The Phoenix Public Transit Department unveiled a new Park-and-Ride bus stop for commuters in south Phoenix Saturday, touting it as a quick and convenient new route for those traveling into downtown.
The new Rapid route will be available starting Monday.
“It is a fast, convenient, comfortable option to leave your car here, and take an easy route downtown,” said Maria Hyatt, director of the city’s transit department.
A ceremony was held at the site on 24th Street and Baseline Road where city staff and community members spoke about the importance of transit, and rode the new Rapid bus on its route.
The new line will allow commuters to make several stops downtown along Washington Street, providing access to major business centers as well as court buildings.
The new Park-and-Ride facility has 205 parking spots, all covered by canopies with solar panels to produce renewable energy and provide shade.
Hyatt said this stop would be a safe option for commuters, with security guards to be staffed in the morning and evening during peak hours.
District 8 Councilwoman Kate Gallego said she hopes this new facility will help take more cars off the streets, which would further the city’s commitment to being sustainable.
“This is one of the more popular spots in the city, but with popularity comes traffic and pollution, and hopefully this will address some of those issues,” Gallego said.
Artist Mary Lucking was commissioned to build a sculpture that doubled as seating and as a shade structure at the new site. The piece, her third Park-and-Ride shade structure, is titled “Nothing But Flowers.”
“With this project we now have another award winning art structure in south Phoenix,” said Donna Reiner, chair of the Arts and Culture Commission. “As we move into a new transit investment, we are looking forward to continuing providing art for transit, so it’s more than just a seat.”
This is the fourth in a series of six Park-and-Rides that were funded by Transit 2000, a voter-approved 0.40 percent sales tax.
Related: City council decides to give public the power to vote on new public transit plan
On August 25 Phoenix voters will have the opportunity to vote on an increase on this pre-existing tax, raising it to 0.70 percent. The higher tax would help expand the bus grid in southern Phoenix and provide $2 billion in street maintenance, in addition to funding existing projects.
“People have enjoyed the success we’ve had, and hopefully they want to see more,” Gallego said. “That is an opportunity coming up in August.”
If the funding is not approved in August, future projects making it easier for commuters to come downtown could be “significantly delayed” or “couldn’t be implemented at all,” said Matthew Heil, a spokesman for the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department.
Contact the reporter at Jzbuntin@asu.edu.
