We have lived in the Valley long before the Phoenix light rail was installed. Since then, we have used the service to attend concerts, ball games, the Tempe Arts Festival, and more, until we tried to use it on the 4th of July last year. It was a disaster!! The light rail no longer took us to the regular venues we have visited but dumped us off .8 miles from Chase Field. We were then supposed to cross an intersection twice and wait for another train. We waited in the heat until we just decided to walk to Chase Field. By the time we arrived, we were hot, thirsty, and miserable, and a train never passed by us, so one never came. Finding the train to return home was equally a huge pain! So we hadn't used the light rail again until yesterday to get to Chase Field on the 4th of July. We thought Valley Metro might have fixed this transportation catastrophe. They did not. In fact, it was worse! Valley Metro claims we could "enjoy the 8-minute walk" to Chase Field. Once again, no second train came, so we walked .8 miles in the blazing heat for 20 minutes (I checked my GPS to get an accurate distance and time)!! When trying to return home, we had to walk back to Central and had no idea which train would take us back. Valley Metro has ruined what originally was a good transportation option to downtown, but no longer. If anyone is elderly, has a disability, health issues, or trouble walking, avoid this mess! If you drive, take an Uber or a taxi, or even ride a horse, you will be happier if you need to go to an event downtown. Valley Metro should be ashamed of what they have done to what used to be good transportation. read more

METRO light rail - Public Transportation Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I always think it's so cool that AZ has a public transit system like this. We recently rode the Light Rail to attend a graduation ceremony at Mountain America Stadium, and we were so grateful we did! ASU actually recommended using public transit in order to keep traffic and parking issues to a minimum ... but we didn't see a big influx in folks on the Light Rail! Service was prompt and fast, and it was easy to get from Downtown Mesa to the Stadium in about 20 minutes. Thankfully, the AC was on full blast, which we were thankful for, and the car we rode in was relatively clean. Aside from the transit itself, I feel that the app/purchasing system could use some upgrades. Our party loaded up their app with $30 to purchase tickets for everyone in our group who was attending graduation, but came to find out as we were about to board the train that you can only use the app to purchase the account holder's ticket. There are also no refunds once that money is in the app, which was upsetting to learn for the purchasers who live out of state. We stood in line at the stop to buy tickets the old-fashioned way, and it all worked out that night ... however I don't think it makes much sense that you cannot purchase tickets for others in the app, and wanted to voice those thoughts here in the hopes that changes can be made to better serve Light Rail riders. read more

The worse public transit system the rail will wait about 20 minutes at one stop for no reason consistently and the operators will drive the rail especially slow as well the workers themselves will each tell you something different in regards to payment the most un reliable transit system read more

Had to change trains to get from Chase Field to Central Ave and Camelback Rd going West. 1st train going out of service. Closest Metro stop on Central Ave and Washington was closed. Had to walk to Van Buren. So confusing. No communication anywhere. Well at least the Dbacks won read more

I tried to love the new South Phoenix light rail took a chance and ride to work instead of driving, I am always on time but the rail is either too early and I miss the rail or too late therefore arriving to work late. Metro please do better and try to be more dependable. read more

I don't understand why so many people whine about the light rail having bums etc. You people need to get off your high horse! There are homeless people everywhere. Be grateful we have a rail system in Phoenix. It's better than the ones I've seen in other cities. (I've seen rats in Philadelphia and trash in New York) I like the one in Phoenix. I take it all the time to work and it sure beats the traffic. I think it's a nicely designed rail transport that is equipped with bike racks. If it weren't for the ligh rail, it would have cost me $30 bucks for a taxi to go to the airport. Thank you Metro Light Rail! read more

METRO light rail - On my way to work! - Public Transportation Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Chronicles of Gnar-Gnar: The characters from The Chronicles of Narnia ride around on the Phoenix Light Rail and try to score meth or spice. But, to be fair-- the METRO light rail gets two and 1/2 stars for existing. Day-to-day experiences range from terrifying to not that bad. read more

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We decided to try leaving a car at business and ride the light rail to 44th so to save parking fees at airport! While trying to hurry and get ride pass before train showed up multiple people trying to use credit cards would not work ! Finally a local showed up and showed us you have to put your card in backwards with chip out (no picture or instructions showing this) need to fix that since most would not try that read more

