Tempe, Ariz., proceeds with streetcar proposal
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefArizona’s Valley Metro has received regional approval from the Maricopa Association of Governments to build a 2.6-mile streetcar route in Tempe, a Phoenix suburb east of the Arizona state capital. The approval follows three years of study that evaluated transit improvements to support both Tempe and Chandler, Ariz. The study also calls for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) linking Tempe and Chandler.
“The streetcar will connect a large number of our residents to [Valley Metro] light rail while creating an important connection between our neighborhoods and downtown,” said Tempe Councilmember and Metro Board member Shana Ellis. “The recently built streetcar projects in Portland and Seattle have demonstrated that empty storefronts and retail centers are reinvigorated, bringing new and desired amenities to neighborhoods and creating a thriving pedestrian environment.”
The streetcar will advance first as local funding is available from Proposition 400, a countywide, half-cent transportation sales tax renewed by voters in 2004. Metro will also apply for a federal grant to support about half of the $160 million capital cost.
Metro, working with Tempe, will set up a community working group to help technical staff define the vehicle, stop locations, and street configuration of the future line. Metro also will submit its application to the Federal Transit Administration for grant money. Construction is slated to begin in 2013 and operations in 2016.
Tempe already sits astride Valley Metro’s light rail transit line, which runs east to west across the municipality linking neighboring Mesa, Ariz., with Tempe and Phoenix. The proposed streetcar route would run south from Tempe to Chandler.
