Jennifer Valentine, MAG Transportation Planner III, James Gamez, Principal Nelson\Nygaard, Suzie Birdsell, Senior Associate Nelson\Nygaard

Mayor and City Council will receive the results of the Avondale Goodyear Transit Study conducted by MAG.

Staff is seeking City Council input and direction regarding the findings of a recently completed transit study conducted by MAG and consultants from Nelson\Nygaard about the feasibility of transit expansion and enhancement in the cities of Goodyear and Avondale. (Christine McMurdy, Project Management Coordinator)

There is no immediate fiscal impact. MAG staff and the consultants will present options that have associated fiscal impacts that may require further study if the Council provides direction. 

The last transit study received by the City Council was the Southwest Valley Local Transit System Study in April 2013. The information and findings from this study were rolled into the city's Transportation Master Plan in July 2014. In November 2014, the City Council gave staff direction to commit unallocated Arizona Lottery Funds towards an extension of the Avondale Zoom Circulator that would serve a portion of central Goodyear. In October 2015, the Zoom Circulator expanded service into Goodyear from Dysart and McDowell Roads west to Litchfield Road and north to Indian School Road.

Ridership on the Zoom route in Goodyear has fluctuated over the last five years, but has also increased over this time from a low of 8,842 for the first full year of service to a high of 36,621 at the end of calendar year 2020, which included several months of service during COVID-19 lockdown. 

Transportation is not an end by itself but a platform for achieving broader community goals of mobility, equity, economic development, and healthy living. Goodyear and Avondale endeavor to provide high-quality transit services to our neighboring communities. Evaluating the feasibility of transit expansion and enhancement opportunities requires a comprehensive yet tailored approach to evaluating existing conditions, assessing markets, and understanding the needs and perceptions of the community. The Avondale-Goodyear Transit Study also provides both cities with an opportunity to review best practices and explore alternatives to fixed-route service, such as microtransit and mobility hubs. Transit can be provided in many ways, but for it to be most effective, appropriate balances must be met between service coverage and intensity. The Avondale-Goodyear area varies significantly in terms of land use and socio-economic characteristics. The data in this study is sourced from MAG, Valley Metro and local Planning departments and serves as a foundation for exploring a growing wave of consumer desire for on-demand services. Across the country, transit is evolving and not just due to the pandemic. Transit services structured closely around the needs of the rider has already been demonstrated as a success in multiple cities throughout the U.S. The Avondale Goodyear Transit Study is an opportunity to consider whether these innovations could work for Goodyear and Avondale residents.