Moved to Phoenix 2 years ago from Portland, OR. As someone who doesn't have a car and has to depend on this light rail to get to work, I would not recommending every depending on the train. The schedules are always extremely inconsistent. For instance, this is the third time in a week I've shown up to my platform right on time, but refresh the schedule and see the time I saw when I left my apartment, has now changed to 7 minutes later. Phoenix is HOT guys... 7 minutes in the shade during a 102° day means I'm still out here sweating balls. Hate that I need this dumb train... read more

Fast, cheap and convenient public transportation around the Phoenix area. There is a stop for the airport and we took the light rail both upon our arrival and return. It passes through all of the main streets and main attractions of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa and more. I did see a few strange (mainly drunk) characters, but I am from NYC and used to such things. read more

METRO light rail - Public Transportation Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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1st time riding the light rail. Surprised my kids and we took the light rail downtown to a Diamondbacks game, compliments of Camp Soaring Eagle. Arrived in the park and ride lot and a nice worker helped us purchase our tickets and we boarded the rail. Come to find out he was the driver, he was so friendly to everyone. He really enjoys his job, as we traveled from Mesa, I watched him wave to oncoming buses and patrons standing at the stops.It was a full ride as so many were headed downtown. Only irritating part is the people that scan your tickets, don't stay on the entire ride and we had to have our tickets scanned 3 times by 3 different people. Our ride back was a little more interested. It was Saturday night at 11pm, what was I expecting! I told my kids to stay together and hang onto their belongings as it was a little scary riding back with some free entertainment. The young man with the really loud boom box playing rap music, which I didn't mind, it was enjoyable, but as he exited a drunk man entered and he had many people laughing as he was way over intoxicated and singing and swearing, it was wild! It was manly males on the ride back, some sleeping, mostly alone. But overall a great affordable experience to travel across the city. read more

I ride this thing 5 days a week. 1. Slow! REALLY slow. 2. Very hard to use the kiosks. 3. The route it takes is totally ghetto-they did this on purpose-they are areas that "need economic help" 4. There are not enough Park n Rides, and some of them are SCARY! 5. The bus connections are not synched. 6. They cut some very useful bus lines in order to force people to use the light rail instead. 7. The method of checking tickets is old fashioned, badly flawed, and seriously ANNOYING. 8. The hours that it runs are stupid. 9. It doesn't really help congestion, since a huge percentage of the riders are former bus riders...see number 6. 10. The "shade" provided is artistic. And useless. Sadly, I was sooo excited when it was first proposed. Why does it start at a ridiculous place in Mesa, then travel on the worst street in Tempe, then down the least traveled street in Phoenix then end at what is basically a dead mall? Pathetic. :( read more

I do not have a lot of public transportation experience so take this review for what it is worth as I've only ridden a few times... but my experience has always been good. Just so you know where I am coming from I've ridden rail systems in Boston, Philly, Phoenix, and Germany. I would venture to guess that anyone from a city with a well established public rail system (Boston MBTA, DC Metro, NYC Subways, Chicago L & METRA, Bay's BART, etc) will think that the PHX lightrail is a joke. And to be honest in a way it probably is. However, I would say that it is not all that bad! Phoenix is a huge SPRAWLING city. Just for comparison, NYC is 468 sq miles and Phoenix is 517sq miles (not including suburbs on either). Take into consider population density and you will see that Phoenix drops way-way-way down the list. What this essentially means for the rail system is that less people live close to the rail/subway than in other cities (comparison, NYC has a population density of 27,779 people per square mile versus Phoenix at 2,797. Yes, NYC is 10x more dense). So to have a rail, any rail, that works, to me, is a feat worth mentioning. Sure, it could be better, but for what obstacles it must overcome to work it has done very well in my opinion. To put things in even better perspective... in many of the big metro-rail cities... a lot of people solely rely on the rail for transportation. Here in Phoenix I would guess that a higher proportion of people have cars. So people are voluntarily riding here. Furthermore, Phoenix is hot as hell in the summer - so those of us riding voluntarily are waiting for the train in the heat (which I truly think that most Phoenicians are absolutely addicted to their A/C). Not so much in other cities. The train always seems clean to me. In general, I don't see bums or people masturbating on the cars. The cars are always on time despite having to drive in traffic instead of underground or on suspended rails like other cities. I mean, I'm not sure what people who vote this system down for? Do you want Phoenix to spend vast amounts of money to bring the train to your suburb where it would only pick up 3 people a day because everyone is in their personal car (again, it is my belief that most Phoenicians will not tolerate waiting for a rail car while standing in the heat). The only thing I wish that the rail had was later hours, at least on the weekends... or maybe a more direct route to the airport. read more

