November 21, 2007

Friends,

We received an interesting report of findings from West Group Research about people’s opinions about Toll Roads in this state.  As you know, we try to pass around information about all forms of transportation.   Regardless of your opinion of whether you support or oppose Toll Roads, we thought you might find this information insightful.  Click here to learn more.
 

Friends of Transit Tuesdays:
November 27, 2007 lunch locations
November 20, 2007 winners

In the News:
Fares to change as Valley Metro goes electronic, The Arizona Republic, Nov. 19, 2007

 

Don’t forget to visit Friends of Transit on the web at www.friendsoftransit.org!

 

On Tuesday, November 27
Friends of Transit Tuesday
is proud to feature:

 

Prime Chinese Restaurant
24 W. Camelback, Phoenix

 

The first 100 people will receive half off their bill (up to $5)!
Please present this email to receive discount.

 

Lunch served 11:00 am to 2:30 pm

Don’t forget to enter this week’s prize drawing! $500 worth of prizes are up for grabs! Gift certificates for this week are:

 

● $250 to Men’s Apparel Club, 204 N. Central Ave, Phoenix (1 chance to win)
● $50 to Frances Boutique, 10 W. Camelback Rd, Phoenix (2 chances to win)
● $50 to Community Florist, 4747 N. Central Ave, Phoenix (2 chances to win)
● $50 to Body Soul Printing, 1806 W. Camelback Rd, Phoenix (1 chance to win)

 

In business for over twenty years, Prime Chinese Restaurant features both traditional and unique dishes. Choose from their value lunch menu or the larger dinner menu for any size appetite.  Enjoy great service and ambiance and, of course, delicious food!
 

See you Tuesday!  Tell your Friends!

 

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Thanks to everyone who joined us on November 20 at:
Macayo’s
4001 N. Central Ave, Phoenix

 

and

 

Café Istanbul
1310 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe

 

We gave away over $1000 in prizes in our weekly prize drawing! The winners are:

 

Colleen Corbin- $250 to Tracks in Wax, 4741 N. Central Ave, Phoenix

Georgette Stathis and R. Cordova- $50 to Central Christian Supply, 3525 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
Jeff Van Skike  and Shirley Piraino - $50 to Movies on Central, 4700 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
Nate Ruess- $50 to Brother’s Tailors, 4776 N. Central Ave, Phoenix

Miguel Rodriguez and Lisa Chow - $100 to Mill Ave Jewlers, 414 S. Mill Ave, Tempe
Step Raptis, Jimmy Thornton, Heidi Graham and Ramiro Guaderrama - $50 to Watson’s Flower ShopSouthwest Institute of the Healing Arts, 2525 W. Main St, Mesa
Larry Schmalz- $50 to Pep Boys, 1747 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe
Gary Patchett, Kazumi Reeb, Raul Vidal and Darren Martinez- $25 to Tasty Kabob, 1250 E. Apache Blvd, Phoenix

 

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Arizona Residents Not Excited By Toll Roads
WestGroup Research Survey Finds More Than Half View Toll Roads Unfavorably
 

PHOENIX (November 13, 2007) – It’s no secret that traffic congestion and freeways are hot issues in Arizona. As the fifth largest city in the country, and according to the U.S. Census the fastest growing state in the nation, Arizona has been trying to make up for lost time in building an infrastructure and establishing a freeway system. Many have noted that state and federal transportation funding will not meet the state’s needs. So what solutions lie on the horizon? Recent discussions have revealed - toll roads.
 

Funded by private companies, toll roads offer a viable alternative to higher taxes and future gridlock. WestGroup research asked 405 Arizona residents during the month of October whether they favored toll roads as an alternative to raising taxes.
 

While more than a third of Arizona residents are clearly amenable to toll roads as a solution (39% stating they were very or somewhat favorable to the solution), more than half indicated that they consider toll roads an “unfavorable” option (20% + 33% stating they were somewhat to very unfavorable).  An additional 8% indicated they were not sure. Interestingly, Hispanic residents were slightly more likely to say they are “very favorable” to toll roads as an option compared to non-Hispanics (24% vs. 12%).
 

 
Of those who indicated they felt toll roads were a  “very favorable” alternative (13%), more than half expressed the sentiment that it is a better option than raising taxes and at least those who use it will be the ones to pay for it (52%).  Others cited improved and faster access as well as improved roads (23%), and the fact that it will help relieve traffic congestion (15%).
 

For residents who reported that they were “very unfavorable” to the idea of toll roads in Arizona (33%), a quarter indicated that the government could do better with the funds they have, while an additional 18% simply don’t way to pay. Other reasons included the belief that toll roads are not the right answer (11%), general opposition to raising taxes (8%), the belief that toll roads slow traffic down and are inconvenient (8%), or a stated preference to raise taxes instead (6%).
 

WestTrack is a telephone omnibus study that has been conducted monthly by WestGroup Research since 1971.  The October 2007 study was conducted with a random sample of 405 statewide adults. The sample accurately represents the market with a +5% margin of error at the 95% confidence level.
 

Source:  WestTrack Arizona October,2007  
Monthly n= 405  adults

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Fares to change as Valley Metro goes electronic

Amanda Chan
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 19, 2007 03:52 PM

Valley Metro will eliminate its bus token and transfer pass system beginning Dec. 1 to make way for a newer, redesigned fare system.

With the new system, bus users can expect a reduced price for all-day bus passes, from $3.60 to $2.50. Single-ride tickets will remain the same price at $1.25, but transfer slips will be eliminated, said Susan Tierney, spokesperson for Valley Metro.

Transfer slips are good for a bus transfer ride 60 minutes after disembarking the first bus, but the time limit is an inconvenience for some users, she said.

"People that transfer buses several times a day would benefit the most from this pass because they don't have the time limitation of a transfer slip," Tierney said. "It's the convenience of having a transfer pass with you all the time."

The all-day passes are good from 4:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. the next day, she said.

Elizabeth Encinas, 31, currently purchases single-ride bus tickets to run her errands. She said that she usually is not terribly restrained by the 60-minute time limit, but that she will purchase an all-day pass when the new fare system goes into effect.

"The all-day pass is good for if you have to go somewhere and then back a few times," said Encinas, who usually takes two buses to reach her destination and two buses to go back home.

In addition to the all-day pass, three-day and seven-day passes will be introduced to the public for $7.50 and $17.50, respectively, Tierney said.

"These passes are good for the out of town guests, who may be coming in to Phoenix for a few days for a convention or who may be spending the whole week here," Tierney said.

As for fare increases, the price of 31-day passes will go up from $34 to $45. The price of reduced local 31-day passes will go up from $17.50 to $22.50, and the price of express bus/RAPID 31-day passes will go up from $51 to $68, she said.

Valley Metro has not changed its prices since 1994, but rising operation costs have prompted the fare increases, Tierney said.

The price changes were implemented to reach the company's "fare box recovery goal," which aims to have 25 percent of fare revenue go to operational costs, she said.

Also, a more technologically-based fare system will make it easier for Valley Metro to track ridership, Tierney said.

Those with already-purchased Valley Metro bus tickets and tokens have until Feb. 29, 2008, to exchange for new fare types.

Orvalee Lairson, 49, said that he had previously worked as a bus driver with Valley Metro and he didn't want to see the fare system change.

"I don't understand why they're getting these new fare boxes," Lairson said. "I think they should just keep the old ones that worked just fine and just raise the price (of tickets) instead of going all high-tech."

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