METRO light rail began regular service in Phoenix in December 2008. Sky Harbor International Airport has a shuttle service to connect passengers going to and from the Phoenix airport with METRO.
Isn;t There An Air Train at Sky Harbor Airport?
There will be, but not yet. A Sky Train is being built and the first segment will connect passengers to METRO Light Rail. That is not scheduled to happen until some time in 2013. Here are more details about PHX Sky Train™. For now, the shuttle bus is the only way to connect to the METRO Light Rail system.How Does the Shuttle Connection Work?
If your destination is somewhere along the 20-mile long METRO alignment, you can get there without having to pay for a taxi or renting a car.
- Each of the three terminals at the airport have a designated stop for the METRO shuttle.
- For Terminal 2, the shuttle stop is in the middle of the terminal, right outside the main doors.
- For Terminal 3, there are two shuttle stops, both on the Baggage Claim level. One is at the north curb (outer curb, use the crosswalk east of Door #7) and one is at the south curb (outer curb, west end, across from Door #2).
- For Terminal 4, there are two shuttle stops. One on the north side, Level 1 (outer curb, west end, across from Door #1), and one on the south side, Level 2 (outside Door #22).
- The airport shuttle will take you to the 44th Street and Washington METRO stop and leave you just south of the METRO Station, at the southwest corner of 44th Street and Washington.
- The Sky Harbor Airport shuttle to connect to the METRO system is free. To ride the METRO, you need to pay the fare. Buy your METRO ticket at the METRO station fare vending machine. You can pay with coins, bills, credit card or debit card. You can buy a pass for just one ride, ride all day, a 3-day pass, a 7-day pass or a 31-day pass.
- METRO runs from about 5 a.m. to midnight daily, later on weekends.
Here is a map of the Phoenix Sky Harbor shuttle route for the connector to METRO light rail.
Tip #1: The signs for the "Airport Bus" where you catch the shuttle are green with white lettering. Look for a silver and black bus with a PHX Airport Shuttle logo on the side. Some of those buses are Inter-Terminal and Parking Lot buses, so check the electronic sign on the bus to make sure you are getting on the bus to the 44th Street and Washington METRO Light Rail Station.
Tip #2: At Terminals 3 and 4, the shuttle stops on the north curb will get you to the METRO station faster, since there are fewer stops from there to get to 44th Street and Washington.
Tip #3: The initial alignment of the METRO light rail system is only a 20-mile segment. It will be very convenient for incoming visitors if their destination is in the ASU area in Tempe, downtown Phoenix, or in the central corridor of Phoenix as far north as about Camelback Road. Check this map to see where METRO will take you. If, during your stay, you intend to travel out of that area, for instance to Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler or Mesa, METRO will not take you there at this time. You'll have to rent a car, take a taxi, or use the bus system.
Tip #4: If you are going to the Rental Car Center, the METRO will not take you there, so don't use the METRO Shuttle from the airport for that. Sky Harbor has a different set of shuttles that take people to the Rental Car Center.
Sky Harbor International Airport has already begun construction on an automated train will take passengers around the airport and connect to METRO, but that won't be in place for several years.
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