A shuttle train will be operated from Phoenix Union Station to Mesa City Center with intermediate stops at a park and ride lot built on state land near Alma School Road in Mesa, the Tempe Amtrak station, Sky Harbor Airport/Allied Signal and at Civic Plaza/America West Arena (see diagram on page 3.)
15 round trips per day are proposed, leaving Mesa every hour on the hour from 6:00AM to 9:00PM, and Phoenix every hour on the half-hour from 6:30AM to 9:30PM. Service hours may be reduced on certain days. Because trip time is about 25 minutes from one end to the other, only one trainset is needed to provide hourly service.
To expand the market area further it is proposed to operate a system of shuttle buses feeding directly to and from the train. Examples of these routes would be: Union Station to the State Capitol area and North Central Ave.; Civic Plaza/Arena to Arizona Center; Sky Harbor/Allied Signal to Sky Harbor Airport, Sky Harbor Center, and possibly Maricopa Medical Center; the Mesa Alma School Station to Fiesta Mall and Tri-City Mall; and the Mesa City Center station to downtown Mesa, and the timed transfer stop for Mesa Sunrunner at the Mesa Senior Center. Additional feeder buses may be operated, particularly during weekday peak hours. In addition, existing transit routes can be rerouted wherever possible to serve the stations during this time period.
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