TRANSIT PLANNING AND OPERATIONS WORK TOGETHER IN THE PHOENIX URBAN AREA

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY-WIDE MARICOPA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (MAG) IS OUTLINED, AND THE TRANSIT SITUATION IN PHOENIX IS SUMMARIZED. IN 1970 IT WAS REALIZED THAT ACTION WAS NEEDED TO PRESERVE THE TRANSIT SERVICE AND THAT A SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WAS NEEDED IN THE URBAN AREA. THE PRESENT TRANSIT SERVICES AND USAGE PATTERNS WERE STUDIED AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALTERNATE TEST TRANSIT ROUTE WAS INVESTIGATED. THE STUDY ALSO INVESTIGATED ALTERNATE MEANS OF FINANCING, ORGANIZING AND OWNERSHIP OF THE SYSTEM. TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE HELD DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH RESULTED INSPIRED MUCH PUBLIC INTEREST. THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CITY COUNCIL ARE LISTED AND DISCUSSED IN OUTLINE. THESE ACTIONS RELATED TO FARES, ROUTING AND EFFORTS TO MERCHANDIZE TRANSIT. THE SHORT-TERM PLAN WILL BE CONTINUED AND UPDATED. THE URBAN PROGRAM WILL BE CONSTANTLY MONITORED AND THE ROUTES AND SCHEDULES ADJUSTED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM SERVICE WITH MINIMUM TAX DOLLARS. THE LONG-RANGE PLANNING PERTAINING TO TRANSIT ARE DISCUSSED. ALL PHASES OF THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROGRAM ARE BASED ON LAND USE, POPULATION DENSITY, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DATA, AND THE URBAN FORM FORECAST BY THE PLANNERS. THE ADVANCE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING TEAM (WHICH IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION ANSWERS FOR MANAGEMENT AND WHICH WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE MAG TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROGRAM) IS DESCRIBED, AND THE MEANS OF UTILIZING THE BEST EXPERTISE AND COORDINATING THE TOTAL VALLEY'S NEEDS ARE OUTLINED.