EYE ON TRANSIT - Phoenix, Arizona

EYE ON T RANSI TNORT HW EST L I GHT RAI LEXT ENSI ON OPENSCommunity members celebrate arrival ofnew miles in Phoenix.More on p. 4APRI L 14, 2016 I SSUE 2

InsideNORTHWEST LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION 4NEW SERVICE CHANGES 7NEW BUSES HIT PHOENIX STREETS 8STUDY HELPS US BETTER UNDERSTAND TRANSIT USERS 10FTA LAUNCHES NEW GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 11FAST ACT UPDATES 13TRANSIT ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN AT WORK 14NATIONAL TRANSIT INSTITUTE WORKSHOP IN PHOENIX 16FRIENDS OF TRANSIT CONFERENCE 18FIRST NACTO WORKSHOP IN PHOENIX 19VALLEY METRO GETS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AWARD 20PHOENIX TRANSPORTATION PLAN OUTREACH RECEIVES AWARD 212

Welcome to the second Eye On Transit (EOT) edition.Thank you to those who contributed news content thispast quarter.Please continue sending us ideas, stories or updatesyou would like to highlight in EOT. We are looking for anynews that affects your city, the Valley and mostimportantly, the riders.Send content by July 8 to Brenda Yanezbrenda.yanez@phoenix.gov. Include a brief summaryand an image. If you send a photo, please identify thesubjects and the photographer. Thanks to Valley Metroand Leland Gebhardt for many of the photos in thisedition.After you have taken some time to check out our April2016 issue, please let us know your thoughts on whatyou would like to see in the future. We truly want EOT tobe of benefit!We are excited for the start of the upcomingTransportation 2050 improvements and to share thetransit successes happening throughout the entireregion.Maria Hyatt, Phoenix Public Transit Department Director3

Transit users rode the new Northwest LightRail Extension service March 19 during theofficial opening of the new segment, whichlaunched with a World?s Fair-themedcommunity event.Nort hwest Light RailExt ension opens wit h aMore than 2,100 riders received freecommunitairebrat ioncommemorativepasses toyridefthelightcelrailand bus for the day. Many more communitymembers attended.The 327 million project started Jan. 2013after leaders set aside Phoenix and Prop. 400funds to further the project and open it assoon as possible. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stantonsaid the new 3.2 miles of service on 19thAvenue will connect more Phoenix residentsto jobs, education and opportunity, as well asattract billions of dollars of economicinvestment.The 19th Avenue Community Fair had music,70 exhibitors such as family-run restaurants,local neighborhood associations and artschool students. The new segment is expectedto serve an additional 5,000 daily riders.4

Nort hwest Light RailExt ension.rol l t he videosThe first ride.Riding the new light rail extension.Celebrating new community connections.5

Public Transit staff volunteered their timeto activate 3,500 passes for the NorthwestLight Rail Extension community fair andofficial opening of the light rail.The free passes were handed out during thecommunity recognition event for the 19thAvenue stations at Montebello, Glendale,Northern, Dunlap avenues as well as the bus.Vol unt eers act ivat e NWLight Rail Ext ensioncommemorat ive passes6

Longer bus service hourscoming soonApril is here and in our transit-centric world, thatmeans one thing - regional service updates.A slate of new routes and frequencyimprovements across the Valley start April 25,2016.City of Phoenix bus and Dial-a-Rideenhancements will help riders connect todestinations more efficiently.PHOENIX-Route 1 ? Washington/ JeffersonEastbound passengers board at Central Avenueand Van Buren Street.-Route 10 ? Roosevelt/ 32nd StreetIn coordination with the new Route 32 inPhoenix, the route operates from Central Avenueand Van Buren Street to Roosevelt Street and 32ndStreet.-Route 32 ? 32nd StreetA new route connecting Camelback High Schoolwith the 44th Street light rail station.-Route 19 ? 19th AvenueWeekday frequency increased to 15 minute off2

New Phoenix buses hit streetsThe Phoenix Public Transit Department hasordered 120 new buses to serve the city?slocal routes, the first order for new 40-footbuses since late 2013.The buses, built in California by the GilligCorporation, use compressed natural gas (CNG)and have a fuel range of at least 400 miles,which means most of the new buses would notrequire daily refueling. Passengers alsobenefit from an enhanced air conditioningsystem that includes two units to cool the busboth front and back simultaneously.Each Gillig bus costs 520,000 and is paid forwith both federal and county (Prop. 400)funds. This investment means less repair andmaintenance, and the city has a more efficientfleet to service those that depend on daily busservice.Five to eight buses arrive each week nowthrough July, and as they do city staff willinspect each one to ensure all equipment is inworking order, as well as install the farebox.This order of Gillig buses replaces about 25percent of the city?s bus fleet. However, this isjust the start. In the next 18 months, local andRAPID users can look forward to additionalnew 60-foot (articulated) buses.28

