Proposed light-rail schedule embodies simplicity

The Bus Book takes 287 pages of maps and charts to fully explain the Valley's bus system. But commuters can basically master the Metro light-rail system in four points.

The trains will run:

Every 10 minutes from sunrise to sunset on weekdays.

Every 20 minutes other times during the week.

Every 15 minutes on weekends.

From roughly 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day.

Metro planners designed the schedule with simplicity and frequency as key features to get commuters to this new type of transit in the Valley.

They wanted something so simple that commuters could know when trains will come without looking at cumbersome books and complicated maps of the 20-mile, $1.4 billion system. It's just a matter of memorizing the three changes in frequency - and knowing riders will always have short waits during the busiest times, Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said.

"So there isn't a written, printed schedule," she said. "You know you could pick up a train and you won't have to wait more than 8 or 9 minutes."

The 10-minute intervals will also represent the most frequent major transit service in the Valley. Some buses run every 15 minutes on the busiest routes or during rush hour. But many run every 30 minutes, a frequency that many commuters find too long to bother with.

In fact, 15 minutes seems to be the magic number for transit agencies across the nation. Studies show passengers are more likely to ditch their cars if they know they'll never wait longer than that.

Metro will likely bring new commuters to mass transit, much like Tempewith its Orbit neighborhood circulator system. It operates every 15 minutes.

"Because it runs so frequently, they don't have to have a schedule," Tempe spokeswoman Amanda Nelson said. "We're seeing a new group of riders."

Metro's planned 10-minute frequency through the day is unusual for similar transit systems.

Passenger use drops as much as 50 percent between rush hours, Foose said, so operators scale back frequency.

But Metro studies project much higher use in the Valley. Ridership may dip 20 or 30 percent, which Metro figured was still a high enough level to run trains every 10 minutes.

The demand will come from students who shuttle between Arizona State University's Tempe and downtown Phoenix campuses. Also, the number of restaurants and office buildings along the line will attract passengers.

Metro promises a more reliable transit time than car or bus. Because it doesn't share lanes with traffic, it should make its schedule even if its going down a gridlocked road. That should further encourage ridership, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said.

"It's not affected by congestion or accidents or rain or any of the other elements that would delay it so it's a very dependent mode of transportation," Gordon said.

Passengers should only see a few exceptions to the basic schedule. It may not run as long on some holidays, though details aren't known yet.

And they could run more often during special events, perhaps every six or seven minutes.

Metro hasn't formally adopted the schedule yet but should do that this spring, Foose said.

At the same time Metro starts operating Dec. 27, Valley Metro will alter some bus routes to better tie into it and to eliminate redundant service. That transit agency is still looking at changes and will get passenger feedback before adopting the changes, Phoenix transit spokeswoman Marie Chappel said.

While buses don't run as often as Metro will, passengers can't expect more frequent bus service to match the light-rail schedule. The slowing economy is pinching transit budgets everywhere, so cities aren't looking to expand bus service.

"To increase frequency means more money," Chappel said. "And as you know, that's not what cities have a lot of right now."