In light of dwindling sales tax revenue, Tempe has been forced to scale back its public transportation service, including aspects of the service that TBAG members strongly advocated for several years ago. There are two rounds of public meetings coming up, where Tempe residents can learn about proposed changes that will take effect in July of 2010, and provide public input. Attending these meetings and providing input sends a message to Tempe’s City Council that public transportation is important, especially for people with limited mobility options. Help shape what public transportation Tempe has, by attending the meetings and voicing your opinion!

More information about the meetings is available through Tempe’s website, here.

Meeting dates:
Round 1:
Tuesday, February 23 @ 6 pm, Don Cassano Room, Tempe Transportation Center
Monday, March 1 @ 6 pm, Pyle Adult Recreation Center, 655 E. Southern Ave.

Round 2:
Monday, March 29 @ 6 pm, Pyle Adult Recreation Center
Tuesday, March 30 @ Don Cassano Room

From the Tempe Newsroom listserve:

For Immediate Release
10/6/2009

Tempe residents are encouraged to attend one of three public meetings to learn more about potential route changes to the existing Orbit neighborhood circulator and fixed route arterial bus systems. The purpose of these meetings is to gather ideas from neighbors and get input on potential route changes that may occur in January and/or July 2010.

The scope of the proposed route changes has been expanded to include the majority of the arterial bus route system in Tempe. These proposed changes are due in large part to the slowing economy. The Tempe transit system is funded primarily by a half cent sales tax, which has dramatically decreased causing Tempe to reevaluate the transit system to make it more efficient in order to reduce costs. Passengers and residents are able to comment online beginning Oct. 28. at www.tempe.gov/tim. The same information will be presented at all three meetings. Meetings will occur:

Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.
Pyle Adult Recreation Center
655 E. Southern Ave., Tempe

Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.
Tempe Transportation Center
Don Cassano Community Room
200 E. Fifth St., Tempe

Nov. 7 at 10 a.m.
Tempe Transportation Center
Don Cassano Community Room
200 E. Fifth St., Tempe

For information call (480) 350-2775 or visit www.tempe.gov/tim

Tempe to host public meetings about Orbit and bus systems

TEMPE, Ariz. – Tempe residents are encouraged to attend one of three public meetings to learn more about potential route changes to the existing Orbit neighborhood circulator and fixed route arterial bus systems. The purpose of these meetings is to gather ideas from neighbors and get input on potential route changes that may occur in January and/or July 2010.

The scope of the proposed route changes has been expanded to include the majority of the arterial bus route system in Tempe. These proposed changes are due in large part to the slowing economy. The Tempe transit system is funded primarily by a half cent sales tax, which has dramatically decreased causing Tempe to reevaluate the transit system to make it more efficient in order to reduce costs. Passengers and residents are able to comment online beginning Sept. 9. at http://www.tempe.gov/tim. The same information will be presented at all three meetings. Meetings will occur:

Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
Tempe Transportation Center
Don Cassano Community Room
200 E. Fifth St., Tempe

Sept. 12 at 10 a.m.
Tempe Transportation Center
Don Cassano Community Room
200 E. Fifth St., Tempe

Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.
Pyle Adult Recreation Center

655 E. Southern Ave., Tempe
For information call (480) 350-2775 or visit http://www.tempe.gov/tim

Shauna Warner
Neighborhood Services Director
City of Tempe
31 E. 5th Street
Tempe, AZ 85281

480-350-8883
480-350-8996 (fax)
shau...@tempe.gov

Last night the Tempe City Council voted to approve all of the proposed free shuttle routes! This includes the one down College Ave that inspired some controversy. The City Council decision will make College Ave safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as make downtown Tempe and the new light rail more accessible to the many city residents who realize that life is better when not tethered to cars.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped lobby for this decision!

As many of you know, the City of Tempe is trying to expand their free shuttle program to include College Avenue. The Tempe Bicycle Action Group thinks this is a great idea for lots of reasons – decreased traffic, more aware drivers (the shuttle drivers, that is), easy access to the light rail and downtown, opportunity for bike/bus commute combos, etc.

View TBAG’s open letter to the community explaining why it’s critical that we support Tempe’s free bus route expansions. Then read our fact sheet about the proposed routes.

A small but vocal group of cranky College Ave residents has decided that this program is a bad idea. Many of them are using cycling as a scapegoat for their opposition, which we think (based on their published comments to the city) really involves concern about the shuttles bringing in the “wrong” type of people into their neighborhood.

