Riding The Bus Valley Metro bus service is available across Maricopa County, with over 100 different lines operating throughout the day. Of course, this does not mean bus service is an option for every employee. Some live too far from a stop or have worksites that are not easily accessible via existing routes. Also, due to the sheer size of the Valley and the traffic congestion, traveling more than about 10 miles on a local route can be time consuming. Be aware of the local bus options in your area to help employees whenever possible. If the bus is not an option, start looking to establish carpool or vanpool networks. Potential bus riders can use the Custom Trip Planner, available on the ValleyMetro.org home page, to see if the bus can work for them. Users enter their origin, destination, and time of travel and the system will provide multiple options. If the start or end point is more than ½ mile away from the nearest bus stop, the user will get a notification that no routes are available. Valley Metro also produces transit schedule books, which are available for free using an online order form. The schedule shows when each bus will leave major stops along its route. Please note that express routes and some local routes operate Monday through Friday only. Actual arrival and departure times may vary according to traffic conditions, and all information in bus schedules is subject to change. The fare structure for the bus and rail is shown below. Section 4 1 Purchasing Bus Fare Online and in-person options make bus fare purchasing simple and easy for customers. Passes are available at ValleyMetro.org and at many fare outlets across the Valley. TCs can contact Rideshare with any questions on the fare policy or to learn how to purchase passes for the company. A variety of pass options are available. The purchased bus or rail pass is not activated for the purchased time period until it is used in a bus or rail station farebox. Passes remain valid even if they are not activated for months after purchase. When the pass is activated, the farebox will automatically stamp it with an expiration date. 2 Section 4 Using a pass is as easy as can be - a passenger merely swipes it through a slot on top of the farebox. The farebox will chime, indicating a valid pass, and the passenger is ready to go. An activated pass gives its holder unlimited bus travel during its designated time period. For Light Rail use, the passenger purchases a pass at any fare vending machine, and then activates the pass on the rail platform before boarding the train. Onboard inspectors ensure that every passenger has an activated pass. Users of the Platinum Pass, a credit system used by employers providing transportation subsidies to their employees, pay their fares by tapping their cards on specially designated spots on the farebox. Interested in learning how to make Platinum Passes available to your employees? Contact Rideshare for more information! Express & RAPID Routes Riders looking for express bus routes should use the online trip planner or use the bus book to look at 3-digit routes that begin with the number “5” – Route 573, for example. Express routes generally bring passengers from suburbs into the downtown corridor, but a few connect major work centers that are not downtown. The RAPID is an express bus system run by the City of Phoenix on four freeway routes – I-10 East, I-10 West, SR-51, and I-17. These buses also bring passengers from outlying communities into downtown. All Express & RAPID schedules are available at ValleyMetro.org Section 4 3 Platinum Pass The Platinum Pass program is a great way to support your employees’ commuting efforts. Any company with good credit can enter into an agreement with the City of Phoenix to pay for employee transit fares. It’s convenient for the commuter and easy for the company. The City issues a series of plastic cards to the TC, who distributes them to company bus riders. The employees pay their fare by simply tapping their cards on the orange farebox or rail platform target…just tap…and go! Card numbers are recorded, and the company receives a comprehensive record of how much each card has been charged. Depending on the particular arrangement it has set up, the company can then use the invoice to recover some or all of the purchased fares from the employee. It is highly recommended that a TC consult with a Rideshare Rep regarding the Platinum Pass program. The rep can help the TC with the paperwork process, determining what (if any) subsidy the company will pay, and how to distribute cards and document the company’s bus riders. We strongly advise TCs to work with their payroll staffs on this process to help ensure that the City of Phoenix transit invoices are received and paid properly. 4 Section 4 Bike on Bus Valley Metro supports those who want to combine bus and bike travel for their commutes. Riders can simply mount their bikes on the bus or light rail, free of charge. Website instruction is available to help explain this process. Here are some tips on how to use the bike-on-bus racks: • Remove water bottles, bicycle pumps or other loose items before the bus arrives. • You are responsible for loading and unloading your bicycle. For safety reasons, the driver cannot leave the bus to assist you. • Load your bike as quickly as possible while other passengers are boarding. • Make sure your bike is secured properly, and become familiar with the different bike racks. When used correctly, they will safely hold your bike. If you are unable to secure your bike, please do not delay the bus. • To safeguard your bike, lock the wheels to the bike frame. Never lock your bike to the bike rack. • Let the bus operator know where you will exit. • Whenever possible, sit near the front of the bus and exit through the front door. Make sure you tell the operator you will be unloading your bike. • If no other bikes are left on the rack, please return the rack to the upright position. • Approach the bike rack from the curbside. Never step to the street side of the bus when loading or unloading your bike. • Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Section 4 5 .