A reader sent an email to me, from the City of Phoenix Transit Police, about the possibility of increased an increased presence at some of the Phoenix light rail stops.

We are doing a concentrated effort in the Camelback Corridor for the next 2 weeks.  What this means is that we are going to be on the platforms from Central to Montebello.

We have police assistants riding the train and police officers staying close by to assist with persons lingering in these areas. Please let us know if you have any information

on some of these problems.

Many people know that I commute to work in Tempe on the light rail. Many people also know that I frequently can be found in fine coffeehouses along the light rail during my morning and afternoon trips. But not as many know that I live in Glendale. And not just Glendale. North Glendale. The part of Glendale which the 101 runs through. But I manage to commute 66 miles round trip entirely carfree.

So how do I swap my car for Valley Metro’s buses and light rail? First of all, I’m fortunate enough to live less than 1/2 mile from a park & ride which is served by two express bus routes to downtown Phoenix. If I wasn’t within walking distance of the park & ride, I’d have to use my car to cover that part of the commute. But once I’m at the park & ride, it’s a relaxing 30 minute bus trip to Phoenix, where I connect with the light rail into Tempe. I change to a local bus at the Tempe Transportation Center for the 10 minute ride to my office. In the afternoon, I do the same thing in reverse.

Being carfree removes some freedom I would otherwise have during the day. I can’t just run a couple of errands during lunch or on the way home. Also, it requires more structure and discipline to my day in order to make sure that I get out of work on time to catch the right buses. The whole trip takes longer than driving, even if I had to drive through rush hour and the associated ugliness. But the benefit is not dealing with rush hour ugliness! I spend the whole time relaxing, instead of getting pissed at traffic and idiot drivers. I read magazines or catch up on podcasts and TV shows. I get some exercise instead of sitting in the car.

One question I don’t get asked very often is how I started taking the bus and light rail in the first place. The answer is simple: I just tried it. Even before the light rail had even been built, I just wanted to see what taking the bus in Phoenix was like. I tried it and it was good. I liked letting someone else do the driving. I liked seeing parts of the Valley I wouldn’t ordinarily see.

If you live in one of the Valley’s many suburbs and the idea of commuting via mass transit hasn’t even crossed your mind, take a look at Valley Metro’s web site to see what express bus routes are available in your area. If you want to see exactly what transit routes you would need to take to commute from home to work, try Google Maps. They’ve recently integrated all of the Valley Metro bus and light rail schedules, so you can ask Google to give you directions based on transit routes, rather than on driving. I just tried it and it was dead-on accurate in finding my usual transit route from home to work.

So give transit some consideration. You don’t have to be a downtown dweller to make a carfree commute work for you.

March had 1,161,733 boardings and surprisingly the first week of March had more than 40,000 boardings each day. The many special events along the line along with our great regular riders gave us a boost.

-METRO light rail on Facebook

Want to see what all the excitement is about? Click here to learn how to use the METRO light rail as part of your daily commute.

Police said the man was extremely intoxicated when he stumbled on the light rail platform near Central Avenue and Thomas Road, and fell head first onto the tracks. A train was heading right for him.

Many people are just now hearing about the story this week, so I thought I would post with a little update:  plans are in the works to possibly honor Matthew Brandt and Terrell Granberry with an award, and don’t be surprised if you see more of these two guys on TV in the near future!

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend, here are  ways to show the love on the lightrail with your fellow passengers:

1. Don’t rush, the next train will arrive shortly
2. Let passengers deboard before boarding
3. Be nice, give up your seat to someone who may want to sit down
4. Smile
5. Say hello
6. Don’t sit in the bike rack area if you’re not riding a bike
7. Don’t go for a free ride, purchase your fare at the kiosk
8. Offer to take a light rail newbie for a trip downtown
9. See someone who needs help?  Show them the way
10. Wave to the driver

See how the bloggers over at the Downtown Phoenix Journal are showing the love by clicking here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

-tony