How to ride METRO from Sky Harbor Airport
Posted on 11. Oct, 2009 by Tony Arranaga in Featured, Lo-cal
Phoenix Sky Harbor airport can be confusing – even for the experienced traveller. There are a total of three terminals at the airport. I typically fly Southwest and USAir out of terminal four. Those familiar with the layout of this terminal know there’s a north and south curb, gates on both ends (with a combined total of four concourses) and a ton of people in between.
Many people ask me how to get to and from the airport using light rail. The process is fairly simple going: the train stops at 44th Street and Washington and across the street an airport shuttle is usually waiting on the southwest corner ready to transport you to the terminals.
Leaving the airport requires a little more navigational skills on your part. You could look for one of the many airport volunteers in purple jackets and ask for assistance, or you could follow the signs to baggage claim and ground transportation located on the first floor. To catch the train, I usually head out the doors marked ‘north curb’ and cross the street. Next, look for these signs on the west end of the terminal:
Now that you’re curbside on the west end of terminal four and standing next to the marker you see pictured above – you’ll need to know which shuttle to take. There are several shuttles operated by Sky Habor, each of them similar in appearance, but each one travelling to different areas of the airport. You’ll want to be on the lookout for the shuttles marked light rail.
This bus will take you from terminal four and drop you off across the street from the 44th Street and Washington light rail station. Sky Harbor produced a video on the light rail here. You can find more tips on how to ride the light rail here. And click here to find more information on flying in and out of Sky Harbor airport.
ben bethel
22. Oct, 2009
My biggest gripe with this is that the Metro station being used is the 44th Street station instead of the 24th Street station – if you’re riding from Phoenix, you used to be able to get right to Terminal 4 from Central and Roosevelt in 19 minutes on the old Red Line – now it takes closer to 40 minutes!!!
What’s even more odd is that the signs at 24th Street say “Gateway to Sky Harbor International Airport” – but if you get off there, you can’t even get to the airport!
I really hope that the peoplemover is extended from the rental car center to the 12th Street and Washington Metro station in the future, but I doubt that’ll be happening.
Tony Arranaga
10. Dec, 2009
Wow, 20 minutes to Sky Harbor from Downtown would be great!
Funny about the ‘gateway’ signage – especially since terminal four on the other end has higher traffic with Southwest and USAir.