Phoenix unveils changes to bus routes

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Public Transportation Department is notifying riders of big changes to City of Phoenix funded Valley Metro bus routes.

Approximately 11 routes are being changed as part of an effort to better serve passengers and make the system more efficient, according to Kini Knudson, deputy public transit director for the City of Phoenix.

“We look at trends like ridership and try to figure out where service demand is and where it’s not, and we try to reallocate our bus routes and our service to get as much ridership as possible,” Knudson said.

The route changes, which went into effect on Jan. 27, are listed below:

• Route 3 — Van Buren Street will have weekday frequency increased to every 30 minutes west of 75th Avenue.

• Route 7 — 7th Street will be extended on the north end to Deer Valley Road and will connect with Route 19-19th Avenue. The route will be shortened on the south end to eliminate service on Dobbins Road (see Route 16).

• Route 10 — Roosevelt/Lower Buckeye will be extended to 75th Avenue on Lower Buckeye Road.

• Route 12 — 12th Street will have the south end of the route modified to end at 12th Street and Jefferson Street with a connection to the light rail station at 12th Street. The route will no longer travel to the Central Station Transit Center.

• Route 16 — 16th Street will be extended to serve Dobbins Road from 7th Street to Central Avenue. The segment on 7th Street from Dobbins Road to Baseline Road will be eliminated.

• Routes 17 and 17A — McDowell Road will be consolidated. Weekday frequency will increase to every 30 minutes west of 75th Avenue. The service on 83rd Avenue will be eliminated.

• Route 19 — 19th Avenue will no longer service the State Capitol area and Deer Valley Road. All trips north of Deer Valley Road will remain on 19th Avenue. Frequency will be increased to every 12 minutes between Jefferson Street and Union Hills Drive. Frequency will decrease to every 24 minutes on the north and south ends of the route.

• Route 45 — Broadway Road will be modified to end at 19th Avenue on Broadway Road and the turnaround loop to Southern Avenue will be eliminated.

• Route 50 — Camelback Road will have peak frequency increased to every 10 minutes between 67th Avenue and 44th Street. Peak frequency will decrease to every 20 minutes on the west end of the route.

• Route 51 — 51st Avenue will be extended to Lower Buckeye Road on 51st Avenue.

• Route 70 — Glendale Avenue/24th Street will no longer service the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Rental Car Center. Riders can use Route 13 to access the Airport Rental Car Center.

• Route 156 — Chandler Boulevard will have several morning trips added to the service.

For more information on bus service changes visit the Valley Metro website.