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ast 2 wks, poss bc of new school yr n August ’10, METRO served 150K, 16% MORE than August ’09. Reached 40,000+ daily totals last 2 wks, poss bc of new school yr

Monday, September 6 is Labor Day and a transit holiday whereby light rail and bus will run on a Sunday schedule. Trains run every 20 minutes on Sundays and holidays.

-METRO Light Rail

A Phoenix business owner plans to energize a downtown arts and culture district by connecting a streetcar with the METRO light rail 20 mile starter line.

I blogged about the proposed route for the Grand Avenue Rail Project in this post. The plan calls for using a historic bus to carry riders from Central Station (Central and Van Buren)  to 7th Avenue via Van Buren. Riders will then transfer to a historic streetcar which will run along several blocks of northwest Grand Avenue. The line will end at 19th Avenue underneath the I-10 underpass. Many people who commute to Phoenix from the West Valley commonly refer to this area as the gateway to downtown.

I learned about GARP over the weekend and agreed to be on the charter Board of Directors. The project could have a huge impact in our urban core: Connect an outlying area of downtown with the established light rail and providing a convenient way for people to shop and dine in this part of town.

This story is relevant to this blog about the METRO light rail and the car-free experience in Phoenix. In full disclosure, please note that I agreed to help get this project rolling. As always, I’m excited to share the ways public and alternative transportation options are changing the landscape of our city.

On that note, the GARP concept is gaining speed, thanks in part to the popularity of light rail in the region, in addition to several artists, creatives and restaurant owners moving into the Grand Avenue Arts District (link). The merchants here see the value in connecting the existing light rail system with the neighborhood, especially since the system continues to be a popular mode of transportation.

Currently, Grand Avenue is in a renaissance period after falling on hard times several years ago. Abandoned motels tell the story of a once thriving destination. Today those properties sit amongst historic industrial buildings and storage yards, retail shops and restaurants. A vintage clothing store, two cafes, and several workspaces for creatives are just some of the businesses that occupy the buildings.

Thanks to the marketing efforts of the merchants and the neighborhood association, people in the Valley are starting to see a reason to visit Grand Avenue.

Several blocks away, thousands of people ride the light rail everyday through the heart of downtown. Those riders could deboard at Van Buren and Central and walk 10 blocks to the arts district on Grand, but anything more than seven blockd is considered a stretch even for the ambitious urban dweller.

This is one reason why Bob Graham, a Grand Avenue studio owner, is taking the ‘do it yourself’ approach instead of lobbying (and waiting) to get the cash strapped City of Phoenix to come up with a new transportation plan for his neighborhood. Graham created the Grand Avenue Rail Project and teamed up with Ernie Workman with the Arizona Street Railway Museum and the Phoenix Trolley Museum. The museum is an essential part of the project since it has access to the historic streetcar and bus which will be used for the line.

On Saturday, GARP decided on a charter Board of Directors which will start a strategic planning process and gain more support in the community. The group is identifying downtown and transit advocates that could help secure funding. Graham estimates the project could be built in four phases and cost approximately $10 million dollars.

“The issue of funding is so complicated,” said Graham who hosted the meeting at his studio located along the proposed streetcar route. Graham says there are eight to 10 grant sources that all have different criteria for the application process.

“You have transportation, education, pedestrian enhancements,” said Graham describing the types of grants available. “There’s a grant for everything.”

There’s also the possiblity of corporate sponsorships and a community fundraising element which Graham describes as a ‘mosaic of funding sources.’

The group will also focus on filing the necessary paperwork required by the state to be considered for non-profit status.

A friend of mine, Kyle Jordre, owns a working artist studio along the proposed streetcar line. There are a variety of reasons why Jordre likes the idea of a streetcar rolling past his studio.

“It’s necessary for Grand Avenue to survive” says Jordre. “Grand Avenue is just a bit too far for most pedestrians to walk from Central Station.”

Jordre Studio and many others are in the heart of the Grand Avenue Arts District which is 10 blocks from the closest light rail station at Central and Van Buren.

