October 5, 2026
Valley Metro is asking riders and the greater community to review 86 proposed service adjustments across 59 routes developed through the Bus Network Redesign. Riders and community members are encouraged to share how the proposed changes could impact their travel before recommendations are finalized.
The proposed adjustments would reshape the current regional bus network of 97 routes, which provides nearly 30 million passenger trips annually. Valley Metro developed the proposals were developed using feedback from riders, member cities and community members, alongside analysis of ridership data, travel patterns and regional growth.
The recommendations are not yet final. Feedback collected this fall will help Valley Metro understand potential impacts on riders and refine the proposals before they move through the regional review and approval process in 2027.
During the first phase of outreach in fall 2025, riders identified more frequent service, expanded weekend service and improved reliability as key priorities. The proposed adjustments would:
- Expand frequent weekday service from seven to 19 routes, giving an additional 238,900 residents access to bus service every 15 minutes or better.
- Increase weekend service to every 15 minutes or better on 11 routes, giving an additional 349,900 residents access to more frequent weekend service.
- Improve connections and reliability by creating routes that travel more directly to more places and better align service with current travel patterns.
- Provide more Express/RAPID trips per route throughout the day by consolidating or adjusting some Express/RAPID routes to focus on key corridors.
- Reduce the need to transfer by creating more direct connections to destinations that currently may require riders to change buses.
- Reduce, shorten, consolidate or eliminate service on 25 lower-performing routes, with the type and extent of the proposed changes varying by route. Some routes could see reduced frequency, while others could have segments or entire routes consolidated or eliminated. Community feedback will help Valley Metro better understand the potential impacts of these changes.
Riders are encouraged to visit valleymetro.org/bnr to:
- Review proposed adjustments to their bus route and/or the regional network.
- Share how the proposed changes could affect their trips, including destinations, connections, travel times and work or school schedules.
- Find answers to frequently asked questions about the proposed changes and Bus Network Redesign process.
- Access the outreach toolkit with flyers, social graphics, b-roll links and other resources to help share information about the Bus Network Redesign.
- Find upcoming opportunities to talk with Valley Metro staff and provide feedback at in-person pop-up events and virtual office hours. Initial outreach opportunities include:
- Thursday, Oct. 8, 4:30-6 p.m.: Virtual office hours
- Tuesday, Oct. 13, 4:30-6 p.m.: Desert Sky Transit Center
- Tuesday, Oct. 13, 5-6:30 p.m.: Virtual office hours
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 4-6 p.m.: Sycamore/Main Street Transit Center
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, noon-1:30 p.m.: Virtual office hours
- Thursday, Nov. 5, 7:30-9:30 a.m.: Thelda Williams Transit Center
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 10-11:30 a.m.: Virtual office hours
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, 4-6 p.m.: Tempe Transit Center
- Tuesday, Nov. 17, 5-6:30 p.m.: Virtual office hours
Visit the full outreach schedule event details and information on how to join virtual office hours.
Feedback will be collected through Nov. 30, 2026.
Following the engagement period, Valley Metro will review community feedback and work with regional partners to refine the proposed adjustments. Final recommendations are expected to advance through the regional approval process in spring 2027. If approved, phased implementation could begin as early as fall 2027.
About the Bus Network Redesign: Launched in 2025, the Bus Network Redesign (BNR) is Valley Metro’s first comprehensive review of the regional bus network in more than 20 years. The multi-year effort is designed to ensure bus service better reflects where and when people travel today while preparing for the region’s future growth and transportation needs. In fall 2025, riders identified frequency, on-time performance and expanded weekend service as their top priorities. That input, along with ridership and travel data, helped shape the proposed service adjustments. The overall goal of BNR is to create a more productive network for riders, attract new riders to our system and maximize available funding through a cost-neutral proposal.