How will these changes impact your daily commute? Phoenix New Times has the answers. Here’s what you should know about Valley Metro’s South Central expansion.
When will the South Phoenix Valley Metro’s light rail expansion be done?
The Valley Metro website has a countdown to the project’s completion, so you can watch the seconds, minutes, hours and days tick off there. If you don’t need suspense, the project is set to wrap up on Saturday, June 7.On that day, Valley Metro will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community celebration “filled with local culture and excitement” to commemorate the project’s finish, according its website.
How will Phoenix celebrate the light rail expansion?
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., a “Crusin’ Central procession” will begin at the Ed Pastor Transit Center, located at 10 W. Broadway Road in South Phoenix, according to Valley Metro’s website. The parade will travel south down the new South Phoenix light rail line to the Baseline and Central Avenue Park and Ride.There, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held, followed by the first ride of the new light rail expansion at 9:30 a.m. Local business pop-ups, food vendors and a lowrider classic car show will be held along the new line through 12 p.m.
“This fresh segment of our transit system will connect thousands of residents to jobs, health care, and social opportunities in downtown and beyond,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a statement. “I am looking forward to officially cutting the ribbon and marking this momentous occasion with our incredible community.”
Attendees can also get a commemorative Copper Card, which can be reloaded with funds to ride the light rail.
Why did the Valley Metro light rail expand into South Phoenix?
The expansion route was selected as a “priority corridor” after an analysis showed adding light rail there would address “critical transportation needs” in an area where 44% of residents have limited or no access to personal vehicles, according to Valley Metro’s website.The extension is expected to add more than 8,000 riders per day to the light rail system.
When did the light rail expansion into South Phoenix start?
Planning for the expansion began in 2011 and construction started in 2019. However, the project was almost stopped in its tracks that same year due to a Koch-backed initiative, Proposition 105. Had it passed, the initiative would have ended South Phoenix light rail construction as well as any future light rail projects.The initiative failed, with 63% of voters opposing it. Still, many South Phoenix business owners along the line expressed opposition to the project due to its impact on their businesses, which have been harder to access through the construction. Some businesses closed down completely.
What has the light rail expansion entailed?
The 5.5-mile extension will connect South Phoenix and downtown. Instead of making a left at the Central Avenue and First Avenue stop, trains will continue south to Baseline Road. The expansion will also introduce a two-rail system intersecting at the new transit hub in downtown Phoenix, where riders can transfer lines.A downtown hub will consist of four platforms — on Washington, Jefferson, Central and First avenues — where riders can transfer between A and B lines. The A line will operate east to west between the downtown hub and Gilbert Road and Main Street in Mesa. At the hub, riders can transfer to the B line, which will operate between the northern Metro Parkway off Interstate 17 and Baseline Road and Central Avenue.
In addition to the hub and the southward expansion, the project will include eight new stations and 14 new trains. There also will be a park-and-ride facility at the Baseline and Central stop, enhanced bike lanes and pedestrian pathways and 18 community-driven public art installations.
What stops will be added?
Eight new stations will be located at:- Lincoln Street and First Avenue
- Lincoln and Central
- Buckeye Road and Central
- Pioneer Street and Central
- Broadway Road and Central
- Roeser Road and Central
- Southern Avenue and Central
- Baseline Road and Central
What other projects is Valley Metro working on?
Valley Metro is also working on a light rail expansion toward the Arizona Capitol. The 1.6-mile Capitol Extension will add two additional stations and connect with the existing light rail system, including the new expansion to South Phoenix. The project is currently in the design and construction phase and is expected to be completed in 2028.Valley Metro is also working on a project to connect the West Valley to the existing light rail system. The 10-mile I-10 West Extension will connect to the extension at the Arizona Capitol, then travel in the median of Interstate 10 before ultimately stopping at the existing Desert Sky Transit Center near Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater.
Valley Metro is also working on extending the streetcar system in Tempe to connect the existing light rail to Tempe Marketplace and into Mesa. Preliminary engineering for the project is expected to begin this spring and finish up in 2027.
