New Phoenix Bus Route on 32nd Street Begins Next Week

The first bus service expansion related to Transportation 2050 (T2050) begins Monday, April 25 with the start of a new route - Route 32 (32nd Street).

The route connects Camelback High School to the north with the light rail/PHX Sky Train station at 44th and Washington streets.

“This new route addresses a major need in an area of the city and District 8 where public transit is an important path to economic opportunity,” said Vice Mayor Kate Gallego. “I’m excited that residents in these communities, which include a large concentration of the city’s refugee community, will now have more direct  access to work, school, stores and cultural and entertainment options.”

Since 2011, 32nd Street between Camelback Road and Roosevelt Street has been serviced by Route 10. Route 32 was chosen as the first new bus route to implement under T2050 after residents in the area expressed a need to have bus service on 32nd Street with a light rail connection to the south at Washington Street.

Bus service on 19th Avenue is also improving starting Monday. The weekday, off-peak frequency of Route 19 (19th Ave.) bus service increases to every 15-minutes between Jefferson Street and Union Hills Drive. Currently, this route has 12 minute peak and 24 minute off-peak frequency, and with the recent opening of the Northwest light rail between Montebello and Dunlap avenues, this increase in frequency aids transfers between bus and rail along the corridor.

Also, due to the new Route 32 two other routes will have changes:

• Route 1 (Washington/Jefferson streets) will no longer enter Central Station; passengers can now board this bus at the existing bus stop on Van Buren, just east of Central Ave. near the Chase Bank building.
• Route 10 (Roosevelt Street) used to service 32nd Street north of Roosevelt Street, but with the addition of the new route on 32nd Street, Route 10 begins at Central Station and ends at Roosevelt and 32nd streets.

This is the first of many T2050 transit improvements in the plan’s first year. Through May 20, Phoenix and Valley Metro are soliciting public feedback on proposed service hour expansions and route frequency improvements that will start in October if approved by the Citizens Transportation Commission and Phoenix City Council.