Latest news with #JessicaMefford-Miller
Axios
7 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
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.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Valley Metro expansion project to bring light rail to South Phoenix
The Brief A new Valley Metro expansion is nearly complete that will connect downtown Phoenix to south Phoenix. It's at 95% completion and marks a milestone in the Valley's ever-expanding light rail system. PHOENIX - A major development that took five years is almost up and running in the Valley. Valley Metro unveiled the first train that will cross the Salt River bridge along its new route into South Phoenix. What we know The train is part of the South Central light rail extension that connects downtown and south Phoenix. The project is at 95% completion, and it marks a milestone for Valley Metro as they are introducing a two-line light rail system. What they're saying "The South Central Extension/Downtown Hub will extend the existing light rail system from downtown Phoenix south along Central Avenue to Baseline Road, connecting historically and culturally significant neighborhoods. The project includes a new light rail transit hub in downtown Phoenix, featuring new stations and public art throughout the corridor," the city said on its website. Completion is expected later in 2025. Why you should care The city of Phoenix and Valley Metro made grants available for small businesses along the route, but still some still say they've lost customers, nearly putting them out of business. "It's been pretty tough," a business owner said. "You can go up and down South Central and see all the businesses that couldn't survive it." Since 2019, Valley Metro has been building the South Central light rail extension along Central Avenue. "We're thinking by summer this should be complete, and we will be celebrating another milestone with the community up here in early March when the trains actually reach our Baseline and Central Avenue station, which will be our future end of line," Juliana Vasquez-Keating with Valley Metro said. Dig deeper "This will be the first train crossing from downtown Phoenix over the salt river bridge into South Phoenix," Valley Metro CEO, Jessica Mefford-Miller, said. An owner of a small business along Central Avenue who wants to stay anonymous says construction has significantly impacted her business. "We were a very, very successful business until construction," she said. "What little fast food business can survive 4.5 years of construction with people not driving down South Central when you're a business on South Central." Valley Metro and the city of Phoenix offered grant funding up to $9,000 and extended the grant through March 31. The other side "The business access, we know that construction is impactful, and as you know there are barricades in front of their business," Valley Metro said. Some businesses were able to take advantage of the grant, while others have been unsuccessful. "There's so many layers of people you have to talk to and submit papers to and then those papers lay on someone's desk for months, and you don't hear back, and then you're asked to resubmit them. No, we've never gotten any grants," the business owner said. Businesses that made it this far are counting down the days until construction is over. "All we can hope for is that progress will continue on South Central and South Central will become a great thoroughfare," the small business owner said. What you can do Click here to learn more about the project.
