The US Secretary of Transport Pete Buttigieg, the FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez and the Valley Metro Board Chairman Francisco Heredia signed a USD 158 million full funding grant agreement for the Northwest light rail extension phase II in the city of Phoenix.
“This extension is going to enable more people to enjoy safe, fast, frequent and reliable public transport, and it’s an environmentally-friendly project. This connection will tie people to downtown, to Arizona State University and Sky Harbor International Airport high-activity areas where there is job generation,” FTA Administrator said.
The project covers the construction of 2.6 km of tracks, 3 stations and a multimodal transit centre to the former Metrocenter Mall area in Phoenix. New stations will be built, including the system’s first elevated station, and public art. The project will add new tracks to the existing 45 km light rail system. Connecting from the existing end-of-line at 19th Avenue and Dunlap, the extension will provide greater transit access to Phoenix residents west of the I-17 thanks to a new dedicated rail bridge that will be built over the freeway and the first elevated station. It is expected to serve 5,700 riders each day.
“With the Northwest light rail extension phase II, we see a community identifying transport needs, developing smart solutions, standing up for its values and investing local dollars in these projects,” Pete Buttigieg said at the ceremony.
USD 401 million is the total value of the project which is financially supported by the Capital Investment Grant. The construction works started in September 2020 the extension is scheduled to begin operating in 2024.
“We will need all transit and transport solutions on the table as we expect over a million more people to be coming to the Phoenix area in the next 10 years,” Valley Metro Board Chair said.
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