I read very negative reviews of this system from 2009 to 2011, but suddenly they all got positive. I wonder what Yelp is doing with the reviews... or did the light rail suddenly 'get better' all on its own. Here's an honest, sober review from someone with a lot of experience taking public transport all over the world. Light rail, like most public transportation in America, is a waste of time and money and provides 'services' only to the homeless. I've ridden light rail/trams and metros throughout the world, from Poland to Tokyo to the NYC subway to other cities in America, like San Jose, San Diego, and Seattle. A stop near the airport is actually pretty convenient (although there's no reason it couldn't stop AT the airport instead of near it). So you can get to Chase field pretty cheaply and quickly from the airport, as I did to catch the DBacks. The ride was smooth, although through a very ghetto part of town. However, what really ruins it are the large amount of vagrants who are actually quite menacing. Phoenix has a lot more homeless than I thought it would and the light rail is their mobile air conditioning shelter. There are rarely inspectors as far as I can see... this system really makes it worse. I would be afraid and ashamed to take my wife and children on this thing. Thank god for Uber. read more

METRO light rail - at the airport stop - Public Transportation Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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After much anticipation, the light rail finally opened for business in December of 2008. I eagerly waiting on pins and needles for this. See, after I moved out here, I got hooked on the Rapid shuttle bus system. It was glorious! I was able to get to work in less time (and gas money) then if I were to have driven. The same rule applies to the light rail. Its a much easier commute for me versus driving. But, sometimes I wonder what other people really expect the light rail to do for them. I wanted to list the pros and cons of the light rail so people can adaquately adjust thier expectations and understand what they are getting into. Pros: A) The cost of the light rail is relatively cheap. $2.50 a day, or $45 a month, you are getting a rock solid deal. Think about how much gas you use in your car. I doubt its less then what light rail charges. B) The light rail is clean! I have yet to see a dirty train! Well air conditioned as well. C) The train is not going to be faster then your car speedwise. I've seen a few reviews where people have said that they could have driven faster then the train. Well, duh! Your car is going to be faster then the train. It makes frequent stops, and doesnt go as fast as your car does. Please plan accordingly. You will need to leave earlier due to waiting for the train, riding and walking to your destination. D) If you see something wacko on the train, call 911. Or valley metro. seriously. Cons: I can't think of any at the moment. Anyways, point is, I ride it to work twice a day M-F. It saves me gas money, and mostly a very expensive parking bill for working downtown. Please, ride the light rail, and enjoy! read more

I only wish I could travel to the East Coast. I'm a Phoenix native. So I can't compare this to NY. However, I've taken the bus and I can honestly say the buses suck balls. I prefer the light rail because the clientele is a step up from the bus's. Once I treated my husband to a ride downtown so we could eat and a really stinky person boarded and thankfully got off after a long 10 minutes. PROS: Affordable, clean, safe, efficient, free parking at the Park and Rides. Sweeps by attractions in Tempe and downtown Phoenix. If you flew into PHX and stayed downtown, you wouldn't need to rent a car. CONS: It should have been built above the street. Cars and people sometimes get hit. Needs to extend through downtown Mesa, then turn south to Chandler Mall. On the other side needs to extend over to the Cardinals Stadium. Hours need to be extended to cut down on drunk driving and for people who work graveyard. read more

