In the fall of 2012 the Downtown Phoenix Partnership Research Department began an effort to track mid-day pedestrian activity at major intersections throughout Downtown. The results were surprising and provide us with tangible evidence that the investments of the past decade are paying off.
As you can see from the numbers below, Downtown Phoenix employees and residents are taking advantage of the recent influx of retail and restaurants and are choosing to spend their lunchtime dollars here.
The survey began with the selection of fourteen intersections, chosen for their proximity to major retail centers, METRO light rail and bus stops. The counts were collected in half-hour increments between 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and pedestrian is defined as any person who approaches the intersection. The counts were done at random on different weekdays then doubled to represent an hourly total.
We discovered that the highest traffic volumes are found around CityScape as patrons take advantage of the fifteen restaurants located in the complex. Averages in the area surrounding CityScape range from 1,120 per hour at Central Avenue and Washington Stret to 1,649 per hour at First Avenue and Washington Street. Another area of high traffic is the intersection at First Avenue and Adams Street (1,135/hour) with employees from City Hall and the surrounding office towers taking advantage of restaurants such as Thai Basil, Yasda Bento, My Mom’s Thai Kitchen and Enjoy Sushi.
We will continue to conduct surveys to keep our numbers fresh and track street activity as more restaurants open and sales tax revenues continue to rise. For a complete listing of all the pedestrian counts please refer to the chart below (for a full size view click on the image or here) or visit our website for the most accurate, up to date information on Downtown Phoenix:  www.downtownphoenix.com/business/downtown_research.