The final decision will be made at a city council meeting this Thursday. We need your help. The mayor and City Council strongly support this program, but need to hear from vocal cyclists and community members to counter the opponents.

This is where you can help. Please join us at the City Council meeting this Thursday, June 28th at 6 pm at the upside-down pyramid on 5th St, just East of Mill. If you would like to make a statement, that would be great. We can give you some talking points, but it’s best to just speak openly about your personal reasons for wanting the shuttle. If you’re uncomfortable speaking, please still join us. It is possible that the Council will ask the audience for a show of hands in support of the project. First round of beers to celebrate the new shuttle is on us!

Let us know if you plan to make it (m...@biketempe.org). If you do show up, wear a bicycle shirt if you have one. Carrying in your helmet’s probably not a bad idea either. Bonus points (and beer) for supportive signs.

Please spread the word and bring friends on Thursday. This may end up being a numbers game.

Please support this great program on Thursday!

Tempe Bicycle Action Group Board of Directors
Chris Crosby
Kate Darby
Stan Klonowksi
Mark Neff
Scott Nowicki

As many of you know, the City of Tempe is trying to expand their free shuttle program to include College Avenue. The Tempe Bicycle Action Group thinks this is a great idea for lots of reasons – decreased traffic, more aware drivers (the shuttle drivers, that is), easy access to the light rail and downtown, opportunity for bike/bus commute combos, etc.

View TBAG’s open letter to the community explaining why it’s critical that we support Tempe’s free bus route expansions. Then read our fact sheet about the proposed routes.

A small but vocal group of cranky College Ave residents has decided that this program is a bad idea. Many of them are using cycling as a scapegoat for their opposition, which we think (based on their published comments to the city) really involves concern about the shuttles bringing in the “wrong” type of people into their neighborhood.

The final decision will be made at a city council meeting this Thursday. We need your help. The mayor and City Council strongly support this program, but need to hear from vocal cyclists and community members to counter the opponents.

This is where you can help. Please join us at the City Council meeting this Thursday, June 28th at 6 pm at the upside-down pyramid on 5th St, just East of Mill. If you would like to make a statement, that would be great. We can give you some talking points, but it’s best to just speak openly about your personal reasons for wanting the shuttle. If you’re uncomfortable speaking, please still join us. It is possible that the Council will ask the audience for a show of hands in support of the project. First round of beers to celebrate the new shuttle is on us!

Let us know if you plan to make it (m...@biketempe.org). If you do show up, wear a bicycle shirt if you have one. Carrying in your helmet’s probably not a bad idea either. Bonus points (and beer) for supportive signs.

Please spread the word and bring friends on Thursday. This may end up being a numbers game.

Please support this great program on Thursday!

Tempe Bicycle Action Group Board of Directors
Chris Crosby
Kate Darby
Stan Klonowksi
Mark Neff

Last week, TBAG sent the following letter of support for the Neighborhood Circulator to City of Tempe Mayor Hallman and Vice-Mayor Hutson, as well as each of the city councilmembers:

Dear Mayor Hallman and Tempe City Councilmembers:

The Tempe Bicycle Action Group (biketempe.org), an organization that advocates making bicycling a prominent, safe and convenient form of transportation, strongly supports the proposed Neighborhood Circulator routes, including the one along College Avenue. The proposed routes will improve cyclist, pedestrian, child, and driver safety while improving community sustainability.

We see the College Avenue Circulator as a complement to cycling. College Avenue is already an excellent North-South bicycle route through the City of Tempe. The Circulator provides a complementary mode of transit for those who bicycle commute on College Avenue. This free and frequent bus provides a great option on those days when weather precludes cycling, or when a cyclist wants to take a day off from riding. It further promotes bicycle commuting by allowing cyclists to place their bicycles on the bus rack. For those residents who live a few miles beyond the proposed route, the Circulator may allow for a combined bicycle/bus commute.

We and other cyclists in Tempe are accustomed to riding in the bicycle lanes on College Avenue. The College Avenue Circulator will make that experience more pleasant by reducing vehicle traffic on the road and contributing to a reconception of College Avenue as a pedestrian and bicycle friendly route. Several of us live or have lived along the 5^th Street Neighborhood bus route. We have found the bus drivers to be extremely courteous to cyclists and pedestrians. The neighborhood buses, combined with traffic calming, have created a safe, walkable and bikeable environment for 5^th Street residents. We have all seen children use the bus to get to the local park, families use the bus to travel to the store, and college students use the bus to commute to ASU. We have NEVER seen college students park in the 5^th Street neighborhood to take the bus, nor have we seen children taking the bus to skip school – two concerns raised by some College Ave residents regarding the proposed circulator.

