Transportation -
Public Transit
The public transit program is comprised of two
services: fixed-route Bus Service and East Valley
Dial-A-Ride. In FY 2003-04, the fixed-route service
had over 3 million boardings while the dial-a-ride
program had over 120,000 boardings. The City of Mesa
provides public transit via contracts and
intergovernmental agreements for both bus and
dial-a-ride services.
The City-funded fixed-route service operates six days a week, for approximately
sixteen hours per day. There are nine local routes and 4 express routes to
Phoenix. Service is not provided on Sundays or the following holidays: New
Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas Day. For questions on bus service, call
Valley Metro at
602-253-5000. Bus
routes & schedules,
Bus Fare
Information,
Valley Metro Trip Planning
East Valley Dial-A-Ride service is a partnership among six public agencies:
City of Mesa, City of Chandler, City of Tempe, City of Scottsdale, Town of
Gilbert, and the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA). These
municipal agencies have entered into an agreement with RPTA for the management
and operation of the East Valley Dial-A-Ride
service. The service operates daily in Mesa
for ADA certified citizens from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00
p.m., including holidays. Extended service hours,
ADA Trips, 4:00 a.m. to midnight (to be booked at
least one day in advance), are provided for
individuals who qualify under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). This cooperation among
the cities allows for a single service area, giving
customers the ability to travel between the five
cities in a much more efficient manner. For
questions on East Valley Dial-A-Ride, call the East
Valley Dial-A-Ride Customer Advocate at (480)
287-5988.
East Valley RIDEChoice offers
seniors and disabled individuals four options for
non-emergency transportation services, including:
bus fare discounts, mileage reimbursement, coupons
for cabs, Maricopa STS, and East Valley Dial-A-Ride.
This program is run by Maricopa County Special
Transportation Services and receives funding from
the City of mesa to provide the service to Mesa
residents. STS provides transportation to the
most transit dependant populations in Maricopa
County, which include elderly, disabled, and
low-income individuals. For more information
please visit their
website.
The City is a member of the Regional Public Transportation Authority with Mayor
Hawker serving as a member of the Board of Directors. The RPTA is a regional
transit planning and operations agency. The RPTA is a mechanism that the cities
in the Phoenix area utilize to plan and coordinate both transit planning and
operations locally and regionally. In addition to managing the contract of the
City's dial-a-ride service, the RPTA also operates fixed-route operation in Mesa
and provides a limited amount of funding to support Mesa's transit program.
The City of Mesa has partnered with the Cities of Phoenix and Tempe, the
Regional Public Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) in the development of light rail, a high capacity transit project. Light
rail seeks to provide a public transit alternative to the
automobile through the highest-demand travel corridor in the metropolitan area.
Serving some of the primary destinations in the region including ASU, downtown
Tempe, Sky Harbor Airport, Bank One Ballpark, America West Arena and the Central
Avenue employment corridor, the system will utilize high-capacity trains with
the ability to carry 5,000 passengers each direction per hour during peak
periods.The Light Rail
Transit (LRT) will initially terminate at a station
located at Sycamore and Main Street. The station
area includes a bus transfer center with 6 internal
bus bays, pedestrian amenities, opportunities for
transit-oriented development, as well as, a major
800-car park-and-ride facility. The LRT is
scheduled to open for passenger service in 2008. In
February 2007, a study will be initiated to extend
the service into the Mesa Town Center.
For more information on Light Rail, visit
Valley Metro Rail.
Proposed to start with the completion
of light rail in 2008, the Bus Rapid Transit system
is planned to boost ridership of light-rail, take
cars off the road and reduce air pollution. In
addition, additional continuous supergird service
routes could provide Sunday services.
read more...
While both LRT and BRT are projects in the
construction and planning phases respectively, the
Central Mesa High Capacity Transit Corridor Study is
evaluating transit options through downtown Mesa.
Options under consideration include extending LRT
with several alignment options or expanding BRT
routes through downtown. The next public meeting is
scheduled for November 13, 2007. For more
information go to
Valley Metro HCT.
|
