Valley Metro

I use the bus services in the east valley….Tempe/Mesa/Chandler/Gilbert/S Phoenix. Please don’t listen to the reviews about the buses constantly being late. The buses I ride are mostly always on time. If they’re late it’s probably only by two or three minutes. People need to realize that the buses have to navigate in the same traffic as everyone else. Also, the buses do break down. If the buses are always late why do I observe drivers either stopping after pulling off or sitting at the bus stop waiting for running/late passengers? The drivers aren’t overly friendly but I wouldn’t call them rude either. I notice the drivers regularly giving free rides to people claiming not to have fare. It happens way too often. I certainly wouldn’t call allowing free fare riders to board a rude gesture. I think the Valley Metro buses are a great service, at least in the east valley. The buses get me to and from my destinations almost every day.

I moved here from another state a few months ago. Since living here in the Phoenix area, I decided not to buy another vehicle, but to take the bus. I think that it is the most efficient type of bus service. There is both a digital read out, and an automated voice that tells you exactly where your stop is. This is great for the elderly, and vision challenged. The state where I moved from; you had to guess, or just use Google maps. The bus drivers have all been quite decent.

Last night 7:20pm bus 5239, route 12 north, the driver did not let me board the bus because the fare reader declined my app qr code. Even though I told him the machine is not functioning & showed him my balance on the app $18 he still insisted that I can't ride the bus without paying . I asked him to call dispatch , he reluctantly did and got antsy & angry while on the phome with them. I took photos inside stepped out amd snapped a few more outside. I called in today and filed complaint. Also talked to the fare department and found out that at the moment I was trying to board the bus the fare reader was offline. So I was right it was the machine problem. Please see the attached photos.

Drivers need training on how to use break pedals and gas pedals They are driving like it is a regular car, slamming very hard & dangerously fast on breaks and accelerating before people have chance to sit. Also A lot of drivers don't pay attention to the riders at the bus stops at night time and they bypass. Especially new hyrbid bus drivers need more training. And the schedules have unused times listed as arrivals but never happens BUS SCHEDULE DOES NOT reflect real times.

Valley Metro REALLY needs to get it together with their bus drivers. They're ALWAYS late. I understand that that happens that they're going to run late at times but this is every day it doesn't matter what route I get on it just does not matter they are always late substantially late it's very frustrating

I don't know how it has more than one star. Buses are constantly late, early or most don't show. A bus can go from 4 minutes late to over 15 when it's just up the street. I have seen driver's get out of the bus to get drinks at Circle K on many occasions. I have seen a bus run over a half hour early more than once. Don't depend on them too much, they are horrible. My bus today ran late, and the connecting bus was 5 minutes early, who wants to guess what happened? Did the early boss wait? Why would it do that?

Buses are always late. Always. Traffic is. Thing. However, every single bus, is always 10 min late. Recommend changing your time tables for every bus stop by adding it in.