We are very concerned about the disinformation campaign that a few College Avenue residents have launched in opposition to this project. One of us lives in the College Avenue neighborhood and has seen flyers depicting ASU’s “Sparky” driving a bus that runs down cyclists. We have all received emails from concerned residents regarding the buses’ supposed negative impact on the cycling route. We believe that these concerns are unfounded, and that most of those expressing concern are not themselves cyclists. We fear that these unfounded bicycle-related concerns are being used unfairly. The emails and flyers opposing the bus route do not reflect an understanding of the current cycling environment on College Avenue. The majority of the recreational and commuter cyclists with whom we have spoken strongly support the College Avenue Circulator project.

We look forward to cycling alongside the College Avenue Neighborhood Circulator buses and we urge you to move forward with this great project.

Sincerely,

The Tempe Bicycle Action Group Board of Directors

Chris Crosby, Kate Darby, Stan Klonowski, Mark Neff, and Scott Nowicki

Public comment on the Tempe Neighborhood Circulator Expansion has been extended to June 3. Go here to contribute a comment. You can also directly contact the Mayor and Council by via this link.

Last night Tempe City Council heard resident’s opinions on the College Ave. Neighborhood Circulator program. Council has decided to postpone a decision on the issue until their June 28th meeting. Although the web-survey has closed, citizens may still contact the Mayor and Council with their feedback. If you are a cyclist and believe that the College Ave. Circulators (in combination with the planned traffic calming) will result in a street that is more bicycle friendly, we encourage you to contact the Mayor and Council with your opinion.

Tempe Mayor and City Council contact information

Tempe Bicycle Action Group strongly supports the proposed Neighborhood Circulator routes along College Avenue. The proposed routes will improve cyclist, pedestrian, child, and driver safety, but there has been a strong disinformation campaign suggesting otherwise. We need your help before April 30th! Please take Tempe’s online survey about the proposed route and express your support for this neighborhood improvement. The deadline for comments is soon.

City of Tempe’s website on the neighborhood circulators buses

Survey website

Facts about the proposed College Avenue route:
• Cyclists are accustomed to riding in the bicycle lanes on College Avenue. The proposed circulator route will make that experience safer.
• The Neighborhood Circulator will reduce overall automobile traffic. The existing circulator route on 5th Street in Tempe, the ‘Neighborhood Flash,’ provides 2,116 passenger trips per day, significantly reducing vehicular traffic along that route.
• On the existing Neighborhood Flash route, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A BUS AND BICYCLIST OR PEDESTRIAN.
• Additional public transit on College will help convert College Ave from a car dominated route to a
pedestrian and bicycle friendly route. The city is also planning a variety of traffic calming measures to lower vehicle speeds and make the street safer.
• The buses, which have bike racks, make bicycle commuting more convenient.
• The buses that will be used are considerably smaller than standard city buses and are no noisier than trucks and SUVs.
• Slower traffic and alternative forms of transportation will help kids commute safely to and from schools and parks.
• Routing the circulator through the neighborhood rather than along major arterials ensures safe and convenient transportation.
• Counter to the claims made by opponents of the proposed route, THE BUSES WILL NOT DRIVE IN THE BICYCLE LANES.
• The route will not turn College Avenue into a park & ride for ASU students. ASU students receive free bus passes which encourages use of regular transit services. Neighborhoods along the existing Neighborhood Flash route have seen no evidence of college students parking on their streets.

The existing Neighborhood Flash bus route on 5th Street, which uses the same buses as the proposed College Ave route, has had overwhelmingly positive results. The bus drivers are safe and courteous to pedestrians and cyclists, and local families regularly use the route to commute to school and parks.

Fill out Tempe’s online survey, then write emails directly to the Tempe Mayor and Council Members voicing your support of the proposed College Avenue Neighborhood Circulator. Email the Mayor and the entire Council simultaneously at http://www.tempe.gov/elected/councilcommunicator.aspx.

Remember, all comments must be received by the City of Tempe by April 30th!

TBAG “Support the Circulator” flyer