skip navigation

56 Priest Drive

Route 56 begins along Ray Rd & 48th St, heading east, then turning north up Priest Dr, all the way to the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden.

Existed since: 1993
Operator: Keolis
Annual Ridership: Loading ridership...
Full Length: 12 miles
Current Full Route: Ray Rd & 48th St to Desert Botanical Garden
Original Full Route: Baseline Rd & Rural Rd to Tri-City Mall
Connecting Routes: A 1 3 30 45 48 61 62 77 108 140 522 ALEX STRN VENU

Bus positions update every 30 seconds

Detailed Route Info

All Trips

Northbound

Ray Rd & 48th St to Desert Botanical Garden (Everyday)
Ray Rd & 48th St to Priest Dr & Washington St (Everyday)
Priest Dr & Elliot Rd to Priest Dr & Washington St (Weekdays only)

Southbound

Desert Botanical Garden to Ray Rd & 48th St (Everyday)
Priest Dr & Washington St to Ray Rd & 48th St (Everyday)
Priest Dr & Washington St to Priest Dr & Elliot Rd (Weekdays only)

Schedule

History

Map showing bus route 56 traveling from Baseline Road and Rural Road to Tri-City Mall.
Route 56 map from 1992
Map showing bus route 56 traveling from 48th Street and Warner Road to Downtown Tempe.
Route 56 map from 2000
  • October 1992 - Route 56 was introduced to serve Baseline Rd, Priest Dr, and University Dr, traveling from Baseline Rd & Rural Rd, along Baseline Rd, into Arizona Mills Mall, up Priest Dr, 14th St, 52nd St, University Dr, and Dobson Rd, ending at the old Tri-City Mall
  • August 18, 1997 - By this point, the southern end of the route had been extended down Rural Rd and Guadalupe Rd to McClintock Dr, with a turnaround loop on McClintock Dr, Libra Dr, and Juniper St. The 14th St deviation had also been modified to continue down 14th St to 48th St, along 10th Pl, then up 52nd St and along University Dr, and a deviation loop was added along Alameda Dr, MicroAge Way (now 55th St), and Fountainhead Pkwy
  • March 21, 1999 - Route 56 was renamed just Priest and the routing was overhauled to travel from 48th St & Warner Rd, up 48th St, Elliot Rd, Priest Dr, into Arizona Mills Mall, back up Priest Dr with the deviation on MicroAge Way, then down Washington St, and Mill Ave, ending in Downtown Tempe at College Ave & 5th St
  • January 14, 2002 - Southern end extended to 48th St & Chandler Blvd
  • February 24, 2003 - Northern segment rerouted to use Center Pkwy instead of Washington St between Priest Dr and Mill Ave
  • January 24, 2005 - Trips along Washington St between Priest Dr and Mill Ave returned from 7 pm to 1 am on weekdays and all day on weekends
  • July 25, 2005 - Diversion along Fountainhead Pkwy and 55th St eliminated
  • December 29, 2008 - Northern end truncated from Downtown Tempe to Priest Dr & Washington St
  • July 22, 2013 - Southern end was rerouted to continue down Priest Dr past Elliot Rd, then down Ray Rd to end at Ray Rd & 48th St, and the northern end was extended to the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden
  • October 27, 2014 - Deviation into Arizona Mills Mall eliminated and the northern end was extended to SkySong Transit Center
  • October 22, 2018 - Northern end truncated back to Desert Botanical Garden

Pictures

Page last updated: