On an average weekday, there are 49,000 light-rail riders in the Valley. Most of those people enjoy their trips to and from work, school or a downtown Phoenix event.
But would ridership be even higher if more residents felt safer? Some say they don’t ride light rail because they’ve had to deal with fellow riders who were drunk or belligerent.
To address that, Valley Metro leadership is launching the "Respect the Ride" campaign to make riders feel more comfortable with the experience.
With me to talk about the proposal is Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith, who is on the cusp of marking his first full year in that position.