FTA releases $75M for Ariz. light rail extension
Will fund Valley Metro’s 3.1-mile light rail extension into downtown Mesa. The expansion, which should begin service in late 2015, is anticipated to serve nearly 10,000 daily riders.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is providing $75 million to help fund Valley Metro’s 3.1-mile light rail extension into downtown Mesa.
Average daily ridership on the light rail system in September was nearly 50,000 passengers per weekday, inching ever closer to the 20-year ridership projection. The increase in September was 3.7% over the same period one year ago. The Central Mesa extension will expand light rail from Sycamore and Main streets to Mesa Drive adding four light rail stations and a park-and-ride.
The expansion, which should begin service in late 2015, is anticipated to serve nearly 10,000 daily riders. The total cost of the extension is approximately $200 million and will come from federal sources and the regional half-cent countywide sales tax dedicated to fund a regional transit system in Maricopa County.
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