I got screwed because I was going to Paradise Valley to a party and now that the 44 bus won't operate I can't go there.
Riders stranded by Phoenix bus strike
Whitney M. Woodworth, The Republic | azcentral.com 12:08 p.m. MST January 8, 2016
Halted bus service left riders stranded and stressed Friday morning across central Phoenix after a transit strike shut down dozens of routes.
Bus drivers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 rejected a contract offer from transit company TransDev on Thursday night, and the strike took effect just after midnight.
The strike threatened 34 bus routes in Phoenix and some surrounding cities. At the Ed Pastor Transit Center on Central Avenue and Broadway Road, all but one of the six routes were shut down. The normally bustling center was empty, save for a few stranded, confused riders.
Justine Noiach of Phoenix searched for alternate routes on her smart phone in a panic. She had to get to work, she said, adding that she hadn't known about the strike. A few minutes later, a car stopped and she rushed over to it.
"Some people knew about the strike, but they were not quite sure of what to expect because the strike was announced so late," said Kevin Tang, a representative of the city of Phoenix.
He said the city was working on gathering drivers to fill in on some routes, like the busy Central Avenue 0 bus, but that service will still be sparse.
Riders on a budget were forced to choose between calling a cab or an Uber driver or walking, biking or asking a relative or friend for a ride.
Johnny Lopez of Phoenix waited for the Central Avenue bus. He needed to report to work near 47th Avenue and Buckeye Road.
"I'll have to ride my bike or call somebody if it doesn't come," he said.
Ten minutes later, a fill-in bus rumbled up and stopped for the anxious riders.
Cecilia Islas takes the Rapid bus to downtown Phoenix and was also unsure of what to do if the strike shut down her usual route.
Nearly 80,000 riders use the affected routes each weekday, including about half of the students at Phoenix Unified School Districts.
According to district spokesman Craig Pletenik, school officials texted and called 27,000 households Monday evening and warned them of the looming strike.
"I waited for the Roeser bus, but it didn't show up," Torres said. "I don't know what I'm going to do."
Sometimes a missed or late bus can cause on-the-job problems.
"When the bus is late or doesn't come, you have to call your job and tell them you're going to be late," said Monique Spearman of Phoenix.
Spearman lives in south Phoenix and commutes to her job at the Tempe-Phoenix border. She said she usually takes the Roeser bus, but it hadn't shown up. She walked about 2 miles to a Broadway Road stop as the sun rose. She peered down the street while shivering and breathed a sign of relief as the Route 45 bus approached.
"There it is, thank God," she said, hurrying to the bus shelter.
Republic reporter Brenna Goth contributed to this article.
Phoenix bus strike: What you need to know
Brenna Goth, The Republic | azcentral.com 12:21 p.m. MST January 8, 2016
Striking Phoenix bus drivers and their supporters harass non-striking drivers at a bus yard in South Phoenix on Jan. 8, 2016 after the driver's union rejected a contract offer.
Hundreds of Phoenix bus drivers are on strike after months of failed labor negotiations. Union members rejected the latest contract offer from transit company Transdev. Service impacts on 34 bus routes will start Friday morning.
Who is striking?
Bus drivers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 are on strike against transit company Transdev. The company operates internationally and is contracted by the city of Phoenix to operate some of the city's bus routes. Some of those routes run into other cities. The union represents about 650 bus operators, according to President Bob Bean. About 77 percent of Transdev bus drivers are represented by the union, according to the company.
- 0-Central Avenue; 1-Washington/Jefferson;
- 7-Seventh Street;
- 8-Seventh Avenue;
- 10-Roosevelt/32nd Street;
- 12-12th Street;
- 15-15th Avenue;
- 16-16th Street;
- 19-19th Avenue;
- 27-27th Avenue;
- 28-Lower Buckeye;
- 35-35th Avenue;
- 39-40th Street north Phoenix;
- 44-44th Street/Tatum;
- 50-Camelback;
- 52-Roeser;
- 60-Bethany Home;
- 70-Glendale/24th Street;
- 80-Northern/Shea;
- 90-Dunlap/Cave Creek;
- 106-Peoria; 122-Cactus;
- 138-Thunderbird;
- 154-Greenway; 170-Bell;
- 186-Union Hills/Mayo;
- the SMART (Sunnyslope)
- and DASH (downtown) circulators;
- and all RAPID commuter routes:
- Central South Mountain East,
- Central South Mountain West,
- Interstate 10 East,
- I-10 West,
- I-17
- and SR 51.
The Phoenix Public Transit Department tweeted early Friday that Routes 0, 19, 27, 35 and 70 are operating with limited buses, with frequency at an hour or more.
What can I do if my route is impacted?
Valley routes not on that list — and the light rail — still are operating. The city's public-transit department also recommends working with your employer to arrange a carpool, telecommute, or going to valleymetro.org for carpool or vanpool registration. Phoenix Union High School District began providing its own transportation to affected students Friday morning.
How long will the strike last?
It’s unclear. Transdev released a statement early Friday saying they are prepared to start negotiating at 10 a.m., as long as union leadership does not “attach any preconditions.” Union leaders said Thursday night that they are committed to returning to the table and don’t want a strike to last longer than necessary.
Why are bus drivers striking?
Union leaders have been negotiating a contract with Transdev since April. Discussions have stalled several times because of scheduling conflicts and "cooling off" periods. Nearly all union members authorized a strike last year after rejecting Transdev's "best and final" offer. The groups negotiated this week but failed to reach an agreement on sticking points like a tiered wage system and discipline, said the Rev. Jarrett Maupin, a civil-rights activist working with the union. Transdev has said its contract offer is generous and includes the union's proposed health-insurance plan and a 3 percent annual wage increase.
Who uses these routes?
Ridership on Transdev routes averaged about 78,000 per weekday in October, according to the city's Public Transit Department. Some of the routes affected by the strike, such as Central Avenue and Seventh Street, are among the city's busiest. The Central Avenue line, for example, averaged more than 5,000 boardings each day in November. Mayor Greg Stanton in a statement denounced the impact of a strike on people trying to get to work and school. The union also has said the work stoppage could last until the College Football Playoff national championship game, which will be played in Glendale on Monday.
What is the city doing to help?
Transdev has five days to bring bus service to a Saturday level, which is about 60 percent of weekday service, said Lars Jacoby, Public Transit Department spokesman. The city will work with the company to reach that, though Transdev is responsible for bringing in extra drivers, he said. Other cities, like Glendale, contract with Phoenix for portions of those routes. Glendale does not have a contingency plan because of that agreement, according to city spokeswoman Kim Larson.