The countdown is on: Valley Metro light rail will expand into south Phoenix with the June 7 opening of the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub project.
“This fresh segment of our transit system will connect thousands of residents to jobs, health care, and social opportunities in downtown and beyond,” Phoenix, Ariz., Mayor Kate Gallego said during the launch date announcement on April 8 (watch video below). “A reality in 2025 instead of the originally planned 2034 opening date, the South Central extension also brings with it new and improved public infrastructure—from great bike lanes and additional shade structures to beautiful artwork along the corridor. I am looking forward to officially cutting the ribbon and marking this momentous occasion with our incredible community.”
The 5.5-mile, eight-station extension will connect with the current light rail system in downtown Phoenix and operate along Central and 1st avenues, continuing south to Baseline Road. It will also introduce a two-line rail system intersecting at a new transit hub in downtown Phoenix (see map below). The A Line will run between Gilbert Road/Main Street in Mesa and the Downtown Hub; the B Line will run between Metro Parkway in northwest Phoenix and the new end-of-line station at Baseline Road/Central Avenue. The Downtown Hub comprises four platforms on Washington, Jefferson, Central, and 1st avenues where riders will transfer between the A and B lines.
The South Central Extension/Downtown Hub project also includes 18 public art installations by artists who are predominantly local; a new 110-space park-and-ride facility at Baseline Road/Central Avenue; improved bike lanes and pedestrian pathways; more than 550 new trees and desert-adapted landscaping; and utility upgrades that replace more than 30 miles of underground infrastructure, according to Valley Metro.
“Selected as a priority corridor after a comprehensive analysis, the light rail expansion addresses critical transportation needs in an area where 44% of residents have limited or no access to personal vehicles,” Valley Metro reported. “The extension connects historically underserved communities to regional destinations, including downtown Phoenix, the airport area, educational institutions and key employment centers.” The new extension, it said, is expected to add more than 8,000 daily riders to the light rail system, which currently has approximately 35,000 boardings per day.
Fourteen Siemens Mobility S700s will operate on the extension, according to Valley Metro, which ordered the vehicles in fall 2020. Testing began March 8. Once the extension project launches in June, Valley Metro will offer more frequent light rail service. On weekdays, trains will run every 12 minutes until 7 p.m., and every 20 minutes after 7 p.m.; on Saturdays, every 15 minutes until 7 p.m., and every 20 minutes after 7 p.m.; and on Sundays, every 20 minutes all day.
The Federal Transit Administration in early 2021 signed a $529.8 million Full Funding Grant Agreement for the project under the Capital Investment Grants program; it covers more than half the project’s $1.34 billion budget. Additional funding sources include Phoenix Transportation 2050 and regional Proposition 400 funds. Project planning kicked off in 2012, with design work starting in 2017. Contractor Kiewit began construction in 2019. The project employed more than 5,000 local workers, with south Phoenix residents contributing more than 470,000 work hours. Click here for a project fact sheet.
in January 2024, Valley Metro opened the Northwest Extension Phase II light rail project, linking Mesa, Tempe and downtown Phoenix. The 1.6-mile extension brought service farther into northwest Phoenix, running west from 19th and Dunlap avenues, going north on 25th Avenue, and then west on Mountain View Road, crossing the I-17 freeway to the Metrocenter area. Phase I of the Northwest Extension project opened in 2016. It expanded Valley Metro light rail 3.2 miles, running north on 19th Avenue from Montebello to Dunlap Avenue. Click here for a system map.
