The City of Phoenix and Valley Metro have recently been awarded a $158.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Northwest Extension Phase II Light Rail Project.
The 1.6-mile extension will connect the metro center with regional hubs across the Phoenix area to “provide frequent, reliable, sustainable, and safe public transportation,” a press release from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) said. The target date for opening the light rail line is February 2025.
"FTA is proud to join our partners in Arizona to expand light rail service and improve transit connections between Metrocenter, downtown Phoenix and other important destinations," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in the release.
The project aims to improve the transit experience in a corridor where about 18% of households do not have a car and 31% of residents are below the poverty line, the release said. It will also make improvements to Interstate 17 for east-west travel.
"I'm delighted to be back in Phoenix today to help the Federal Transit Administration make this important funding award official,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release. ”Four months ago, I had the chance to see the remarkable work that Valley Metro is doing, and the Northwest Extension project will help even more residents get where they need to go, while at the same time helping to ease congestion and counter the climate crisis that has been so damaging to the Southwest."
Although the light rail line is the main project, other planned structures include three stations, three bridges, a multi-modal transit center and a parking structure, the FTA said. The extension profile estimates that 2,575,000 rides will be taken annually by 2040.
The FTA grant provides nearly 40% of the project‘s $401.3 million requirement, according to the extension profile. The remaining funds come from city and county tax revenues.
