Maricopa, AZ to Phoenix?
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greatcats
Engineer
This is not the most up to date information, but I believe you would need to arrange for a taxi in advance. A few years ago I was on that train from LA To Tucson and spoke with a man who boarded in Maricopa who had taken a taxi from Phoenix and I recall he said it cost him $75. It is a less than ideal location. Is there someone who could pick you up? Last year I was on the westbound Sunset and got off in Tucson, stayed overnight and the next day took Greyhound to Phoenix and then home to Flagstaff. There are also frequent airport shuttles that run between Tucson and Phoenix airports. Maricopa's location leaves much to be desired.
Flag on the SWC is further, but has decent connections to Phoenix via both Greyhound and the Arizona Shuttle. For those of us connecting from the East Coast, there is a certain comfort in a 7 day a week schedule also.
I have traveled to Scottsdale, AZ for meetings on two occasions. Both times I rented
a car (Hertz has a counter at the FLG station) and drove down. On my second trip,
I met up with a high school buddy who lives in Chandler, AZ and he told me the next
time I come, he will pick me up in Maricopa!! We moved our meeting sites to Denver
which is much better for me.
a car (Hertz has a counter at the FLG station) and drove down. On my second trip,
I met up with a high school buddy who lives in Chandler, AZ and he told me the next
time I come, he will pick me up in Maricopa!! We moved our meeting sites to Denver
which is much better for me.
greatcats
Engineer
Shanghai- There is no longer a Hertz counter in Flagstaff station. It was removed a few years ago. There are various other rental options in town.
My sister lives in Chandler, it isn't a bad run to MRC, but last time I went out she couldn't drive for health reasons so I did Flag and shuttle to PHX Airport - my brother in law was heading out of town on business, I met him at the terminal and took his car for the week. Going home I got a one way rental from Enterprise, they let you do a drop off a block from the FLG station, and had a drop box in the station for the keys and contract.
WoodyinNYC
Conductor
This is the case study of the value of a DAILY Sunset Ltd.
The PRIIA study in 2009 or so that looked at the Sunset (like every other every LD route) reported that efforts had been made to interest limo/van/bus operators to connect the Maricopa station, the major hotels, and the airport.
The operators already doing business at the airport were all interested -- if they could use their crews and vehicles 7 days a week. Otherwise, their equipment would sit unused 4 days a week.
Meanwhile a new station at Maricopa has been funded, largely with Arizona Dept of Highways money, to their credit, and a federal TIGER grant.
Presently, the trains using the station block the UP's main line, but a new track will be built to serve the station. And presently, to discharge and board, the Sunset Ltd has to stop two or three times to fit the very short platform, making for longer delays to the freight traffic and the passenger train. Meanwhile, the stopped train also blocks a main street/state highway, messing with the morning commuters.
So a new and better station, with a new track of its own, in a new location, with an overpass to take drivers across the tracks ...
Soon all they will need is DAILY service and then limos, vans, buses, and taxis will link exurban Maricopa with central city Phoenix and the hub airport.
The PRIAA report forecast that a DAILY Sunset would see the route's ridership double, by more than 100,000 passengers a year. I expect ridership at Maricopa (Phoenix) will triple the present levels once the service is DAILY.
iirc The funders hope that the moving and rebuilding will be done by the end of 2018. I can't see a DAILY Sunset before then, but I expect to see it a.s.a.p. after that. It will probably depend on the actual deliveries of the Nippon Sharyo bi-levels to free up some equipment.
The PRIIA study in 2009 or so that looked at the Sunset (like every other every LD route) reported that efforts had been made to interest limo/van/bus operators to connect the Maricopa station, the major hotels, and the airport.
The operators already doing business at the airport were all interested -- if they could use their crews and vehicles 7 days a week. Otherwise, their equipment would sit unused 4 days a week.
Meanwhile a new station at Maricopa has been funded, largely with Arizona Dept of Highways money, to their credit, and a federal TIGER grant.
Presently, the trains using the station block the UP's main line, but a new track will be built to serve the station. And presently, to discharge and board, the Sunset Ltd has to stop two or three times to fit the very short platform, making for longer delays to the freight traffic and the passenger train. Meanwhile, the stopped train also blocks a main street/state highway, messing with the morning commuters.
So a new and better station, with a new track of its own, in a new location, with an overpass to take drivers across the tracks ...
Soon all they will need is DAILY service and then limos, vans, buses, and taxis will link exurban Maricopa with central city Phoenix and the hub airport.
The PRIAA report forecast that a DAILY Sunset would see the route's ridership double, by more than 100,000 passengers a year. I expect ridership at Maricopa (Phoenix) will triple the present levels once the service is DAILY.
iirc The funders hope that the moving and rebuilding will be done by the end of 2018. I can't see a DAILY Sunset before then, but I expect to see it a.s.a.p. after that. It will probably depend on the actual deliveries of the Nippon Sharyo bi-levels to free up some equipment.
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crabby_appleton1950
OBS Chief
Is Uber an option?
calwatch
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2010
- Messages
- 428
Maricopa Shuttle was charging $65 for a trip between Marciopa and the airport: http://maricopashuttle.com/
Generally, if you're coming from the east and don't have a ride, it's actually more favorable to exit in Tucson and take Greyhound to Phoenix - the Greyhound leaves Tucson for Phoenix fairly regularly and the streetcar connects the two stations, or you could get a ride service car pretty cheap.
