Monday At The Market is a post from: Rail Life

Are you one of those people that is not a big fan of Mondays? You know, a busy beginning to a very hectic week after an awesome weekend… Well, you’re in luck because Mondays no longer have to suck. Take a deep breath and head over to the Phoenix Public Market. This treasure of a spot really does have something for everyone. They rock the open air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, they have some amazing food, a very cool beer and wine selection, awesome produce and goods from local artisans, food truck Fridays and a great little coffee shop on site. Seriously, if you are living in a cave and don’t already know about this place, come on out and take a look. Need a good excuse for a happy hour? Give em’ a try for that, too.

The Phoenix Market is a beautiful place

PHOENIX PUBLIC MARKET URBAN GROCERY AND WINE BAR ANNOUNCES NEW HOURS OF OPERATION

Store Will Now Be Open for Business on Mondays:

DOWNTOWN PHOENIX–Urban Grocery and Wine Bar at the Phoenix Public Market, a program of Community Food Connections, announced new hours of operation today which includes for the first time being open on Mondays. Starting today the new hours are as follows:

Monday -Friday: 10 am – 7 pm (Wednesdays the store will be open until 8 pm)

Saturday: 7 am – 6 pm

Sunday: Closed

For more information please visit www.phoenixpublicmarket.org. The Phoenix Public Market’s Urban Grocery and Wine Bar is located at 721 North Central Avenue / 14 East Pierce Street – 3 blocks south of Roosevelt Street and the light rail stop.

The map below shows the location of the Phoenix Public Market. It’s a very easy destination via the light rail, and they have recently installed some great bike racks, as well. If you drive, parking is also available. You don’t need to live downtown to enjoy all of the great things they have to offer. Just do yourself a favor and get there. Even on a Monday.

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

Plan Ahead If Riding METRO Tomorrow is a post from: Rail Life

Remember when a portion of the light rail line was shut down because of some work being done at Freeport McMoRan? Well, guess what… There will be similar similar delays tomorrow as a helicopter will be flying around Downtown Phoenix.

Here’s part of the scoop from METRO:

Helicopter Lift at Central/Washington

01/29/12 05:00 AM – 01/29/12 01:00 PM – Slight delays to light rail

Due to a helicopter lift on a building near Central Ave. and Washington St. in downtown Phoenix, METRO light rail service will be slightly impacted on Sunday, January 29, morning. Trains will not stop at the Washington/Central Ave. station between 5 a.m. and approximately 1 p.m., but service will continue. The two nearest stations to board or de-board from are the 3rd St./Washington or Van Buren/Central Ave. Service both east and westbound should only be impacted during the actual lifts, which could suspend service for a few minutes. Please give yourself extra time to arrive at your final destination. Thank you for your understanding.

The map below shows the areas they are talking about. As you can see, the stations are pretty close together along this portion of the light rail line so using a different station probably won’t kill you. Hopefully, the delays won’t be too bad, just plan on your trip taking a little longer if riding tomorrow. Heck, just take the opportunity to sit back and watch the helicopter flying overhead. :)

View Phoenix Valley METRO Light Rail Map in a larger map

Kind Of A Big Deal is a post from: Rail Life

I once sat in a room at a large real estate conference and heard a friend say, “I’m kind of a big deal.”

Believe it or not, that friend was NOT Tyler Hurst. Yes, Tyler’s the guy that will “wear his name on his shirt”, will do what he wants, and say what he thinks. Often, he says them 140 characters at a time.

I bet you’ve heard of Twitter, right? I thought so. In fact, if you read this blog, there is a *really* good chance that you have at least a basic knowledge of what social media is.

A lot of people and/or companies use Twitter to convey a message, to build a brand, create relationships. Tyler has done all of the above. And then some.

This Thursday, Tyler Hurst will reach 100,000 tweets. I noticed him creeping up on the number a while back and thought it was only fitting to do a Tweetup.

Of course, I started thinking of the significance of 100,000 tweets. To some, it is no big deal. To others, it’s “kind of a big deal.”

Join us this Thursday at 4:30PM in the bar area at Monti’s La Casa Vieja. It’s a great spot to talk about a tweet of historic proportions. From the days of ham radios to these new fangled smart phones, the setting can’t get any better. Just a block north of the light rail station on Mill Avenue, Monti’s can handle crowds large and small. They have a huge parking lot, as well. Yes, free parking on Mill Avenue is always nice to find.

To be sure, you need to be following Tyler on Twitter. Coming up to this momentous occasion, you should also follow the #TD100k hash tag.

Why: 100,000 is kind of a big deal

When: Thursday, January 19th from 4:30 – ?