METRO light rail - Public Transportation Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I love the Light Rail.I grew up in NY and I hate the transit system we have here for the fifth largest city in America. I take the light rail when I go Downtown or anywhere nearby. You can not beat the light rail especially for a D-Backs game. If you are going to a baseball game it dumps you off right at the stadium. I also take it for the Symphony, First Fridays, and any event I have in Phx. No expensive parking garage fees needed. It is an experience. Free entertainment and people watching for sure. If you are seeing a concert at the old America West Arena, AKA, the stadium that changes it's name too frequently for Mary to remember what it is today, the Light Rail will be free with your paid ticket. ( or at least it is as of the writing of this review. So if you are reading this much after 2018 please double check on that because they used to do the baseball stadium and then they stopped) I am patiently awaiting the Light Rail to continue to Westgate and the Cardinal's Stadium. ( I do know the name of that one today it is State Farm arena-hahahaha) I work there part time and employees have a huge Rigaramo with parking and just getting to and from work. The Light Rail would be a blessing in and out of the stadium, increase work turnover rates, and of course be great for fans too. It now takes over an hour to get out of there. read more

The worst transportation in the world. Vote to have a lifted train. There's accidents on the rail the train can't move.. methheads block the rail bc it's on the street the train can't move. You have to stop at every red light. Some operators barely even go the speed limit. You pay to be late for your job when you leave super early because their busses decode it's a good day to not show up. Wtf do we pay taxes for here read more

I would like to give this service 0 stars but unfortunately Yelp does not allow such things. So 1 star it is! The monorail almost got me a bench warrant in the city of Phoenix. How? Okay I'm from New York, we have TURNSTILES, you swipe your Metrocard THEN you enter. This system has nothing! Wait...It has 1 machine in the only area where you can choose to tap your card if you want to. Otherwise, you board without a card and risk the Phoenix police issuing you a ticket in court the following week. I was here on vacation, luckily no ticket for me or I would have been an outlaw in this city. Ugh!! read more

It's a smooth ride. It sometimes eliminates the need to transfer buses and the waiting that entails. It runs frequently and it runs early until late, beyond Valley Metro bus service. Still it's pretty slow and I think the money could have been better used to extend and increase route service throughout the valley. read more

METRO light rail - Washington Street Stop - Public Transportation Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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In a perfect world, this would expand to everywhere I need to go, smokers would adhere to the signage and not light up on platforms, and drunks would be forced to ride in a designated area. However, since none of those are possible.... I will say... -- Budget cuts suck big time. There is no way around that. Sometimes I question motives and the actual intention of public meetings but overall, I cannot complain. I mean, I remember the day when this did not exist and those days sucked far worse. So, I'm a happier-than-I-used-to-be camper. -- Smokers. I do not smoke and have horrible asthma. It just frustrates me to no end how they cannot honor the purpose of the signage and not do so on the platforms. When I'm sitting down, waiting for the next train, and someone that smokes comes and sits so close to me I have to move, I get sad. It is not that I do not understand the driving nature behind an addiction (I've been told smoking has this component to it), it is just that I do not wish to be subjected to it as a bystander. -- Drunks. Oh I am incredibly thankful they are riding and not driving -- do not get me wrong. Though, I have had multiple issues with them. So much so that I was nearly assaulted as was an oler man, with a cane, who attempted to come to my aid. Because of this, I know sit as close to the driver (or emergency button) as possible. Generally on the front train. This advice was givin to me via a police officer after I explained the not-so-happy situations that have potentially happened. The most frustrating aspect somet days is the lack of seating on some platforms (dang, they fill up fast!). But I love light rail and it's ease of use. read more

I ride regularly. It's a lightrail and cheap. It saves me 60 miles a day driving. Is it pleasant? About half the time. The unhoused people usually do have tickets. So don't assume they are cheating the system. I've seen more average looking people not have tickets and refuse to get off the train. Where else can they move around the city for 2 dollars? Use the app or phone number to report security issues. They always show up within 1 or 2 stops. Fair warning, always check the seat before sitting. Maintenence isn't as good as security. The other day a person wet himself and I reported it. 45 minutes later I had to get off and no one had showed to clean it. I've seen people drop sodas, coffees and eat. Dude, I would not eat while touching the seats and poles without washing my hands. People with strollers taking up the whole aisle or the bikes and scooters. There are racks which few use. I've seen a few unhoused with carts but the entitled people with bikes and scooters taking up multiple seats and not using the racks happens every ride. I guess if look like your employeed or a student you get a pass. For 2 dollars a day and less for ASU students, the entitlement should be expected, right? Make people uncomfortable because your unhoused and we need to kick you off the train! read more

You know I'm a seasoned veteran when it comes to public transit having lived in Denver, Seattle, San Diego, San Bernardino Diego, San Bernardino Bernardino county, and occasionally visiting parts of Los Angeles county to visit a friend/ kill time. With that being said, there really isn't a whole lot that surprises me, and I'm fully aware of the kind of people that you will encounter because ANYONE can use the transit system if they have valid ticket/ fare. However, the light rail can be a relentless merry go round of cat n' mouse due to people riding with no tickets and dodging security. I would honestly like to encourage people-especially if you're a woman to carry mace or taser due to the high volume of intoxicated individuals who'll pick fights ANY reason whether it be you brush off unwanted sexual advances, aggressive panhandling, demanding to use your phone, or whatever the case might be. I'm just waiting for the day that some buffoon ends up on the internet getting beat up because they picked a fight with the wrong person. I had an encounter with a drunk man at the 7th ave& camelback station where a man came up to me with his pants unzipped and was showing me his genitalia while mumbling something that I was unable to comprehend. read more

Great way to get to Suns games! All public transportation has its pros and cons, but honestly we felt safe the whole time. If you have your Suns tickets (ours were on our phones) you can ride for free! Saving time and money on parking downtown. The Camelback park and ride is really nice! read more

It's not a system on the scale of NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, etc. but it does the job for the areas it serves. We stayed downtown and were able to take it to the Heard Museum area and back so that worked. It's easy to use but I'd imagine it could get packed since the trains aren't too huge. read more

"Exit to lef" Every time I hear this, I'm thinking, "There's a t at the end of left! A t for God sakes"! Then I calm down and fixate on the homeless man rubbing his feet. While I'm glad I don't have to rely on public transportation to get work (I walk actually), I LOVE having it in my hood. I've taken it to the movies, to get a haircut and to the movies and to get a haircut. OK. So I haven't used it that much. Trains arrive, it seems, in 10 to 15 minute intervals. Trains are (so far) extremely clean. I miss the advertising however, like in NYC. I want posters about STD's and community colleges. Gimme something to look at. Besides the homeless man's toes. read more

I take the light rail daily to get from my place in downtown Phoenix to ASU. As far as public transportation goes this is pretty good. For the most part the trains come in predictable 10 minute intervals. I've only experience an extended wait once. I have waited 40 minutes in -5 degree weather for a T in Boston. 20 minutes is nothing to me. Having disruptions in service along the way goes with the territory of public transportation. Heck, it goes with any sort of transportation. To complain that it is loud is just silly...it's a TRAIN! I find it to be incredibly quiet when compared to the subway in NY or the T in Boston. Its not some rickety old high speed line or glorified trolley car. Time wise and location wise its very convenient for me. It takes me the same exact amount of time to get to campus as it would if I drove and it saves me $600 a year in a parking permit I can take it to any number of local establishments, enjoy Happy Hour in Tempe without having to worry about a DD, and get myself to Chase Field in the summer when its too hot to walk. (I live close enough where driving there is just plain dumb, but the 20 minute walk in 110 degrees is too much) Which brings me to my next point, don't smoke crack. Well not that, (but seriously, don't smoke crack) but I fully intend on using it in the summer. I can endure standing outside for 10 minutes....if I can endure waiting for the T in a Boston winter, 10 minutes in a Phoenix summer is nothing. (And this will be my 3rd summer here so spare me the "you don't know the summer" lecture). The 11pm end time does kind of suck, but it was 12 in Boston so its not terribly shocking for me. It means you may have to take a cab home. Of course livery regulation leaves much to be desired in this city but that is a different review entirely. Now, I do think they could start to sell advertising inside, both for revenue and to give me something to look at. I do wish the route maps were in better locations throughout the cars. Placing them only in the middle means a large number of people (oh, like the entire rest of the car...) can't see them. I also think the hand rails are awkwardly shaped. The bike racks drive me nuts but I understand their purpose. But all in all I think it's a good start. I'm happy to have it- I find it easy to use, clean, quiet and it gets me to where I want to go. I would like some wifi for when I'm working on my laptop but hey, I'll take what I can get. read more

What a easy way to get downtown from Mesa. Yes there are lots of stops but usually it's just fun to people watch or listen to music while your traveling. The train is clean and the tickets are cheap. You do have to buy tickets because they do have people checking tickets. I have used the train about 50 times to meet my husband for dinner or to eat out with friend but I never had a problem until about a month ago. My husband and I both took the train to see Fluffy the comedian and riding downtown was a piece of cake. Coming home about 11pm we found a seat right away, but about 3 rows behind us was a guy sleeping. about 40 minutes into our ride. He woke up and was screaming at everyone about using a cell phone and was hitting the door and punching the wall. I was really scared. He made a racial comment to a man who was standing at the door when he got off the train. I was trying to call 911 on my cell, but he saw me using my phone and started to yell at me. I think someone must have push the button for help or called because security got on the train when this jerk got off. I would have to say, I haven't been on the train since but I don't think I would worry about using the train during the day or early evening. It was about midnight when we took the train back to Mesa. You do have to wear a mask on the train. It is posted on the doors. read more

Today, Hubby and I rode from Jefferson and 12th St. (the stop closest to our house) to Mill Ave. and 3rd St. in Tempe to check out the Metro Rail and have lunch at Rula Bula. Christ Almighty, it was crowded. Both ways we waited for the next train because there was no room on the first one. There was really no room on the second one either, but it was squish or not bother going. I can also see that there will need to be some training of Valley passengers regarding rail etiquette: 1. Give the people getting OFF the cars a freaking second to do so before barrelling in. 2. Don't sit on the floor of the car. Not only are you more likely to get stepped on (especially if the conductor sucks, and the one on the return trip had a lead foot), but you are also taking up 2-3 times the space of someone standing. 3. Wear deodorant, people. 4. There's no need for you to stand on the edge of the platform and crane to see the cars coming. It will not make the Metro Rail come any faster. 5. Be considerate of others, and maybe not rap loudly about "it's yo' birf-day, so I'm a-gonna kill you," on a crowded rail car. Now, I do have high hopes for the Metro Rail, and Hubby and I already have plans to use it again this week- but we'll be waiting until the free days are over. Full? I hope it will be. Crazy, chaotic, and dangerous? We hope that will not be the case regularly. There were many people around us who admitted they were riding it with no destination at all, just back and forth, up and down. Wish I had that much free time. read more

The light rail has become a big part of my life. I moved into a place specifically for it's proximity to the Thomas/Central station. I go to ASU and have ridden it every day this week, here's why: 1. It's free, because I'm an ASU student 2. It makes the walk at 6:30am in the dark seem kinda cool 3. I enjoy sitting and not driving 4. I finished a book with just my metro reading time 5. I get some much needed "me" time 6. I never have to deal with ASU's parking EVER AGAIN Thanks light rail for keeping me sane and helping save me money until my goddamn FAFSA check comes in the mail. I'm taking off a star because you don't run late enough to take back from work. I know you're thinking "jesus, it sounds like this girl's life sucks hard core". Yeah, it really does. read more

I love riding the light rail and dining at establishments that don't allow firearms. Why? Because I'm liberal scum. Facetious political banter aside, I think that the light rail is a great addition to Phoenix. Not everyone is able to take advantage of it due to its limited proximity, but she's still but a pup and will expand in due time over the years. As it is now, the light rail has really been a major help to me and very convenient. I've taken it downtown many, many times, have used it to hit up the swap meet (that was awesome), go to a baseball game and dine out at places I ordinarily couldn't make it to as a bike commuter. I remember when it was brand spanking new, everyone on there was riding it for the sheer spectacle of it. Now, though, drunken lunatics feel welcome aboard. They're not all that common, they're not in that majority, but if you ride the light rail enough, you will see your handful of raving, yelling-at-the-moon type maniacs. For me, it adds character. I hope to see it branch out in the years that come. read more

