Valley Metro opens light-rail expansion to downtown Phoenix

Federal, state and local officials on June 7 joined community members to mark the opening of the 5.5-mile South Central Extension/Downtown Hub light-rail expansion in Phoenix.

The extension is a milestone for Valley Metro Rail because it transforms it into a 35-mile, two-line rail system. The A Line now travels east/west and the B Line travels north/south, according to a Valley Metro Rail press release.

The $1.34 billion project was made possible through strong federal-local partnership, with federal grants providing more than half the funding alongside Phoenix Transportation 2050 and regional Proposition 400 investments. The extension will add more than 8,000 daily riders to the light-rail system, which currently serves an average of 32,000 boardings per day, Valley Metro officials said.

There are eight new stations, a new park-and-ride facility at Baseline Road/Central Avenue and a transit hub converging in downtown Phoenix. The extension also includes several community upgrades such as enhanced bike lanes, pedestrian pathways, over 550 new trees and desert-adapted landscaping along with comprehensive utility upgrades replacing more than 30 miles of underground infrastructure, Valley Metro officials said.

“We built this project with the community to achieve their vision, and we will continue to we advance the community’s vision to connect to the West and East Valleys, and bring greater mobility and economic opportunity to more of metro Phoenix," said Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller.