If decreasing ridership on Public Transit is any metric of success, former Mesa mayor Scott Smith, now President/CEO of Valley Metro is in the hot-spot as a featured guest at this morning's 07:30 a.m. study session for a 44-page presentation.
He resigned as mayor four years to run an unsuccessful campaign for governor, and was subsequently hired by Valley Metro after the previous President/CEO was forced to resign. The Valley Metro RPTA and Valley Metro Board unanimously approved a two-year extension of his employment contract for an additional two years to continue his role as CEO into 2020.
This morning the Mesa City Council and the public will see how he 'rolls' when this item is up on the study session session's agenda
Valley Metro: Driving the FutureA QUALITY OF LIFE REPORT A Decade of Bringing People Together Through A Seamless Transportation System
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Seamless?
To some people that might be a big stretch of the imagination for a regional transportation network.
There are "gaps" in the network and in the system, including how to connect what they call "first-mile and last-mile" that might be solved by managing 2-wheeled "micro-mobility" and "hail-a-ride" options [that include autonomous robo-vehicles years off-into-the-future.
It's scheduled for opening soon in May 2019.
That could be a success story of sorts in the presentation on pages 16-19.
It's not until nearly the finish of the 44-page presentation aimed to discuss rapid transit that we see the outline for
Anti-Light Rail Initiative [Page 42]
- City of Phoenix – not regional:
- Terminates funding for light rail/fixed rail
- Election on Aug. 27, 2019
- Directs Phoenix to pursue regional funds
- Could limit Phoenix’s role in regional planning
- Rejects federal and regional funding for rail
- ~$3.5B could be re-directed to other cities
- Puts future transportation plans at risk
Valley Metro:
Driving the Future
Mesa City Council March 7, 2019
Page 5: Building Community + Enhancing Lives
A QUALITY OF LIFE REPORT
A Decade of Bringing People Together Through A Seamless Transportation System
- 35,000+ jobs have been created within one-half mile of light rail since 2008 [Page 8]
- 2,200+ new workforce and affordable housing uinits [Page 9}
- Economic Investment [Page 10]
Encore On First, Mesa
El Rancho del Arte
La Mesita
Gilbert Road Extension Opening May 2019] Pages 16-19]
PAGE 31:
TRANSIT RIDERSHIP HAS DECREASED 2014-2018 72,137,268 > 66,784,213
RIDERSHIP IMPACT > [Page 32]
Ridership Impacts
• National trend related to:
• Job growth • Inexpensive gas
• Ride-hailing, bike/scooter-share, carpooling
• Suburban sprawl
• Increase in car ownership
Autonmous Technology
The Future of Mobility……..
Ultimately, individual car ownership will give way to having a mobility app on your phone, where an automobile is but one mode available.
A wealthy commuter might order a driverless Uber Black to take her to the office in solitude.
A regular Joe could hail a robo-shuttle that gets him to the subway just before his train departs for the city center, where he’ll hop a pre-booked e-scooter to carry him the last mile to work.
A regular Joe could hail a robo-shuttle that gets him to the subway just before his train departs for the city center, where he’ll hop a pre-booked e-scooter to carry him the last mile to work.
This is the ideal future of mobility for a city.
LINK to the Presentation
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-- Kersten Heineke, McKinsey & Co. Transportation Specialist
__________________________________________________________________________________LINK to the Presentation
| File #: | 19-0234 |
| Type: | Presentation | Status: | Agenda Ready |
| In control: | City Council Study Session |
| On agenda: | 3/7/2019 |
| Title: | Hear a presentation and discuss Valley Metro regional transit services, including bus, rail, and paratransit in Mesa. |
| Attachments: | 1. Presentation |
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