I am so thankful for METRO light rail because it allows my student to travel to and fro school. Now that the Security Team briefed us on how to report incidents and how to stay as safe as possible, I have more confidence in this service. My son has done a fair bit of reporting at his station, and the police have been pretty responsive. We are observing more security presence and are truly grateful. It is a pity that so many do not follow the posted regulations. They ruin it for the rest of the riders who want a peaceful and safe ride. read more

When I was in Phoenix, I didn't rent a car. Luckily, my conference-meeting was in the downtown area, which is not far from my (Lexington) hotel on N Central Ave. There is one specific shuttle that will take me to the Valley-Metro Rail line and that shuttle, which runs every 10-15 minutes, takes me to E Washington St. and 44th Ave where I can take the Valley Metro Rail line to my hotel, which also operates every 10-15 minutes. And if you're lazy (like me), that same street car also takes you to ASU, Phoenix Convention Center, Chase Field and American Airline Arena. The ride from the airport to the downtown Financial district area, the sports-venues and my hotel takes 20 minutes and the fare is $1.75. Since I was there for two days, I bought a three-day pass for $10.50. The pass gives me access to all the Valley Metro Transit systems for my two day stay. The buses and streetcars are clean with "strong and powerful" air-conditioning. Many of the drivers and passengers are really friendly and helpful by giving me UFC tips about the city of Phoenix. Despite being a bareface tourist, I do feel welcomed and the "love" from the city of Phoenix. read more

I have trust issues. I have as far back as I can remember. When I first read about the light rail coming all those years ago and everyone was hyping it like it was the 2nd coming, I didn't buy it. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I have always been a firm believer in the "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" mentality. Even after I moved to midtown from N Scottsdale specifically for the downtown community combined with the light rail just a short while ago, I still wasn't sure it was going to work out. A nice idea, but just may not take. (I have issues, I know : ) ) But then came Wednesday night. Wednesday night consisted of a little mini happy hour followed by the Suns game. At that was it. Trust issues out the freakin' window the light rail is the shit!!!!!!! I couldn't believe what a geek I turned into. I felt like a 6 year old at Disneyworld for the first time. I finally understood what all the fuss was about. The cars are clean, comfy, and everyone else on there is just as geeked out as you are! And I can't explain the incredible feeling of knowing that my car was nowhere in my general vicinity. I wasn't going to be stuck in my parking structure for 40 minutes after the game. I wasn't going to be followed the entire way home by Sherriff Joe's personal motorcycle stalkers. And it felt really freaking good. To all the skeptics out there like me, give it up. Don't waste your time. Just surrender to the inevitability that the light rail truly is a driving force behind the resurgence of the valley. You'll be glad you did. Go find your own version of Disneyworld... : ) read more

No, I don't want to take the bus to get to the train. In my opinion, they didn't go far enough for people who live in Phoenix. It may be a good solution for Tempe and Mesa residents commuting to Phoenix, but it isn't effective for Phoenicians who want to get from the north valley into CenPho. read more

I love the light rail. I mean, LOVE, the light rail. First off, it takes me less than 2 minutes to drive to the nearest stop.. 44th and Washington... and when weather permits, I can easily ride a bike there... Second, it takes me to all of the best places. George and Dragon, Fez, Clarendon, Portland's, Fate, Sens, Amsterdam's, The Embassy, Robert and Bacon's apartment... etc etc etc. Third, on NYE I was able to take the light rail from my apartment to all of the places I wanted to go, and didn't run the risk of having to drive drunk or spend $20 each way on a cab ride. I have been on the trains in both Boston and New York and it feels pretty equitable to me. Obviously it is way cleaner, and I hope that the nightly steam cleanings each car will get helps keep it that way. It has been really busy because it's free, of course, but I really hope that people take the time to give LR a chance. I think it is a really good step in the right direction for us. At the very least, I am excited for it!! read more

