–Take a shuttle ride to the airport and learn how Metro Rail can connect you easily with Sky Harbor.

Priest & Washington (Station #19)–SRP hosts the celebration here where you’ll learn about water and electric safety via interesting and fun exhibits.

Mill Avenue & Third Street (Station #21)–This is the gateway to Hayden Ferry and the Mill Avenue District where you’ll find theaters, restaurants and the urban shopping experience.

Veteran’s Way & College Avenue (Station #22)–Fireworks, festival booths, a farmer’s market, eco-minded education, archaeology displays and live music make this one of the more diverse places to celebrate light rail today.

Sycamore & Main Street (Station #28)–The last stop on the rail line includes a full day of music, food and fun for the whole family in Mesa, which includes a classic car show and live music from the 70s rock band, Grand Funk Railroad.

Several communities also have planned celebrations, including Central Avenue & Campbell in Phoenix, Dorsey & Apache boulevards in Tempe.

If you get a chance to go to any of these celebrations, be sure to come back and leave a comment about your experience.

For more information about Phoenix Metro Light Rail:

Visit the web site: www.MetroLightRail.org. Or call 602-254-RAIL.

(Photos used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

1)  Buy local. The blog post referred to produce, but you can extend that further to buy local produce as well as purchase gifts, services and other products sold right here in the Valley of the Sun by small business owners who live here. Look for the red symbol you see pictured above, or find out what and where through the Local First of Arizona Web site. There are more than 700 members to serve you Valleywide, including the upscale Fifth Avenue Merchants Association in Scottsdale, the eclectic retail shop, Bunky Boutique, in downtown Phoenix, and the Farmers’ Markets where you will find locally grown, farm fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, and homemade jellies and jams.

2)  Hire local guides. No need to hire a national company if you want to sight-see in Arizona. Phoenix is home to many qualified, experienced insiders who can take you on day trips, half-day trips, or customize a trip to suit your needs. The Arizona Guides Association is a good place to start your search. You can also ask your hotel concierge to recommend a guide company. Or contact a local community college to find out about study tours. Pima Community College in Tucson offers several hikes, day tours and other special outings for less than the cost of a private guide. You can also locate a hiking club for upcoming trips or the Maricopa Audubon Society for field trip information.

3)  Use public transportation. If your family, friends or other relatives plan to extend their holiday visit, I suggest you all try out our new light rail system. It opens at the end of this month with free rides for all on December 27 and 28 . I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I can’t wait!

Not only will following these tips help cut the carbon footprint in Phoenix, but it’ll also go a long way towards keeping our small businesses open and our residents employed.

Cheers to you from The Phoenix Traveler!

(Above logo courtesy of Local First of Arizona.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Her intrigue made me want to find out what others who live and work here think about Phoenix. So I asked. Here are a few responses I received:

“One of the things I love about Phoenix is the airport,” wrote Beth Terry. It may not be the usual object a person falls in love with in the country’s 5th largest city, but she explained…”As a person who lives in airports, I have a lot of time to compare them. Terminal 4 especially is a *Gem*. First of all, all the terminals have those purple coated, very alert helpers. They notice when someone is struggling or lost, and are quick to help out.

Secondly, I love the airport, because someone in their ultimate wisdom,
proposed and got passed a pricing fairness law at the airport. If you go to Sky Harbor Airport, you will notice that a bottle of water costs, gasp,
$1.34, just like it does at a store outside the airport. Newspapers,
magazines, food items, and souvenirs cost the same on or off the airport.

What a concept!

Third, I love this airport because, even though it doesn’t have the huge
shopping malls of some other major airports, it has nice stores. And, you
know you’re in Arizona. Some places don’t have regional stores. I like that
this airport supports regional businesses.

Does it have downsides? Of course. All airports do. You can’t get from one
terminal to another without revisiting TSA. But I hear they are working on
that. And – if the temps get above 120, planes can’t take off… But it’s a
DRY heat!” (NOTE: The phrase “dry heat” is a typical moniker used by people who know Phoenix. I’ll cover that in an upcoming post.)

Vickie Mullins, who grew up in Phoenix, not far from the canal that runs along 48th Street, shared a childhood memory, bringing us back to that irrigation system: 

“I can remember in grade school we were having a class discussion on the native peoples who had thrived in the Valley, how long ago that had been and how ingenious they were in developing the irrigation system that sustained them. One of our classmates told us that we could easily find evidence of the people who had built the system, all we had to do was go over to the canal and look. There on the sides everyone could see the deep ridges from the crude tools that had been used to dig these giant canals,” wrote Vickie in an e-mail to me this afternoon.

“When I shared that story with my family that night over the dinner table,” she continued, “my dad just looked at me as if I was nuts and said, ‘We’re taking a walk after dinner.’ True to his word we did, and when we arrived, I was treated to a lesson on corrosion. No primitive tools had created the crude ridges my classmate had convinced all of us was evidence; they were just ruts from runoff going into the canal.

Bonnie Mattick’s favorite memory involves what she calls the Phoenix “high points” in and around Phoenix, in other words, its mountains and high hills.

“My husband and I used to hike various mountains, creeks, washes, ravines and any where else we could find – from the White Tank Mountains to The Superstitions. We have lots of “high views” and amazing landscape to enjoy in Phoenix. I have often wondered how many ‘first kisses’ took place on South Mountain (my own included),” she shared with me.

Great stories. I hope you enjoy them.

(Photos used with permission by Beth Terry and Vickie Mullins. Kelly Cappelli took Beth’s photo.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler