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Light rail service to south Phoenix gets underway
Light rail in the Valley entered a new era over the weekend when the first train traversed the system's south Phoenix expansion.
The big picture: A 5.5-mile extension that runs south along Central Avenue from downtown Phoenix opened Saturday.
The extension has eight stations, with Central and Baseline Road marking the end of the line. The light rail system now has 35 miles of track.
Federal funds covered about half the cost of the $1.3 billion project, with revenue from the Proposition 400 transportation tax and the city paying for much of the rest.
Why it matters: About 44% of area residents have limited or no access to cars, according to Valley Metro.
Jessica Mefford-Miller, CEO of Valley Metro, which runs the light rail system, noted the new line is a bridge across the Salt River, making it "a literal" and "symbolic connection" between south Phoenix and the rest of the metro area.
Valley Metro expects the extension to add more than 8,000 daily riders to the system, which averages about 32,000 boardings per day.
Driving the news: A large crowd gathered Saturday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"I believe the expansion will do justice for the people out here. Providing opportunities to get downtown, and also for people downtown to come down here," an attendee named Lindsay told ABC15.
Zoom in: The south Phoenix extension was not the only major change to the light rail over the weekend.
The system is now separated into A and B lines, with the former running east to west from downtown Mesa to downtown Phoenix, and the latter north to south from Metro Parkway to south Phoenix.
Riders can switch lines at the new downtown Phoenix transit hub, which also opened Saturday. There are 14 new trains, which will now arrive at stations every 12 minutes, down from 15.
Catch up quick: Construction began in 2019 and was originally expected to be completed in 2023, but the pandemic and other factors meant delays.
What they're saying: "This is us really growing up in the world," Mefford-Miller told Axios.
The intrigue: When Republican lawmakers referred Proposition 479 — the renewal of the regional transportation tax — to the 2024 ballot, they included a provision prohibiting the money from being used to extend light rail.
Yes, but: Cities can still use local and federal funds to lay more tracks.
What's next: Valley Metro, which runs the light rail system, has grand expansion plans.
The Capitol Extension will run along Washington and Jefferson streets to 15th Avenue next to the Arizona Supreme Court. An environmental review and design processes are underway.
The I-10 West Extension will connect to the Capitol area and will largely run along the freeway median, ending at the Desert Sky Transit Center at Thomas Road and 79th Avenue. That project is still in the planning phase.
Valley Metro is also looking to expand the Tempe streetcar system into Mesa.