I have to settle on two stars for the light rail, having now experienced it for over a month about 4-5 times a week. This is despite the fact that it's become a fairly convenient part of my daily routine and regular life in Phoenix, since I live 2 blocks from one of the stations. I like the system and am glad it's here, but it has to improve before I give it more than a mediocre/average 2. The downsides: 1. It's slow and will never for any reason ever save me time over driving my car, unless I'm catching some event or football game at ASU given the extra time to find parking and walk. 2. The irrational, illogical decision to stop running at 11 pm even though it starts running at 4:40 am. This makes no sense at all. The 4:40 start is to catch our early service employees who need to get to work early and I get that. But Metro chooses to serve them while ignoring the late night service crowd, which simultaneously cuts out the late night *consumer* crowd. So it's a double whammy for the local economy: late night workers are shut out, and consumers are forced to leave our local businesses by 10:45. Some will choose not to go out at all since they'd have to either come home early or drink and drive. This hurts our local businesses, and consequently our city and state tax base. The upsides: 1. It takes me about 15 seconds to purchase a rail pass at the machines, now that I'm used to them. 2. The station locations are great and were chosen well. The Mill Avenue stop is perfect. The ASU stop can take me from home to the Tempe Improv and back. Same goes for the Sun Devil Stadium stop once football season starts. Most of the Central Ave stops feature either convenient shopping stuff for downtown residents, or nightlife for suburban visitors. There's a stop right in front of Lux for pete's sake! And another at Indian Steele Park (if you're a jogger) or George and Dragon (if you're a beer-drinking slob). One Friday night I'd driven to George to meet friends, had one too many, took the train home, and picked my car up Saturday morning by hopping right back on the train. Perfecto. 3. I've used the train to get from home to Sky Harbor airport twice now. It's awesome. From my front door to the terminal, it is no longer possible to get me there faster than by the train-shuttle system. I refuse to count freebie rides from friends who pick me up, because the friends I have are all perenially late and make me wait. (You know who you are you loveable bastards). To go back home, I just step out onto the curb of the terminal, the shuttle arrives within minutes (I haven't waited more than 4 or 5), it shoots up the road to the 44th St station, and 10 minutes later I'm at home. If you ride it often enough, you'll start to get to know the enforcement officers. Most of them are pretty friendly. All in all, Metro gets my thumbs up but it's a work in progress and I want to see improvements. read more

First ride on the light rail and nowhere to go. I have absolutely no need for this thing, but I wanted to try it anyway. So, one evening in downtown my friend and I decided to see what kinda shenanigans we could find. Positive #1. Crazy people. God do I love crazy people. A lovely lady sang Marvin Gay's "Let's Get it On" word for word to another passenger. She even reached out and touched him as she belted "lovin' you could never be wrong." I'm not sure if he liked it because he wasn't smiling on the outside, but I sure loved it. Positive #2. While riding I spotted some fun looking lights. I ended up on the grass looking up at Sky Bloom in some downtown Phoenix park. It was a nice little surprise. Positive#3. Super clean and air conditioned. It's nothing special, but it's not gross or smelly. Negative #1. I have a dream, a dream where I can stumble out of the bar at 2am and ride the light rail all the way home. In my dream the light rail actually takes me places, places I want or need to be. For now it's just a novelty- like, hey look at me! I'm a big city, I have a light rail, wawawewoo, king of castle, bla bla bla. Someday I will not have to drive everywhere, someday. read more

Yeah, I saw someones ass hanging out of their basketball shorts (must have been laundry day cuz he didn't have any underwear on), but that's part of the adventure. I hate driving downtown (ok, I hate driving in general) so this alternative is a dream come true. The carts were clean and we didn't have to wait long for one to ever come by. We didn't have any problems and it stopped for a light maybe 3 times from the end of the track in Mesa to downtown and back. We got on and off about 3 times and we never saw anyone checking tickets even when it was packed and standing room only. I can't wait until this thing runs until 2 am next month so we can check out some more places downtown and in central Phoenix. read more

We used to live within walking distance of the light rail and loved using it, it was so convenient! We use it a lot less now, but still use it when we can. My main complaint is timing, it is not the most frequent of trains, but that is mostly due to the market. It is incredibly cheap compared to most cities' public transportation and you can get an all day pass or a one ride ticket. It is a great way to get around the downtown, Tempe, and Mesa area. It is not the most extensive system by any means, but it will get you to a lot of the major hotspots, including the airport. I give it 4 because of the timing and occasionally the cleanliness. My 2 year old absolutely loves it and it can be a fun and convenient way to get around. Even on the busiest of days it is a great way to get around, we have never had an issue. read more