Appetite for bus service in Goodyear growing
Jessica Coomes
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 23, 2007 08:04 AM

Bus service in Goodyear is more important to residents today than it was three years ago, a city survey shows.

Residents have a growing appetite for express bus service to downtown Phoenix, Dial-a-Ride service and citywide bus routes that connect to other Valley routes.

For example, this year, 81 percent of the respondents said it’s important to them to be able to catch a bus to downtown Phoenix. In 2004, that was important to 64 percent.

Gas prices have spiked since 2004, and Interstate 10 is increasingly crowded, which could explain the demand for public transportation, said Goodyear City Councilman Frank Cavalier, who also sits on the Valley Metro board of directors.

Arizona voters in 2004 approved a regional transportation plan that will bring more bus service to Goodyear, but most planned routes are still years away.

“The West Valley has accelerated in population a little faster than what was anticipated,” Valley Metro spokeswoman Susan Tierney said. “It’s not enough, soon enough.”