AWARD WINNING TEMPE FACILITY CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

TEMPE (October 11, 2007) – Please join us as we celebrate the newest and “greenest” facility in the Valley Metro transit system. The public is invited to view and tour the East Valley Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility at 2050 W. Rio Salado Parkway and understand more about what makes a building environmentally friendly at the grand opening on October 22.

The event begins at 9 a.m. with a breakfast and facility tours to follow at 10:30 a.m. Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman and Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross will make remarks about the features of the facility at 9:30 a.m. The facility was recently awarded the Valley Forward Association Award of Merit for Buildings and Structures because of its innovative use of recycled materials and use of local resources.

“In Tempe, we are working to create an economically, culturally and environmentally sustainable community,” said Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman. “This new facility is a tangible representation of that commitment and of our ability to work together to make that sustainable vision a reality.”

The cities of Tempe and Scottsdale, along with Valley Metro, will be celebrating this new facility that contains sustainable elements that help to protect and conserve the Earth’s natural resources. Tempe and Scottsdale are actively supporting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings in their communities.

Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross said, “I am particularly proud that Scottsdale and Tempe have supported a goal of LEED certification, and with a Gold certification submittal for the facility’s administration building it proves outstanding dedication to this effort.”

The new facility will provide and enhance future transportation services in the Valley. The 24-acre facility will house 250 buses and 600 employees and include more than 100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art maintenance, fueling, bus wash and administrative “green” space. The administration office will be submitted for LEED Gold certification and the remainder of the project will be submitted for LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Funding for the facility is a combination of Proposition 400 public transportation funds, local funds from Tempe and Scottsdale, and federal funds. The event is free to the public.

Valley Metro/RPTA is an organization of 14 local governments that provides or funds transit services to citizens in the greater Phoenix metropolitan and surrounding areas. For more information about Valley Metro public transit services, call Transit Information at (602) 253-5000; for callers with TTY (602) 261-8208; or visit the Valley Metro website at www.ValleyMetro.org. The ON THE MOVE logo designates those transportation projects approved by voters in November 2004.