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I didn’t know about the affordable housing component! I hope we are able to see living on the beltline becoming more accessible to all income levels :)

I once biked the Arizona Canal to the Arizona Falls from near the Metrocenter Mall. But, I nearly wiped out in one of the underpasses going back west. Blame the steep ramps that dip under the roadway.

Travelling solo one time I picked up a roomette for about half price on a trip between Chicago and Minneapolis with a Bidup, which was worth it IMO. Was very nice to have the station lounge to relax in while waiting on a delayed train instead of the wooden benches of the lobby, and being able to lay down once aboard as we would be subsequently travelling into the wee hours. First Class also allows for the meals to be delivered to the room if desired instead of having to go to the dining car and share a table, although the attendant appeared less than thrilled by my request for that service.

I remember if you wanted to get on the I-10 West to California, you had to drive down to 35th Avenue and McDowell Rd. I - 10 hadn't been started yet. I remember also going down to the tunnel during the opening of the tunnel and walked around. It was massive. I also remember I-60 ending at Power Rd. There were two lanes that just dead ended into about 8 cement barriers and just dirt and desert beyond. It was a very long drive out there. I always said back in the 90s that they should get that bus terminal going. It wasnt a secret to me. Ive always known about it.

Excellent podcast and interview with one of my planning friends. Indeed, South Korea and Japan have excellent transit connections everywhere, both urban and rural.

Social media only makes degenerates famous

I participated in Week Without Driving last year for the first time and it went so well that it convinced me that I really didn’t need my car. I got rid of it by the end of 2023. I’m excited to participate again this year/week!

It seems like this plan got...bus-ted up 😥

My son works for ADOT, and has worked maintenance in the tunnel--he has told me the actual situation with the buses. The entry ramps onto the freeway from the bus station are too short to safely reach freeway speed (the entry ramps entered the left lane--"fast lane"). The bus drivers' union would not allow the buses to use the entry ramps because of this. Because the build was already complete, the ramps could not be changed, so the bus idea was given up.

At least Tempe is doing it in some areas (College Avenue, around the ASU campus).

Which canal trail intersection is this at?

It should be turned into Phx version of the Seattle underground .

I've often thought it could be used for the HOV lanes so another general-use lane can be added to the freeway each way in the tunnel. An actual bus or rail station there would be preferable, of course.

ruclips.net/video/sSeTPCIzJKY/видео.html I wish they did more along the area from 19th avenue to Tempe Park instead of more dumping places.

Out in Peoria, a lot of suburban developments, both residential and commercial, that are along the rivers in the city, have good connections to the city’s river trail network. Back when I was living in the Desert Harbor area, I used to use that to go to my local gym. The only issue along the way was the Skunk Creek Trail connection to 83rd Ave, where your only choices to go south along 83rd from there are to ride the wrong way on the sidewalk (I’m not sure if it’s illegal in Peoria, but it definitely has its safety issues), take a significant detour to the next signalized intersection north of the trailhead, or take a left turn across traffic from the parking lot. Granted, commuting along the trail is difficult if you’re not working within city limits due to how far away it is from downtown Phoenix, though it’s reasonable to connect to the light rail nowadays with the Metrocenter extension opening earlier this year. The Arizona Canal Trail, which runs close to all the new stations and 19th Ave/Dunlap, connects to the city’s river trail network at 75th Ave by Bell Rd, though it’s a pretty long ride.

I loooove how cities and other municipalities carelessly blow tax dollars with such abandon and just go "oops" when it ends up sputtering out. San Francisco's Powell Street BART station has a tunnel that has been walled off for as long as the system has been in existence. I once saw an opening and how the tunnel bends south. I think it would have been for the Yerba Buena area. I think it was used in the filming of THX-1138, but now, it just sits and sits and sits. These cities should be held accountable for this waste and stop just being so dismissive and/or flippant about waste-assing our hard-earned money.

The solar covered canal is a great concept! I use the canal to go to Old Town fairly regularly!

I would love to see more lighting along the arizona canal so it feels safer to use, especially in the winter when it gets dark so early. Also rezoning so more businesses can open along the canal, shout-out to O.H.S.O. for proving there is demand.

Ducks mentioned 🗣️

Light rail or Boring Company!

The insane height of the 1973 plan was supposed to try to minimize disruption on the ground. The idea was that they wouldn’t need to demolish all that many homes between interchanges.

Really like your channel. Recognize much of your local Phoenix shots and I share your optimism for the future, even though the city is a retrofit for this style of living. One thing that we have in our favor is our footprint to allow the development.

There are also intersections in the suburban parts of valley which have leading pedestrian intervals set up. I don’t know of any others, though there is a smaller signalized intersection in Peoria, a mile south of the P83 area, with it. It’s the intersection of Ludlow Drive at 83rd Avenue. If you’re crossing 83rd Ave, you get a leading walk signal. I’m not sure about what happens if you’re going along 83rd Ave, as I haven’t really walked along 83rd Ave, and Peoria tends to have the bad habit of forcing people to press beg buttons to cross a signalized intersections (though they’re less consistent about it than other far-flung suburbs, as there are a few intersections along Thunderbird Rd with guaranteed walk signals for people going along Thunderbird, and a few other intersections along other main roads with similar treatment).

