With all the excitement about the opening of Valley Metro Light Rail last month, and the high hopes of both businesses and residential areas clustered around the light Phoenix and Tempe light rail stations, I felt obligated to take a trip on Metro as soon as I could. We were out of town for the official opening festivities on Dec. 27 - but arrived back in Tempe on Dec. 31, the last day of free ridership on the Light Rail, and the trip home from the airport on light rail seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Usually a 10-minute, $20 taxi ride (including tip) from the airport to our home, we decided to test the light rail system in. (My wife was less enthusiastic and claims that I still owe her not only the $20 we saved but also the hour of additional time it took to get home!) We didn't have to wait long for the shuttle at Terminal 4 and were at 44th & Washington within 10 minutes of picking up our bags. We waited at the light rail station another 10 minutes and boarded the light rail car bound for downtown Tempe. Another 10 minutes and we were at the College/5th Street station, heading to find our free neighborhood shuttle (Orbit). Another wait, and another 10 minute light rail ride. And then, the walk from College Avenue to our home. Normally a quick stroll, but with bags it seemed much longer.
So we had loaded ourselves and our four bags on and off a shuttle bus, a light rail car and a microbus that morning and spent zero dollars but an hour longer than usual on our trip home from the airport. (That one-way trip on light rail would now cost $1.25 each - so still a deal.) Our conclusions:
- There's not much room on the light rail for luggage on any of those modes of transportation
- What might be fine in December will definitely not go down so well in June
- It's great to have the light rail option when no-one can be talked in to picking you up at the airport!
And finally, we're already hearing anecdotal evidence of an increase in business and general activity around the light rail stations. It will be another few months before there's any hard evidence of a turnaround in those residential neighborhoods, so stay tuned!
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