• Association and Lifestyle Offices: Effectively immediately and until further notice, The Village offices will be closed to visitors. Our team will still be on-site to assist you but we are requesting that personal contact be limited with staff. We highly recommend calling or emailing our team if you have any questions before visiting the office. We understand that this may be an inconvenience and apologize. See the bottom of this email for contact information.
• MVC Gymnasium: The Gymnasium will be closed effective immediatly until further notice.
• MVC Clubhouse: The Clubhouse is closed effective Wednesday, March 18. The Clubhouse will still be used as a Primary Election polling station for Tuesday, March 17.
• Pools: All pools will be closed effective March, 19 at 5 p.m. until further notice.
• Private Rentals: If you have a rental scheduled in March or April, staff will be reaching out to you to discuss some options. 

• Tot Lot: The Tot Lots will be closed until further notice.
• Classes and Clubs: All classes and clubs are suspended until further notice.
• Events: All events are canceled until further notice. This includes:
• March 26, Food Truck Night
• April 4, Community Garage Sale (will reschedule if possible)
• April 9, Thirst Thursday (will reschedule if possible)
• April 11, Eggstranvangza, purchased tickets will be refunded. 
• April 14, Vistancia Ladybug Release
• April 16, Food Truck Night
• April 21, Lake Pleasant Ladybug Release
• April 23, Lake Pleasant Cruise (will reschedule if possible)
• April 25, Village Cafe and Artwalk (will reschedule if possible)
• As more information becomes available, additional events could be canceled.
• Common Areas: Residents visiting The Village common area amenities are encouraged to take preemptive measures such as hand washing and hand sanitizing during and after visiting these amenities. If you or your family is showing symptoms of an illness; please refrain from using the common area amenities at this time. 
• Board and Committee Meetings: All non-essential Board and committee meetings are suspended until further notice. Necessary meetings will be posted and held virtually.
• Annual Meeting: Please watch for further communications regarding the Annual Meeting tomorrow.
• Modification Applications: Please submit all applications online to practice the recommended social distancing. If you have questions please contact the Association Office via phone or email.

• Additional cleaning days are scheduled in all of the common areas.
• Any staff member who is feeling ill is encouraged to stay home and contact a healthcare provider.
• We are continuing to follow all health and safety protocols currently in place, as well as maintain a focus on cleaning high traffic, commonly handled surfaces.

In case you needed another reason to be excited about fall, beginning this month you should be able to lower your water usage— and water bill! In cooler temperatures, plants are able to absorb and retain water more easily, lowering overall usage. In October, you may begin dialing back your irrigation system to water your landscape 2-3 times a week. In total, your turf should receive approximately 1 inch of water on a weekly basis. 

If you have the option available, set your system to water the landscape in the early hours of the morning, between 4-5 a.m. This helps to reduce water costs and allows the water to seep into the soil before the sun is able to induce evaporation. 

If you are ever uncertain if your soil is receiving the correct amount of water, be sure to use a soil probe to test its moisture level. Please adjust accordingly after using the soil probe. 

The website wateruseitwisely.com has some great resources for smart water usage, including an interactive watering guide that can be customized for your plants and turf. And you can always visit dlcresources.com/learning-center for more information about irrigation.

For the second time, the City of Peoria will be testing an autonomous shuttle, RoboRide Medical, as part of a six-month pilot program. The free, electric, driverless shuttle will open to the public in mid-November in the healthcare district near Plaza Del Rio Boulevard. 

“Peoria is a modern, thriving community embracing the evolution of transit,” said Mayor Cathy Carlat. “As we evaluate future needs and opportunities, we are thrilled to collaborate with industry leaders and regional groups to identify how fully-electric and autonomous vehicles can improve mobility in our community. I look forward to seeing Peoria residents and families joining us as we study this exciting and innovative concept.” 

The City of Peoria has partnered with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and Beep, Inc., a global leader in multi-passenger, electronic, autonomous mobility solutions, to bring RoboRide Medical to Peoria. This pilot program is the second iteration in a transportation technology study in the city of Peoria. The first project was a 60-day program where the shuttle, RoboRide, served a small route in the P83 Entertainment District. Although prematurely suspended due to COVID-19, Peoria received positive feedback and useful transportation data regarding the driverless technology and decided to resume testing this service with the knowledge gained. With the help of Arizona State University, the City of Peoria will be studying the feasibility of an autonomous vehicle in a robust healthcare district of the city as well as capture ridership adoption behaviors and patterns. Plaza del Rio is home to more than 100 medical facilities and more than 500 senior living residences. This service connects Peoria residents from their point-of-origin to their destination within the same service area.   

“This pilot project will help MAG gain insight into how autonomous vehicle technology can help improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system in our region,” said Vladimir Livshits, MAG Director of Transportation Technologies and Services. “We look forward to reviewing the data and hearing feedback from residents who ride the RoboRide Medical shuttle. This project is a great example of how collaborative efforts between local government, private sector, academia and regional planning agencies can put innovative ideas into action.” 

MAG joined the pilot program to learn more about the technology and how it could be successfully applied to the region. MAG provides regional planning and policy decisions in areas of transportation, air quality, water quality, and human services for Maricopa County. 

“MAG is dedicated to exploring emerging technologies that provide transportation access and convenience to our region’s residents and improve quality of life,” said John Giles, Mesa Mayor and MAG Regional Council Chair. “The RoboRide Medical pilot project reflects the region’s commitment to transportation improvement and affirms that the region is open to new technologies that improve the efficiency, safety and operations of our transportation system. This type of forward thinking and planning is necessary to ensure regional competitiveness for the benefit of our residents.” 

RoboRide Medical has no steering wheel or pedals and will operate using a pre-programmed, fixed route. No appointment, fee or pre-screening is necessary. Additionally, the shuttle can accommodate passengers with mobility needs, including riders with wheelchairs or scooters. The shuttle will always have an attendant onboard to ensure riders have a pleasant and safe experience. Additionally, the Beep Command Center will remotely provide an additional layer of support by communicating with the attendant at any time. RoboRide Medical holds approximately eight passengers and will operate at a maximum speed of 15 mph. The shuttle will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 

“We are thrilled to return to such an innovative community like the city of Peoria. Our partnership with the city and the Maricopa Association of Governments provides the perfect synergy to enable mobility for all communities and people,” said Joe Moye, Beep CEO. “We are honored to be part of the healthcare district near Plaza Del Rio Boulevard for the next several months providing first and last-mile solutions to medical services for the senior community.” 

For more information about the route or autonomous shuttle technology, visit www.peoriaaz.gov/transit. To learn more about MAG and Beep, visit www.azmag.gov and www.ridebeep.com.