Where: Monti’s La Casa Vieja – 100 S Mill Avenue Tempe

Yes, Monti’s has a happy hour from 3-7pm. Come hang out and maybe talk to people in more than 140 characters at a time. In addition to happy hour, Monti’s has the best Foursquare special on Mill Avenue. Heck, Foursquare fan or not, you might even have a chance to visit with the next Mayor.

Even if you are not in AZ, you can follow along. I’m sure we will have some fun with this one.

What will Tyler’s big tweet be about? We’ll know soon enough…

Looking at 2011 Light Rail Milestones is a post from: Rail Life

Recently, METRO published a list of 2011 milestones for the Phoenix light rail system. It’s a pretty impressive list, the press release can be found below. Because I’m a bit lazy, I have just added some links to their press release for you to get more information about some of the milestones.

One that I don’t see mentioned below is: Provided a high tech way to track the trains…

METRO 2011 milestones

PHOENIX, AZ — METRO light rail served 13.2 million riders in 2011, an increase of four percent over 2010.  On average, 40,712 riders traveled using light rail on weekdays, 31,008 on Saturdays and 20,930 on Sundays/holidays.

“Our ridership continues to grow—2011 ridership exceeded the record set in 2010,” said METRO CEO Steve Banta.  “More and more of the Valley is opting in to public transit.  We look forward to working more collaboratively with regional partners in 2012 to make the transit trip even easier and more appealing for riders.”

Other notable highlights of 2011:

• Generated $383,000 in system advertising across 2011; approximately 25 percent over budget.
• Completed the ARRA-funded, 123-space park-and-ride lot at 7th Avenue and Camelback Road in March, which included shade canopies at this and two existing park-and-ride lots.

Launched a solar-cooled light rail station at 3rd Street/Washington in partnership with NRG and the City of Phoenix in July.

Served nearly 200,000 riders during Major League Baseball’s All-Star week with five, full All-Star train wraps and took part in the All-Star Red Carpet Parade.

Developed a mobile website in conjunction with Local First Arizona that shares the locally-owned restaurants and retail within a half-mile of the line.

Received environmental clearance in July and $35.5 million in the FY 2012 federal appropriations bill signed in November for the 3.1-mile Central Mesa light rail extension.

Determined 13 stop locations and several street configurations for the 2.6-mile Tempe Streetcar project.

Received a $1 million federal grant to conduct a 24-month Alternatives Analysis on the South Central Phoenix corridor. 

Received a $2.7 million TIGGER (Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction) grant award for a solar shade structure at the maintenance facility.

For more detailed information on METRO 2011 ridership, click here for the annual ridership report.

About METRO 

METRO is responsible for the development and operation of the region’s high-capacity transit system.  The first 20-mile light rail line opened December 2008 and served 13.2 million riders in 2011, exceeding the prior year by four percent.  METRO serves an average of 40,000 riders per weekday.  It is also planning for six extensions that will create a 57-mile system by 2031.

METRO Announces Light Rail Service For P. F. Chang’s Marathon is a post from: Rail Life

You all know that taking the light rail to the P.F. Chang’s Marathon is a piece of cake, right? As with many things, “some restrictions will apply.” Check out today’s press release from METRO Light Rail.

See our Phoenix light rail map for directions to the P.F. Changs Rock n Roll Marathon.

For immediate release

January 10, 2012

Light rail service for P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon

Entire line is open pre-race with 10-minute service to connect runners to race starts

PHOENIX, AZ — On race morning, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, the entire METRO light rail line will be open with enhanced service to connect full and half-marathoners to the race starts in downtown Phoenix and Tempe.  Trains will run every 10 minutes between the start of service at 5 a.m. through the race start at 7:30 a.m.

During the race, METRO will transition to a regular Sunday schedule, whereby trains run every 20 minutes, with the following service restrictions:

Due to a race crossing in Phoenix at 7th Avenue and Camelback Road, service will be suspended to the following stations between 7:30 – 9 a.m., or until the race has cleared:

• Montebello/19th Avenue
• 19th Avenue/Camelback
• 7th Avenue/Camelback

Service will continue through race crossings in Tempe, but slight delays could result.  Please allow a few extra minutes to arrive at your destination.

Sunday service will resume to all stations once the race has cleared.  Additional trains will be provided to support the demand at race finish.

There will also be bus detours as a result of this event.  Select routes in Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale will be impacted.  All transit riders planning to ride on Sunday are strongly advised to consult www.valleymetro.org or call Customer Service at (602) 253-5000 for more information.