Love the footage of the Grand Canyon area. This makes me want to do a day or weekend trip in the winter!

Anticars are the most obnoxious people. Get a real problem

All the buses came from Edelweiss beer garden

Being born and raised here I’d really enjoy having that terminal for events there! They should finish the job.

Great overview! ...I was cracking up with the comment "fist bumping the grim reaper" -- too real of a comment in Phoenix! I love how NYC has a website for showing this key safety feature. It would be amazing to see intersections that have smart people-detecting, pedestrian- and cyclist-prioritizing technology that includes leading pedestrian intervals at all lights throughout the metro!

1st street and jefferson in downtown phoenix! the grocery store is right there and has so much foot traffic. cars will try to take a left as quickly as they can before pedestrians have a chance to walk!

This still makes me laugh! “I told you, Jake!”

Cool AZ history. Thanks.

Thank you very much. As a non car driver, I appreciate your video. I have to admit I went to Grand Canyon twice with my friends. They drove. I did think about taking Amtrak from LA n transfer Grand Canyon rail. I chicken out. I thought Grand Canyon rail went to Flagstaff. I could be wrong. I can tell you went in Winter by seeing all the snow. My other friend n I almost went to Grand Canyon right after Xmas. We stopped at Williams. My friend was struggling at snow road. One lady from local area helped us. She said if my friend could not even handle this snow situation in Williams, my friend would have had tough time reaching Grand Canyon. She advised us not to go. We agreed n found a hotel. Lots of tourists did the same thing. My point is will the shuttle services work well during the snow. During the winter, does taking trains make more sense. I fully support transit service in national parks. Ok, I don't drive. However, it's good to preserve park. A lot national parks already have transit services. What we need is the transfer shuttle. Amtrak keeps saying taking Amtrak to get to national parks. I know it's tough, but 8f Amtrak says so, it better be doable without cars. Many Amtrak to national parks still require last miles transportation. I know you can get to Yosemite, Crater lake, Acadia, n Grand Canyon with bus, rail, shuttle services from Amtrak stations, but not many others. I would take Amtrak more if there are more public transportation access, but I just hate to see take Amtrak to national parks false ad. Thank you for your video.

The more TOD gets built in place of low-density suburbia, the better. Housing and transportation are inherently linked, not only to each other and to the environment, but also to community and individual well-being. I've been following TODGod's Bay Area series for a while now, particularly of interest to me as a Bay Area transplant, and it's super exciting to see all the station area plans that places served by Bart, Caltrain, and VTA have in the works. You might still be SOL if you're trying to get wine drunk (why are two of the best winery towns in the Bay Area Los Gatos and Livermore, neither of which are served by rail?? FFS) but they've got tens of thousands of housing units in mixed-use, high-density, station-adjacent developments, most especially in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose. My native San Diego has also poured a ton of resources into building housing along the downtown MTS corridor, which has led to downtown San Diego becoming an actual thriving city with community and nightlife and stuff, only within the last couple of decades. Seeing the same thing happening even in Phoenix is a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

Good review, I always wondered what one of those rooms was like!

I'm in a roomette, for the first time, tomorrow. Found out I'm in a transition/dorm car. Have you traveled in that car before? I'm reading mixed reviews on it. Some say customers in that car are forgotten with no attendant, no coffee, no turn down. Other reviews say an attendant will help if they have time. I feel like I'll be in the abyss haha.

I still miss the dining car desserts. they were so yummy!

Great start! I hope you continue to dig into what makes TOD most successful in the U.S.: not relying on transit for daily needs, including employment. Housing needs to be as diverse as the employment & employment quality sufficient that employees can live within walking distance of their employer. By disconnecting reliance on transit for a fundamental part of living in a capitalist society, we can improve people’s quality of life & time efficiency. And since you use ValleyMetro trains AND buses, you know what I’m talking about!

Nice to see where 12 news got their idea.

All Interstates should come with Interstate rail lines running at 125 MPH or higher like Brightine is doing to connect Las Vegas and Los Angeles... Next stop, Phoenix?

Oooh a new urbanist youtube channel.

No

Nice initiative here. Much more to be said especially around the roles of public and private investments and how community involvement could be improved if this were better understood. I do like your example from Denver. Keep up the good work.

Love seeing all the TOD examples around Phoenix!

Another awesome video!!!

4:29 felt this, the only time I see my neighbors is in their cars when they leave for work or come back.

Watching this from the airport. Go, Jamie!

This is amazing ! Super helpful info, thanks for doing this.

I would love to see BRT in the Phoenix Area! We have so many corridors that could be excellent BRT candidates. And I hope along with future BRT lines, we can add smart traffic signals that both prioritize transit and pedestrians, but also use sensors and technology to quickly change lights, minimizing downtime and create a psychological feeling that they are not negatively impacting drivers (which tends to be a complaint from drivers) -- something we desperately need at Light Rail grade crossings in Phoenix.

I'm glad the neighborhoods fought against as much as they could. Too many neighborhoods get torn apart for highways!

Woah, thanks for sharing. GO JAMIE!