Jordre agrees the streetcar line could attract more pedestrians – in addition to more entrepreneurs – who want to open up shop in this part of town. A streetcar line could be the piece of the puzzle that creates a vibrant neighborhood spanning several blocks. Jordre sees these improvements as traffic calming. Commuters driving in from the West Valley will want to slow down and see what’s new and exciting in this part of Phoenix.

While many people would like to see this project built in a matter of months, the reality is that it will most likely be years before streetcars roll through this part of the city.

What’s your take on a streetcar system for this part of town? Do you think it will help the area? Do you think people will use the line?

A different form of public transportation could soon roll through the streets of Phoenix, in an area eager to find ways to direct METRO light rail ridership to the west side of downtown.

The Grand Avenue Rail Project would take people from the heart of downtown, somewhere near Van Buren and Central and 7th Avenues, and transport them along Northwest Grand Avenue toward 19th Avenue. The trolley or streetcar would take visitors past local art studios like Jordre, Ambient and Modern Cat Studios, or take them to the neighborhood’s dining destinations like Sapna Cafe and The Paisley Violin.

Architect Bob Graham is spearheading efforts to turn this idea into a reality and will bring together a group of downtown advocates (myself included) to come up with ways to get the ball rolling on the concept. We’ll focus on recruiting board members and developing a working master plan. There are also the questions ‘what’s the estimated cost’ and most importantly, ‘who would (or even could) fund a project like this?’

An overview of the project can be found on the GARP website here.

Friday 8/27

Critical Mass is the monthly group bike ride through the streets of central Phoenix. The nationwide event is meant to draw attention to the growing bike culture in most cities and to get motorists accustomed to traveling on the same roadway as bikes. The group leaves the 3rd Street entrance to Steele Indian School Park at 7 p.m. and takes the following route: Indian School to Central Ave. North to Missouri. East to 7th street. 7th street south to McDowell. McDowell east to 3rd Ave. North on 3rd avenue (source). The ride usually ends at 8:30 p.m. and afterward, many people head over to the Clarendon Hotel for a dip  in the pool. Be sure to ‘like’ the Critical Mass Phoenix Facebook page and stay up to date on future rides. Steele Indian School Park is located directly across the street from the Indian School and Central Station on the east side of Central.

Improvisors with The Torch Theater are taking a break from renovating their new uptown digs (4721 N Central Ave) and heading to perform at Practical Art on Central Avenue just north of the Camelback Station. The event is free, but donations are being accepted to help The Torch Theater with work on their new home. I’ve heard so much about The Torch Theater and I’m looking forward to seeing my first performance at one of my favorite stores in central Phoenix: Practical Art has a wide selection of everyday household items hand crafted by local artists. The result is art that you can use at home. Show starts promptly at 8pm. For more information, check out the Facebook invite here.

Friday 8/27 and Saturday 8/28

The new kids on the block are a restaurant and a bar called Bliss and reBAR, which are taking over the spot once occupied by NINE 05 on 4th Street just south of Roosevelt. Bliss and reBAR promise to be the new downtown hot spots, offering American comfort food and a rustic contemporary outdoor bar. Read about the opening, and some of the low calorie options offered at both places in the Chow Bella blog over on the Phoenix New Times website here. FYI: There’s a brief, five block walk from Roosevelt Station.

Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge opens this weekend at the new entertainment destination called CityScape, located in the heart of the downtown Phoenix. Lucky Strike is an upscale bowling alley with a full bar and a menu that has a dish for every appetite. (The Tuna Lolipops and Tomato and Cheese S’mores sound interesting!) I had the opportunity to attend the VIP preview last night – Lucky Strike is stylish and sexy…and gives visitors another option for entertainment in our urban core. You can read about the other stores and restaurants opening in CityScape over on the Downtown Phoenix website. CityScape is located near the Central and Washington Station for westbound trains and near the 1st Avenue and Jefferson Station for eastbound trains.

Information on how to ride the light rail to any of these destinations can be found here.

That’s about it from this end. What’s on your radar for Weekend Fun along the light rail? Share your event by posting a comment below.

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