THE city of Phoenix celebrated the completion of the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub project on June 7. The $US 1.34bn scheme has added 8.9km to the city’s light rail network, extending the line south with eight new stops from a new hub in downtown Phoenix to Baseline Road/Central Avenue.
The project has transformed Valley Metro into a two-line, 56km system. The east-west A service now runs from Gilbert Road/Main Street in Mesa to the downtown hub, while the north-south B service runs from Metro Parkway in northwest Phoenix to Baseline Road/Central Avenue via the downtown hub.
The South Central extension is operated with 14 Siemens Mobility S700 LRVs, which were ordered in autumn 2020. Weekday services are operating every 12 minutes before 19.00 and every 20 minutes after. Services operate every 15 minutes until 19.00 on Saturdays and every 20 minutes after, and every 20 minutes all day on Sundays. The extension is expected to add more than 8000 daily passengers, with Valley Metro already carrying an average of 32,000 per day.
Around half of the project’s cost was covered by a $US 529.8m grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which was signed in 2021. Additional funding sources included 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 completion of this project marks an important new connection for residents and moves us closer to our goals as a sustainable and accessible city,” says mayor of Phoenix, Kate Gallego. “This historic extension introduces the region’s first two-line rail system, creates safer streets and new bike lanes, and adds shade and public art - all while connecting more residents to jobs, education, entertainment and other amenities across the Valley.”
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