By Philip Haldiman
Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

Residents of the far West Valley have had a rough go at it when it comes to transit. And unfortunately, things just got a little worse.

Commuter company Super Shuttle has closed, and now that Uber and Lyft have said they will no longer provide curbside service at Sky Harbor International Airport, citizens of the outer reaches may have a harder time getting to their flights on time.

Bonnie Boyce-Wilson, board chair of Northwest Valley Connect, said transportation is already at a premium in the West Valley and the lack of ride share options will be a detriment to those in need.

Northwest Valley Connect is a nonprofit that provides transportation assistance to residents of the West Valley.

Ms. Boyce-Wilson said with a growing population base, the need for quality transportation is not going away.

Over the next 25 years, 43% of the growth in Maricopa County will occur in the West Valley, according to Western Maricopa Coalition, or Westmarc, a public-private partnership of 15 Valley communities, the business community and the educational sector in the West Valley.

West Valley residents are being left stranded, Ms. Boyce-Wilson said.

“It is very disappointing to see the limited transit options in the West Valley reducing even more while population here continues to increase at the fastest levels in the country,” she said. “It is critical that elected officials and Maricopa Association of Governments work together to make decisions for funding transit in the West Valley.”

State Rep. Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix) asked Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate whether the ride share fees, approved by the Phoenix City Council on a 7-2 vote Dec. 18, violate the state Constitution.

In the meantime, Valley Metro officials say it is too early to tell if there has been any impact on its service due to the hole in transit from the ride share and Super Shuttle exit. But it could be an opportunity for other private companies.

That’s the way Reno Navarette, vice president and general manager of Total Transit Enterprise, sees it.

The business, now owned by National Express Transit, was created in 1984 as Discount Cab. Mr. Navarette said the company began reinventing and re-branding itself in 2012 when Uber and Lyft entered the marketplace and took 70% of its business.

He said Total Transit Enterprise plans to meet with officials at Sky Harbor in the near future in hopes to receive the permitting required to provide service at the airport.

With recent restrictions on ride share services at Los Angeles International Airport and Uber pulling out of Ontario International Airport in southern California after fees were raised, Mr. Navarette said airports using ride share as a revenue source could become an ongoing trend.

“One thing is for certain — this is going to cause a lot more traffic at the airport,” Mr. Navarette said. “That in itself is a problem.”

The city of Surprise recently completed a nearly year-long transit feasibility study that considered the availability and possible expansion of traditional public transit options, such as the expansion of regional bus services, local bus service, increasing of frequency for Valley Metro Route 571 and evaluated its current ADA-paratransit services.

Surprise Transportation Planning Manager Martin Lucero said the study also considered private services as part of the available choices for the traveling public — services such as vanpools, shuttles, taxi services and transportation network company services, like Uber and Lyft.

There were more than 1,700 verified online survey responses, 81% of which were received from Surprise residents with another 10 percent from others living close by.

“As public transit services are limited in the West Valley, the public has adapted to finding different means to regional destinations. As the options identified in the Surprise transit study are implemented, choices will become more varied and available,” Mr. Lucero said.

Aside from Uber or Lyft, there are taxi, private ride share and shuttle services available in the West Valley, such as To My Surprise Shuttle and Sun City Express that provide rides to the airport.

Peoria recently filled a transit gap by launching Peoria On The Go, or POGO, a free service for its residents in the far north of the city to connect to Valley Metro routes that continue on to the airport.

However, Valley Metro routes generally only go so far as Loop 101, limiting service for most West Valley cities. Additionally, transit has long presented challenges for those with limited mobility, including seniors and those with disabilities living where Valley Metro routes either don’t exist or provide only limited access to the transit system.

About 15% of the population in Maricopa County is 65 years or older, some of whom have limited mobility, and rely on special services to fill the gaps in service, such as paratransit programs and nonprofit transportation providers, such as Northwest Valley Connect.

Surprise Councilman Roland Winters said with Uber, Lyft and Super Shuttle now off the map to Sky Harbor, it is a “double-whammy” for residents. To My Surprise offers service to the airport, but he said, since he last checked about six months ago, the service does not provide wheelchair accessible vehicles.

To My Surprise did not return requests for an interview.

Mr. Winters is wheelchair-bound, been on council since 2014, and a staunch advocate for those with disabilities.

Wheel chair accessible means all the people, not some of the people, he said.

“There is absolutely no transit in Surprise,” he said. “Our transportation study ended six months ago. It showed that residents want bus service, but if you mention sales tax, you get pelted with tomatoes.”

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.