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.
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