Automobiles Though the Metro Phoenix area has effective, efficient and comprehensive bus service as well as innovative new modes of transportation such as light rail trains, automobiles are still the chosen method to get around town.  With a straightforward grid of six-lane surface streets and an expansive network of regional freeways, Phoenix is one of the easiest cities to navigate in the nation. Please see the DRIVING section of our website for more information. Air Travel Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a public airport located 3 miles east of downtown Phoenix, and Arizona’s main international airport.  It is also one of the largest aviation facilities in the Southwest U.S.  It is currently ranked as the 8th busiest airport in the nation in terms of traffic.  The airport was serviced by 4 airlines in the 1950s and today handles over 110,000 passengers. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has 3 terminals, which are numbered 2, 3 and 4. Terminal 1, the original terminal, was torn down in 1990. A brand new Air Traffic Control tower began operations at the airport at midnight on January 14, 2007, and is currently the world’s 3rd tallest control tower after Munich and Atlanta at an outstanding 335 feet. Terminal 2, opened in 1962, provides 16 gates on 1 concourse, and hosts Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, and United Airlines. Terminal 3, opened in 1979, provides 16 gates on 2 concourses, and hosts AirTrain Airways, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Midwest Airlines. Terminal 4, opened in 1990 and named after former Arizona Senator and 1964 Presidential candidate Barry M. Goldwater, provides 84 gates on 7 concourses.  The terminal hosts US Airways, Aeromexico, British Airways, Mexicana, WestJet, ATA Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and America West Airlines. For more information, please visit the official Sky Harbor International Airport website at: http://phoenix.gov/aviation/ Buses The Valley has an extensive local, express and RAPID commuter bus service that runs throughout the metro area including neighborhood circulators, Dial-a-Ride, vanpool service and an online carpool matching system.  The metro buses service Avondale, Chandler, El Mirage, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Maricopa County, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Surprise and Tempe. Light Rail Light rail operates along a set pathway on steel rails.  The Phoenix METRO system will operate at street level, above ground, on a lane separated from traffic. It will travel faster than local buses, but at the same posted speed as cars. The light rail system will be powered by electricity from overhead wires and will generate very little noise.  The vehicles have a capacity of 200 people and can be linked in sets of three. They will operate 18-20 hours per day, and 7 days a week. Initially, the system will carry 3,000-5,000 passengers per hour, and will ultimately have enough capacity to transport the same number of people as a six lane freeway!