We all know software or updates on ourphones and computers may be outdated injust a few years, sometimes even months.Imagine keeping your current computer orphone for more than a decade.New CAD/ AVL busPhoenix buses have a Computer-Aidedsyst em in t he worksDispatch Automated Vehicle Location systemthat is 14 years old. That?s quite the return onthe initial investment.A request for a proposal (RFP) went out inMarch 2016, which means in about two yearswe anticipate getting a new CAD/ AVL systemfor the region's buses.The CAD/ AVL system allows us to know thelocation of each vehicle and how each busroute performs according to schedule.Today, the company that manufactures thesystem no longer supports the technology.Updates and fixes are time-consuming andcostly.New features will include additional vehicleperformance capabilities.One example ? if something is wrong withthe engine, the driver could call theOperations Control Center (OCC) and the OCCwould have access (via installed computersoftware) to view the vehicle?s internal partsand assist in diagnosing the issue.The system is planned to be installed inmore than 1,000 buses (both Phoenix andValley Metro) and could end up costingbetween 18- to 35 million.In addition to diagnosing mechanical issues,CAD/ AVL is crucial to bus location. Knowinghow routes are performing allows staff toassess changes that can lead to a betterpassenger experience.9

Study helps Valley Metro and membercities better understand transit usersClick im ag e t o enlar g e slidesValley Metro and member cities collaborated to gather travelbehavior data from transit users in the new Valley Metro2014-2015 Origin and Destination Study. The results help ValleyMetro and member cities have access to accurate information onhow passengers use the transit system.This allows regional planners to better comprehend needs andtravel patterns of transit users. The study also meets FederalTransit Administration (FTA) requirements of a Before and Afterstudy for the Central Mesa Extension. The number of completedsurveys including both bus (12,453) and light rail passengers(9,350) was 21,803.Below and above are some of the highlights:--More than 50 percent of public transit users said they don?thave a vehicle available to their householdExcluding people who refused to participate in survey,almost 28 percent of all transit passengers reported annualhousehold incomes below 15,000More than 30 percent of public transit users used an all-daypass for their one-day trip10

FTA launches new grants management systemIn February 2016 the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)officially launched a new grants management system calledTransit Award Management System (TrAMS) formerly knownas TEAM. It was created to provide greater efficiency,transparency and accountability in the award andmanagement of federal grants.Several city of Phoenix Public Transit staff attended thetraining webinars during Feb. and March. Staff learned how touse the new system to continue providing region-wide highquality grant management services.For more information visit: fta.dot.gov/ funding11

New vehicles coming soonVehicles are for nonprofit agencies that serve theelderly and disabledThe city of Phoenix Public Transit staff issued purchase ordersfor 39 new vehicles on behalf of subrecipients in February 2016.These are part of the FTA Section 5310 programs that provideservices for elderly people and people with disabilities andspecial needs.Vehicles should be here in approximately three to four monthsand the order comprises several types including Ford Transits,Braun Entervans and Chevy Express passenger vans.12

FAST Act updatesIn-depth FAST ACT FTA programsoverview provided in summary on left.The recently-passed five-year federal surface transportationauthorization law, Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST)Act includes policy changes to highways, transit and federalpassenger rail programs.In transit specifically, formula and bus grants will have an 800million increase in the first year and 200 million on top of thatevery year after.Within that:- 104 million average annual increase for Urbanized AreaFormula grants (5340 funding is combined with 5307)Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals withDisabilities Program ? 274 million annual average 28 million for Research & Development Demonstrationand Deployment grantState of Good Repair- first year is 340 million increase andmore than 40 million on top of that every yearBus and Bus Facility Formula program - 355 million annualaverage6Bus and Bus Facility Discretionary program ? approximately 300 million annual averageBus and Bus Facility No/ Low Emissions Discretionaryprogram - 55 million annually

A much-needed major renovationThe atFederalTransitbeganthe SouthTransit FacilityAdministrationrequireseachin fall 2015. The South Transittransit wasagencyFacilitybuilttoininventory1982, andtransit andassets(such asbuses,housessupports200buses.transit facilities and equipment),The facilityis used to maintain theprovidepreventivePhoenixbusfleet,which servicesmaintenance informationandthecentralcorridoroftheregion.report on intentions to upkeepand ectofassets.include (check out pictures to theright):TAMPs, according to the U.S.DepartmentTransportation- RoofingofreplacementsFederalHighway- Upgrade/replacements dfirestakeholders- Replacealarm and tobettermethaneunderstandand improvedetectionsystemsperformance.- New entrance, perimeterimprovements,Thisfencepast quarter,severalguardhouseand exitgates toprojectswere reviewedunderimprovesecurityoffacilitythe Phoenix TAMP including the- Replacementof undergroundretiringof the old DesertSkystoragetanksTransit Center after the new- NewCompressedDesertSkyLiquefiedTransit CenterNaturalgas(LCNG)systemopened to the public in Dec.- New2015.The bussitewashersof the previouscenter serviced an estimated 3million transit users since itscompletion in 2003.Transit Asset Management Plan at workSigns were taken down andequipment was removed. Checkout the new Desert Sky TransitCenter in video below.14

Cit y of Phoenix andVal l ey met ro l eadTit l e VI/ ADA t rainingThanks to city of Phoenix PublicTransit Department Civil Rightsand Operations staff and ValleyMetro efforts, transit contractorsand contract administrator staffreceived professional training forTitle VI/ ADA Customer ComplaintInvestigations.The training in Phoenix on April7 included information such ashow to conduct a proper civilrights complaint investigation.The goal was to improveinvestigator consistency andbetter address customerdiscrimination claims.The collaboration between thetwo organizations also willproduce a similar training forPhoenix Public TransitDepartment and Valley Metrostaff April 20.For more information, contactcity of Phoenix Title VI/ ADACoordinator Kristy Ruiz at602-495-0579 orkristy.ruiz@phoenix.gov.15 10