Thursday, October 29, 2009

planPHX - Big Question #2‏

IMAGINE PHOENIX IN 2050. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Go to www.phoenix.gov/planphx
and go to Events to find a Visioning Workshop during the month of November.

The Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association participates in the Encanto Village group.

Source: City of Phoenix Planning Department

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

METRO and arts venues team-up for new guide, great deals

Arts organizations celebrate with admission discounts

METRO and 39 Valley arts and culture venues are marking National Arts and Humanities Month with a new light rail destination guide and some great deals on fall arts events for the whole family.

METRO Board Chair and Phoenix Vice Mayor Tom Simplot joined Mayors Hugh Hallman and Scott Smith at the Roosevelt and Central Avenue light rail station today to unveil the new Arts and Culture Ride Guide. The three were flanked by a group of costumed performers, including a ballerina, Shakespearean actress and a dinosaur wrangler.

“The guide makes it easy to take advantage of the many incredible arts opportunities on the line, ” Simplot said, “and supporting the arts is good for the city. More than six million people visit Phoenix arts venues each year, producing millions of dollars in tax revenues and benefiting nearby businesses.”

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, a member of the METRO board, noted that arts and culture organizations are important economic drivers in the East Valley, too.

“These organizations and their patrons generate more than $82 million a year in the East Valley alone,” he said, “and support more than 1,700 jobs in restaurants, hotels and other related businesses.”

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith encouraged Valley residents to take advantage of discounts being offered by many of the venues.


“Taking your kids to the museum and to live performances are the kinds of family experiences that make great memories,” he said. “And riding the train there is half the fun.”

Eleven venues on the METRO line are celebrating the release of the guide by offering reduced admission to transit riders. A listing of special offers and a downloadable version of the Arts and Culture Ride Guide are available online at http://www.metrolightrail.org/
. The printed guide is available at visitor centers, arts venues and hotels along the light rail line.

The 33-page full-color METRO Arts and Culture Ride Guide features photos, descriptions and contact information for each venue on the line in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, along with station maps and bus connections. Getting to great entertainment is as easy as (1) choosing the venue, (2) using the guide to find the nearest light rail station and (3) buying a transit pass.

An all-day transit pass is only $3.50 for adults, half-price for children 6 to 18, and free for kids five and under. Passes are available at vending machines located at all light rail stations.

The following information on discounts and specials is approved for publication / release to the public.

Discounts offered by arts and culture venues on the METRO line

(Closest to the geographical boundaries of the Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association)

Heard Museum

Show your transit pass and get 2-for-1 admission through November 30, 2009. Pay for an adult or senior admission and receive an admission of equal or lesser value free. Valid for up to four admissions. Cannot be combined with other discount offers. Not valid during special events.

About METRO


METRO is the nonprofit, public corporation responsible for operation of the 20-mile light rail system in metro Phoenix, and for design, construction and future operation of 37 miles of possible extensions. Since opening in December 2008, METRO ridership has exceeded projections by more than 33 percent. September average weekday ridership was 53% above projections. http://www.metrolightrail.org/.

About the economic impact of the arts

Nonprofit arts and culture organizations generate $361 million in economic activity in Phoenix and $82 million in the East Valley.


Total attendance at Valley arts venues is more than 7.3 million annually

Arts organizations and their patrons generate more than $48 million in local and state tax revenues each year.


Note to reporters: Detailed information from the study “Arts and Economic Prosperity,” 2007, by Americans for the Arts, is available for both the city of Phoenix and the East Valley. For details, send an email to MMcNeil@MetroLightRail.org.

Source: Metro Light Rail

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Revised time for ArtsGuide news conference‏

What

METRO and arts venues team-up on new Ride Guide, special deals
METRO and 39 arts organizations will mark National Arts and Humanities Month with the release of a pocket-size guide to arts venues along the light rail line.

Eleven arts venues will concurrently launch special discounts for transit riders.
Two mayors and the chair of the METRO Board of Directors will speak about the importance of arts organizations to the Valley economy. Arts organizations and their patrons are responsible for $443 million in economic activity annually in Phoenix and the East Valley.