View Phoenix Valley METRO Light Rail Map in a larger map
]]> http://raillife.com/blog/2012/01/10/metro-announces-enhanced-light-rail-service-changs-marathon/feed/ 2 http://raillife.com/blog/2012/01/03/snag-free-light-rail-passes-phoenix/ http://raillife.com/blog/2012/01/03/snag-free-light-rail-passes-phoenix/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:11:11 +0000 Nick Bastian http://raillife.com/?p=5563 Snag Some FREE Light Rail Passes in Phoenix is a post from: Rail Life

Happy Birthday METRO Light Rail is a post from: Rail Life

So, where were you three years ago today? Did you believe in the success of this “boondoggle” that people called light rail in Phoenix? For some, it was hard to drink the Kool-Aide. For others, it was just the beginning of celebrating things to come.

METRO began their first public trips along the 20 mile light rail line on December 27th, 2008.

Tens of thousands have been able to live, work, play and study along the line while riding the rails…

Please join Rail Life in wishing METRO a very happy birthday. From METRO CEO Steve Banta to the planning crews, public involvement officers, social media crew, maintenance workers, train drivers and all that have made this possible, we say…

Happy Birthday!! Have some cake today, you deserve it. :)

Thanks for “rockin’ the Rail Life!”

METRO Light Rail Holiday Hours is a post from: Rail Life

You’ve got your party hat on and are ready to paint the town red, right? Good. Here are a few key dates and times that are coming up this holiday season and you will want to know the light rail hours of operation.

Yes, Santa can ride on Christmas Eve, and, yes, there will be added capacity for the Insight Bowl and for New Year’s Eve.

See the METRO press release concerning Holiday and December Special Events Schedule for complete details, but here is the consolidated version.

Christmas Eve: Normal light rail schedule but NO LATE NIGHT hours. So, if you are going out and having some fun on Christmas Eve, or are still shopping for those last minute gifts, make sure you do it before the clock strikes 12.

Christmas Day: Sunday / Holiday schedule, trains run every 20 minutes: Last full trip at 11PM, you are toast by midnight.

Insight Bowl: Football fans heading to the Insight Bowl on Friday, December 30th will enjoy added service from METRO, including extra capacity before and after the game, as well as late night hours just past 2am.

New Year’s Eve: In addition to a normal schedule, METRO will have added service and late night hours. The last train leaves the end of the line at 2AM. ( yes, the next morning ) If you are having fun in downtown Phoenix or at the Tempe Block Party on Mill Avenue, you need to be on the train just past 2am, no service is scheduled past 3am. OR, I suppose you could can hang out for a few more hours and catch a train at about 5am on the 1st.

New Year’s Day: Sunday / Holiday schedule, trains run every 20 minutes: 1st trains begin approximately 5am, last full trip at 11PM.

Remember, Park and Ride lots are free, but you CAN NOT park overnight.  This might be important on New Year’s Eve and during big party nights. :)

For more information, contact METRO’s Customer Service at 602-253-5000, email info@metrolightrail.org or check METRO’s regular service schedule.

For more updates and information, please follow RailLife on Twitter and join us on Facebook.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Freakin’ New Year to all of you. We hope you enjoy the ride!

Rock The Season Rail Life Style is a post from: Rail Life

It feels like I haven’t blogged in weeks. To say the least, time flies for me once December rolls around as Christmas really is my favorite time of the year. I’m fortunate to have family in town and to have some really cool friends that are always willing to share in the “holiday spirit.” When work is busy, social calendars are full, projects are in high gear, shopping needs to be done, and life moves at warp speed, it can be hard to put fingers to the keyboard.

Holiday Cheer:

Food and drink seem to be in extra large supply during the holiday season, and I’ve been reminded of that a lot lately. Around here, it’s great to have many choices when looking to have some fun with friends. Locals and tourists alike can enjoy some awesome places to spread some holiday cheer all along the 20 miles of light rail in the valley.

While many people seem to have a beer PHXaxtion, we are lucky to have some great coffee shops and wine bars along the line, as well. That’s a good thing because people around here seem to love them all.

Take a look at our “Light Rail Drinks” map to see some great spots to take in as much holiday cheer as you can handle. You can zoom in and out on the map or click on any of the icons to learn more about places to try near each light rail station.

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

If you are in town to see the Insight Bowl or to check out events like the Tempe Block Party this time of year, you are in luck! Not only are these events a lot of fun, but you will have seemingly endless opportunities to do a ton of other cool things by just hopping on a train and checking out what our “city within cities” has to offer.

Heck, you can go ice skating at CityScape in Downtown Phoenix, catch a play, maybe a museum, hit up the Downtown Phoenix Market or stroll down Mill Avenue. Seriously, the choices are nearly endless.

So, if you are a local, or not, I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday season. Soon, 2012 will be upon us and we’ll be sure to keep “rockin’ the rail life!”