Transportation
Transit Ridership Remains Strong Despite Economic Downturn
A public transit lifestyle is finally taking hold in the Valley as an increasing number of people discover its advantages. The Arizona Republic reports a growing number of Valley bus and rail passengers despite the economic downturn. Strong bus ridership has been accompanied the past three years by increasing light rail ridership. In fact, a recent Valley Metro survey found that more young people are using public transit, especially light rail. Monthly light rail ridership consistently shows a dip during the summer months when there are less Arizona State University students and tourists in town, but overall ridership has remained strong during the three years since service began.
Arizona’s Transportation
“Gas prices may have driven people to transit in the first place, but they stayed because they found the other benefits of riding.
”Art Guzzetti, The American Public Transportation Association Vice President for Policy, in The Arizona Republic, January 27, 2012.
Well-planned, properly maintained transportation infrastructure is critical to growth at the local, regional, and state level. Good transportation systems form an extensive connective tissue that supports social and economic networks alike. Furthermore, public and commercial use of transit options has far reaching implications for quality of life, trade, and the environment.
This section contains sustainable transportation indicators ranging from travel time to bus ridership and economic transportation indicators such as international flights and truck containers crossing the Arizona-Mexico border.
Travel Time Index
Estimated Number of Alternate Fueled Vehicles
Number of Passengers Deplaned at Sky Harbor International Airport
