Wow.. This past week was action packed for Metro and for people wanting more information about the new light rail cars. Yesterday, the trains made their first trip up Central Avenue. We were lucky to have Joy get some video of this historic trip. I think the video does a great job in giving you a feel for some of the excitement in Phoenix. Joy has been tremendous help and support at Rail Life since the begining.. Thanks Joy!

If you want to see the light rail cars in action from this mornings tests along Central Avenue, go check out The News From Downtown Phoenix. I can't wait to see the cars running full time in December! Thanks Eddie, for sharing the info.. Looking forward to the pics as well..

Oh yeah, have you seen us on Flickr?

Ok, so some of you might have to bear with me once in a while. This afternoon, my friend Michelle (the Rail Goddess) and I were taking some pics of a few of the rail stops for an upcoming project and saw this sign that said "Light Rail Sale." It just so happens that they were doing some testing of the cars along Washington and had a light rail car parked in front of the sign. We thought it was a bit ironic, you might just think we are weird. :-)  Either way, it is pretty cool to see the cars in the streets in Phoenix, Tempe and in Mesa.

We took this short video of a Light Rail car crossing the Tempe Town Lake Bridge north bound on the 4th of July. The area is shown here in a pic from a little earlier in the day. Next year, I am sure the trains will be full of people heading to the 4th of July fireworks show at the lake. This year, as always, the place was packed and parking was a nightmare for many. While the trains sat at the 3rd / Mill stop, thousands of people walked by and many took advantage of having their first look inside of the cars. I noticed how well the a/c worked inside of the cars on such a warm day. Once the train left the stop for it's journey past the Depot Cantina and over the lake, I watched several people that were very surprised to see the trains in action. It was kind of funny..

Large events like this will be a great way for people to easily access the area while using one of the eight park and ride stations. Mill Avenue throws some great parties and Light Rail will be a convenient way to get to and from the action while not having to walk so far from a good parking spot.

A lot of people wonder how the fare system will work once the light rail trains begin to run in December. Basically, a ride (bus or light rail) is going to cost most people $1.25 and an all day pass is just $2.50. There will be other options available. For instance, you can purchase a 3, 7 or a 31 day pass, the 31 day pass is just $45.00. This is probably a great option for people that live, work, or "play" along the line. One note about those who go to school near the line.. ASU students will be given a free light rail "U-Pass as part of their tuition! How cool is that?!? Light Rail will be a huge benefit for ASU students.

Ticket Vending Machines (tvm"s) will be available for purchasing your light rail pass. The fares are enforced by an "honor system" with random ticket checks aboard trains by employees. Serious folks, no cheating allowed! I understand that you can also buy your fare on line, through the mail, at transit centers etc.

I was glad to be able to shoot this short video where Gary Flunoy from Metro spoke about the subject. As we get closer to December, I am sure Metro will be giving out more information. I'll let you know if I hear anything else..