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Valley Metro Scores Big With Multiple Events; Extensive Planning Effort Pays Off

The city of Phoenix hosted several large-scale, high-profile sporting events and festivals during the first weekend in April, and Valley Metro was at the heart of the action as it served an estimated 220,000 riders over three days—a 68 percent increase compared to an average weekend, with a peak of 131 percent more riders on Sunday alone.

The weekend lineup included the NCAA Final Four Fan Fest and Tournament, March Madness Music Festival, Arizona Diamondbacks home opener, Phoenix Suns game, Phoenix Pride Festival and Tempe Festival of the Arts. The events were located along the light rail system.

“Serving more than 220,000 riders over the weekend for the Final Four events and numerous local festivities demonstrates the vibrancy that transit brings to our communities,” said Scott Smith, Valley Metro chief executive officer. “The success of our system and its role in supporting the local economy is a reflection of our dedicated staff and their commitment to providing quality service every day of the year.”

The agency put on a full court press, deploying more than 350 front-line staff, called MVPs, to ensure passengers experienced safe and efficient rides.

Staff on duty included more than 75 rail operators and supervisors; 70 light rail vehicle, platform and system maintenance technicians; 45 fare inspectors in partnership with TSA specialists, Phoenix Police Transit Enforcement Unit and K9 teams; 40 bus operators and supervisors; 42 customer service representatives and 75 ambassadors.

Valley Metro also operated special bus service to the stadium, clocking an estimated 3,200 boardings over three days.


Planning Makes Perfect
Previous experience with hosting the 2015 Super Bowl and the 2016 College Football Championship laid the groundwork for successful implementation of Valley Metro Rail service during the Final Four and other events, agency officials said.
Smith said the Phoenix region invested in light rail with these types of activities in mind, and the success of the weekend demonstrated just how much the system contributes to the regional economy and overall quality of life.

Riders lined up to take Valley Metro’s light rail to the NCAA Final Four, one of several events in Phoenix during a three-day period.
Photo courtesy of Valley Metro


The extensive, highly detailed planning, which required months of preparation, involved leadership from operations, security and communications to orchestrate the process of serving many simultaneous large-scale events along the light rail line.

Several factors were key to Valley Metro’s success: maximizing the operations staff based on scheduled events, using existing resources most effectively, incorporating field support (from vehicle technicians to cleaners) and creating a proactive rail vehicle preventive maintenance schedule. Agency officials also added special event trains to the schedule, timed to support events’ egress and keep passengers moving.

Valley Metro also focused on integrating communications outreach across departments and with other agencies.
As for ensuring passenger and system safety for all three days, the agency added safety and security teams and integrated their efforts with law enforcement support from local, federal and out-of-state agencies.

In addition, Valley Metro expanded its customer service schedule to meet late evening demand and dozens of agency employees dedicated their time at key stations to guide visitors and first-time riders, adding to a welcoming experience for riders.

 
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