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Proposed Light Rail Changes Awaiting City Council Approval

In the wake of closing agreements for the south Phoenix line, new changes plan to bring expansion to Washington Street, Central Avenue, and First Avenue.

After being approved for $50 million by City Council back in April, Valley Metro has begun to finalize the layout and design of the light-rail extension into south Phoenix. In addition, Albert Santana, the city’s director of high capacity transit, has said the proposed changes are an effort to improve transfers and create a central hub. Among the proposed changes, a route that would bring an expansion along Washington Street, Central Avenue, and First Avenue.

The proposal builds on top of the transportation plan passed by Phoenix voters in 2015, which approved $31.5 billion to be spent over the course of a 35-year period on efforts to improve city transportation through bus service increases, street improvements, and light-rail expansions.


The Phoenix City Council has since approved legislation in order to ensure the line running to south Phoenix and the state Capitol will be open by 2023, nearly 10 years sooner than originally planned. The project was granted $50 million in order to complete on schedule, with the light rail project estimated to cost $704 million in total, according to a City Council report.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved the proposed changes and now await approval from City Council. The changes include: relocating stations to the north of Washington Street, and south of Jefferson Street, as well as adding a new station east of Central Avenue. Additionally, the plan suggests building more tracks along Fifth Street and Third Avenue. The plan has been designed to end vehicle traffic along Central Avenue between Jefferson and Washington streets.