When

12:25pm New start time. (Previously scheduled for noon)
Wednesday, October 21


Where

METRO station at Roosevelt and Central Avenue

Who

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman
Mesa Mayor Scott Smith
Phoenix Vice Mayor and METRO Board Chair Tom Simplot


Info and Visuals

Information on economic impact of the arts and details on special discounts offered by arts venues will be available.

The elected officials will be joined by costumed performers featured in the Arts and Culture Ride Guide, including a ballerina, a Shakespearean actress, a puppeteer and a 65-million-year-old carnivorous dinosaur.


Source: Metro Light Rail

Monday, October 19, 2009

DISA & DATA (Highway speed limits = deaths)

Highway speed limits = deaths. In 1974 Congress set highway speed limits at 55mph; purpose was to reduce gas consumption. In 1995 states were then allowed to set their own speed limits. Researchers at the University of Illinois estimate that 12,500 more highway deaths occurred from 1995 to 2005 because of the increase in allowed speed, even when taking into consideration more cars, introduction of air bags and other car construction improvements. (N.Y. Times, 9/20/09)

Source: FS

METRO and arts venues team-up‏

What

METRO and arts venues team-up on new Ride Guide, special deals
METRO and 39 arts organizations will mark National Arts and Humanities Month with the release of a pocket-size guide to arts venues along the light rail line.

Eleven arts venues will concurrently launch special discounts for transit riders.
Two mayors and the chair of the METRO Board of Directors will speak about the importance of arts organizations to the Valley economy. Arts organizations and their patrons are responsible for $443 million in economic activity annually in Phoenix and the East Valley.

When

Noon, Wednesday, October 21

Where

METRO station at Roosevelt and Central Avenue

Who

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman
Mesa Mayor Scott Smith
Phoenix Vice Mayor and METRO Board Chair Tom Simplot

Info and Visuals

Information on economic impact of the arts and details on special discounts offered by arts venues will be available.

The elected officials will be joined by costumed performers featured in the Arts and Culture Ride Guide, including a ballerina, a Shakespearean actress, a puppeteer and a 65-million-year-old carnivorous dinosaur.

Source: Metro Light Rail

Thursday, October 8, 2009

METRO September ridership - highest month on record‏

An average of 40,000 riders per weekday used METRO light rail in September, contributing to the highest monthly ridership in METRO history.

More than one million boardings occurred in September for a total of 1,054,286 riders, creating an average weekday ridership of 40,772, average Saturday ridership of 28,612 and average Sunday and holiday ridership of 16,726.

Ridership has grown more than 170,000 boardings since August and 300,000 since the lowest point in July.

Source: Metro Light Rail

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Phoenix General Plan Update available for download

The Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association has requested the City of Phoenix Planning Department to make its presentation about the General Plan Update available online for download.

Click here to download a copy of this presentation.

FYI: It's a 4.6MB pdf.

Source: City of Phoenix

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Where does METRO REALLY begin?

What:

Where does METRO REALLY begin? Great photo opportunity tomorrow, 9 a.m.

A city official will clean a METRO light rail station. Why, you may ask? A bet.

Vice Mayors Tom Simplot (Phoenix) and Kyle Jones (Mesa) made a friendly wager back in August regarding which end-of-line station is the busiest by boardings. Through September, each city made attempts to attract more riders to their station – Montebello/19th Ave. in Phoenix and Sycamore/Main St. in Mesa. The terms: the city with the least amount of September boardings would clean the winning city’s station.

Well, boardings have been tracked…and the answer to that age-old question is in: In which city does METRO really begin? Mesa. Come see the Phoenix cleaning crew in action.

When

Friday, October 2, 2009

9 a.m.

Where

Sycamore/Main St. light rail station, Mesa; Sycamore is located just east of Dobson Rd.

Who

Phoenix Vice Mayor and METRO Board Chairman Tom Simplot

Mesa Vice Mayor and METRO Board Vice Chairman Kyle Jones

Phoenix “cleaning crew”

No formal comments will be given, but fun photos will be captured.

More

Parking available in the Sycamore park-and-ride located on the northwest corner of Main St. and Sycamore. Light rail also provides convenient access.

Source: Metro Light Rail