Federal, state and local leaders recently gathered to celebrate the inauguration of the Northwest Phase II extension of light rail in Phoenix.
The opening, which was attended by over 2,000 people, celebrates just one of a series of recent achievements for Valley Metro and the local community, including the fist elevated rail station, a rail-only bridge over the I-17 and a multi-modal transit centre, which has been named after former Phoenix Mayor, Thelda Williams.
The project was made possible following a 150 million USD grant from the Capital Investment Grant programme, a nationally competitive initiative funded by the FTA. Additionally, the city of Phoenix T2050 provided investments of roughly 213 million USD, with the final 30 million USD required for the project funded by Proposition 400.
“I am proud to be back in Phoenix, less than three years after signing the grant that funded this important extension that will make such a difference in the lives of people in this region.
“This was the first project funded by FTA under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the city and Valley Metro have done incredible work building it on budget and delivering the project earlier than expected. Congratulations to all.”
Construction on the project was initiated in 2020, providing 3,000 jobs within the community with a further 6,000 across the country.
The extension consists of three brand new stations, and is expected to attract 1,400 new riders to the system each day. The project, which crosses the I-17, gives greater transit access to the West Valley, allowing connections to central Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.
“This extension has been part of Phoenix’s transit vision for more than two decades.
“Today’s expansion is not only a celebration of our community’s vision and commitment to sustainable growth, but also the region’s Proposition 400 investment totaling nearly $1.3 billion to establish and grow our light rail system. Light rail has changed the way our community travels, fostering mobility freedom and economic opportunity across our county.”
