Word’s out: Greenway Road has slick, new bus route
By Audrie Garrison
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 24, 2007 01:02 PM

Mike Lofgren sat on the side of a busy intersection Monday morning, waiting in the heat for the bus to pick him up to take him to work.

But that was an improvement to his normal routine, he said. Lofgren was waiting for the new Greenway Road route of the city bus to pick him up, which will cut his commute to work from a 45-minute walk along the highway to a five-minute ride in a new, air-conditioned bus.

Monday marked the first day for changes for the city bus system, including the Greenway route, extended routes and new vehicles. While the bus was relatively empty in its first hours of operation, Lofgren said he is sure it will catch on once more people know about it.

“It’s really hot,” he said. “And I know a lot of people that walk down Greenway all the time.”

Greenway’s Route 154 actually was the most demanded addition to the system, said Julie Eidson, a manager for Valley Metro.

Richard Anderson, a driver on the morning route, said he expects the route to be popular once word gets out.

“It hasn’t been overly populated yet, but it will be,” Anderson said.

Anderson said the route goes past two high schools, Horizon High School and Greenway High School, which will attract a lot of riders.

“This street has needed a route for a long time,” said Anderson, who lives in the area. “Things are changing. They’re getting better.”

Fifteen-year-old Phoenix residents Michael Aanenson and Michael Mariscal rode the Greenway route on its first day from 32nd Street to Scottsdale Road. They said the route cut about 15 minutes off their weekly trip to the driving range at Cracker Jax Family Fun and Sports Park.

Aanenson said he will probably continue to use the route and thinks other people will too.

“It’s a lot faster,” he said. “You don’t have to switch buses.”

The Valley Metro changes this week cut Aanenson and Mariscal’s commute down from a three-bus trip to a two-bus trip.

“(The new routes) are a lot nicer,” Mariscal said. “It’s more convenient.”