Generally, if you're coming from the east and don't have a ride, it's actually more favorable to exit in Tucson and take Greyhound to Phoenix - the Greyhound leaves Tucson for Phoenix fairly regularly and the streetcar connects the two stations, or you could get a ride service car pretty cheap.
justinslot
Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 25, 2014
- Messages
- 169
Some thoughts on this topic:
When I've had to go to Phoenix over the past few years (as I have had to do for business reasons) I have taken the SWC to Flagstaff and then gotten a hotel for the night before taking Arizona Shuttle the next day. Looking at Arizona Shuttle's schedule, the last shuttle leaves at 8 PM and the earliest shuttle leaves at 2 AM. Since the station closes at 10:30 PM and reopens at 3 AM this seems to be the best option, unless I want to hang around outside the station on one of the benches until 2, which is less than ideal, from my perspective. As greatcats notes there is no longer a Hertz desk at the Flagstaff station, and there are no open car rental places (that I'm aware of) when the SWC arrives. (Also, I have learned from doing the Flagstaff to Phoenix drive and also driving to Park City from Salt Lake City that I am completely uncomfortable with driving in the mountains, particularly downhill with mountain on one side and steep drops on the other. I mean I'm from New Jersey...aside from the northwest corner of the state all our highest elevations are landfills.)
But now I'm wondering if overall if there is reliable taxi service from Maricopa to Phoenix if that's not the better option, if the cab is only $75 or so. AZ Shuttle is $45 between Flagstaff and Phoenix--for $30 or so more I'll be buying the convenience of not having to wait around for a shuttle, or spending a night in Flagstaff (which is a fun little town, but too college kiddy for me.) Drawback: the Texas Eagle takes significantly longer to get to Arizona than the SWC (the Eagle is the one that has a long, long, practically overnight stop in San Antonio, right?) (I travel from the east, if this isn't obvious.)
When I've had to go to Phoenix over the past few years (as I have had to do for business reasons) I have taken the SWC to Flagstaff and then gotten a hotel for the night before taking Arizona Shuttle the next day. Looking at Arizona Shuttle's schedule, the last shuttle leaves at 8 PM and the earliest shuttle leaves at 2 AM. Since the station closes at 10:30 PM and reopens at 3 AM this seems to be the best option, unless I want to hang around outside the station on one of the benches until 2, which is less than ideal, from my perspective. As greatcats notes there is no longer a Hertz desk at the Flagstaff station, and there are no open car rental places (that I'm aware of) when the SWC arrives. (Also, I have learned from doing the Flagstaff to Phoenix drive and also driving to Park City from Salt Lake City that I am completely uncomfortable with driving in the mountains, particularly downhill with mountain on one side and steep drops on the other. I mean I'm from New Jersey...aside from the northwest corner of the state all our highest elevations are landfills.)
But now I'm wondering if overall if there is reliable taxi service from Maricopa to Phoenix if that's not the better option, if the cab is only $75 or so. AZ Shuttle is $45 between Flagstaff and Phoenix--for $30 or so more I'll be buying the convenience of not having to wait around for a shuttle, or spending a night in Flagstaff (which is a fun little town, but too college kiddy for me.) Drawback: the Texas Eagle takes significantly longer to get to Arizona than the SWC (the Eagle is the one that has a long, long, practically overnight stop in San Antonio, right?) (I travel from the east, if this isn't obvious.)
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2016
- Messages
- 2
I did Uber and it worked great. $35 Maricopa to Scottsdale.
I completed my Texas Eagle trip Chicago to Maricopa. There were taxis at the station but I did the Uber thing. Worked out swell - paid $41.25 for a 40 mile trip. The trip was very long so I switched my return to the Flagstaff to Chicago route (Southwest Chief?). The Arizona Shuttle will take me from the Phoenix airport to the Flagstaff Amtrak station for $43!
Less tension with a 7 day a week train also.
greatcats
Engineer
Glad to hear you made it to Maricopa OK. I am a big fan of Uber. I would come down to Flagstaff station and meet you if you were on the westbound, but I tend to be in bed at the eastbound time. B
That shuttle is a fairly recent development. Maricopa did not have any Amtrak bookable transportation to Phoenix for many years, including 2016 when this whole thread is from prior to your post.
Not existing in 2016 is likely the reason no one mentioned it then.
and you are correct, it wasn't available back when the thread ran
west point
Engineer
47 miles ? Had no idea the stop and PHX were that far apart. Learn something new every day. Thruway bus 1:30 ==== UGH !
My sister lives in Chandler, which is at the Southern end of the Phoenix Metroplex, almost 30m to MRC and the Airport is towards the middle. Its around 15 miles to the airport from her house, so it makes sense to me....
If that shuttle bus existed when I was at ASU, I probably would have actually used it. Instead I didn't have a car and had no way to get to Maricopa so I wound up just flying everywhere instead. At one point when I was there, Maricopa had some sort of commuter bus but it was timed for business hours and wasn't feasible for Amtrak purposes.
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