Valley Metro used to offer student passes to my college. This summer they got greedy and failed to make a deal with my school. So if I bought their summer semester pass it would cost $40 more than if I just paid full-fare every day. Taking advantage of full time students who have no income is just as shameful as preying on the elderly on fixed income.  SHAME ON VALLEY METRO.\n\nValley Metro used to be a convenient way to read on my way to class in the morning. Then they made the trains shorter with only 2 cars instead of three. Now there are more people paying full fare to ride the train, but they haven't increased capacity, so everyone has to stand all day long. They say they aren't making enough money to run more trains; but more people are paying full fare than there was before (it's a hallow excuse). SHAME ON VALLEY METRO.\n\nValley Metro devised a system to pay for your ride by pre-paid train passes, but if you forget to activate your pass outside the train as you're running to catch the train you could get a $500 ticket. Just to re-cap; even though you've already bought your pass in advance you can still get a $500 ticket! -That's a ridiculous system.  They could have allowed us to validate our tickets on the train in case we're running late...but no, it's better to hassle people on the train with their lame security detail (Gestapo); who get their jolleys interrogating average people.  SHAME ON VALLEY METRO.\n\nThe sign says it takes a half hour to go from Tempe to Phoenix on the light rail. That's complete and total hog-wash; no matter what time of day it is. I live 1 mile from the train station, on an average day I expect to spend 1.5 hours each way on my commute. It's a 55-65 minute train-commute into Phoenix from Mill Ave to Indian School. Add on the fact that  I usually wait at the platform for about 10 minutes, because even though they are supposed to come every 10 minutes, they never do. Then add, because the intersection is a gauntlet at Indian School (because of the train station is in the middle of Central ave, instead of one side or the other) it takes me another 10 minutes to get from the train to my building across the street. Why? -poor planning. SHAME ON VALLEY METRO.\n\nThen there are times where the trains are overloaded, but they don't send 3 car trains to fit all the people. Examples: Central High School lets out the same time every day and 300 kids flood the train. Baseball games downtown, cause a flood of the train. When there's an expo downtown I can't get on the train in the morning, because it's too full, the trains run slower and I'm late for my 8:30am class (when I leave at 7am!). Valley Metro fails to consider it's environment. SHAME ON VALLEY METRO.\n\nNO I'm not thankful of having a train that hardly goes anywhere and costs too much. BETTER transit is everywhere (except LA).   BART has been in San Francisco for years and is cleaner, nicer and cheaper. You only pay for as far as you ride. So you only pay for what space you actually use. If you go one stop everyday, it's not expensive at all. The Buses in Seattle run clean on electric lines on some streets and are much more efficient than anything we use in AZ. In Sydney, the buses are more efficient because they run the traffic lights so the buses don't have to stop at them. The Valley Metro system is lame and costs too much. SHAME ON VALLEY METRO.\n\nIt's our own fault for voting for people who pass useless laws and can't balance a budget to save their lives. AZ has been putting mass transit on the back burner for decades. If you want more tax dollars, get the working class to work on time efficiently. SHAME ON THE AZ VOTERS AND VALLEY METRO.\n\nALSO the light rail could prevent people from driving drunk, by operating just a little later. If the trains operated until 3am, all the patrons of Tempe and downtown Phoenix night life could get home safe no worries. Instead we pay (taxpayer $) for expensive DUI checkpoints. It's a simpler solution that's more efficient and will encourage patronage of local businesses. Keep the train on later so it's useful and PREVENTS crime.  SHAME ON VALLEY METRO and the silly police departments with reactionary tactics.