For Phoenix, east and west LRT extensions still planned
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefPhoenix Valley Metro Light Rail still is planning an extension of its LRT operations from downtown Phoenix along Interstate 10 to the 79th Avenue Park-and-Ride. But the extension, currently scheduled to open in 2021, could be delayed by a reduction in Proposition 400 tax money due to a bad economy, according to Valley Metro Light Rail spokeswoman Hillary Foose.
Prop. 400, passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004, extended a voter-approved half-cent-per-dollar sales tax by two decades. But it is intended to cover only about half the cost of LRT construction, with federal funds supplying most of the remainder, Foose said.
“The time frames are directly related to available funds, so every year we rebalance that map with updated funding forecasts,” Foose said. “We’re in the process of doing that right now, and we’ll be sharing that with our board in coming months. . . . Over the last couple of years we’ve seen some of those dates get pushed out by a year or two.”
Phoenix hopes LRT eventually will be extended to 99th Avenue and I-10. But Foose said continuing rail beyond 79th Avenue to 99th Avenue and potentially along Loop 101 would likely require voters approving a continuation of the Prop. 400 sales tax.
The city’s eastern suburbs don’t want to be left out, however. Efforts continue to extend LRT deeper into the East Valley to meet the high ridership levels projected once the system gets east of downtown Mesa. A study is set to begin soon on an extension to Gilbert Road, which planners say would further boost commuter use. Valley Metro originally planned extending to Mesa Drive in 2016, but a study showed higher ridership by going east two more miles.
The first 20 miles of LRT opened for revenue service on Dec. 27, 2008.
