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RAIL Valley Metro Rail

Valley Metro Rail is a 30-mile light rail route that travels from Metro Pkwy station at Thelda Williams Transit Center, down 25th Ave and Dunlap Ave, down 19th Ave, then Camelback Rd, then down Central Ave and Washington & Jefferson Streets through Downtown Phoenix, then into Downtown Tempe and along Apache Blvd/Main St into Mesa, ending at Gilbert Rd/Main St station.

Existed since: 2008
Operator: Valley Metro
Annual Ridership: 9,498,986 (FY 2023)
Full Length: 30 miles
Current Full Route: Metro Pkwy to Gilbert Rd/Main St
Original Full Route: Montebello/19th Ave to Sycamore/Main St
Connecting Routes: S SKYT 0 0A 1 3 7 8 10 12 15 16 17 19 27 29 30 32 35 40 41 44 45 48 50 56 60 62 66 70 72 80 81 90 96 104 106 112 120 122 128 136 514 521 522 531 533 535 542 562 563 571 573 575 GAL I10E I10W I17 SME SMW SR51 DBUZ EART FBUZ FLSH JUPI MARS MERC VENU

Train positions update every 30 seconds

Detailed Route Info

All Trips

Eastbound

Metro Pkwy to Gilbert Rd/Main St (Everyday)
19th Ave/Camelback to Gilbert Rd/Main St (Everyday)
Priest Dr/Washington St to Gilbert Rd/Main St (Everyday)
Metro Pkwy to 44th St/Washington (Everyday)

Westbound

Gilbert Rd/Main St to Metro Pkwy (Everyday)
Sycamore/Main St to Metro Pkwy (Everyday)
Veterans Way/College Ave to Metro Pkwy (Everyday)
50th St/Washington St to Metro Pkwy (Everyday)
Gilbert Rd/Main St to Priest Dr/Washington St (Everyday)

Schedule

History

Picture from the October 1988 Regional Public Transportation Plan for Maricopa County depicting multiple examples of Rapid Transit Modes
Rapid Transit Modes depicted in the 1988 ValTrans plan

Phoenix, like many other American cities of the time, did have a streetcar network back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (You can learn more about this here). However, modern, local rail service in Phoenix was originally envisioned in the 1980s, specifically in the ValTrans Regional Public Transportation Plan for Maricopa County from October 1988. Here, a few rapid transit modes were proposed for Phoenix: Automated Rapid Transit (ART), Busway Rapid Transit (BRT), and Light Rail Transit (LRT). Commuter rail was also explored as an option to travel to the East Valley from Downtown Phoenix via Southern Pacific Railroad Tracks.

At the time, ART was selected as the recommended alternative because its elevated guideway would've made it faster than LRT and it would've been less costly to operate because of its automated nature. LRT and BRT were also considered as a secondary option for specific projects, such as along the Interstate 10 corridor. Specifically, this plan recommended 103 miles of ART and 27 miles of BRT along Interstate 10. The plan also called for 97 ART stations and 22 BRT stations. There were 8 corridors studied by the RPTA at the time, such as an East Valley corridor, Central, Camelback, Black Canyon, 44th Street, Mesa-Chandler, Papago and Maricopa, and Northeast.

Map of the rapid transit plan from 1988 for Maricopa County
Map of the 1988 RPTA Rapid Transit Plan

On the left is the map from the 1988 RPTA regional rapid transit plan. The very first ART line that was planned was to run from Downtown Glendale along the Camelback Corridor, down the Central Corridor, and along the East Valley Corridor, through Sky Harbor International Airport, to Downtown Tempe. This planned ART line is very similar to the current light rail line, though it has obviously ended up as LRT instead of ART, and does not travel all the way to Glendale, but does travel through Mesa.

The other priority at the time was the BRT line along Interstate 10. This BRT plan is why the I-10 median is so wide west of 24th Street and why there is a giant facility in the median of I-10 under the Deck Park Tunnel, that was meant to be a bus terminal! Commuter rail service was also planned during the first stage of this plan, but clearly neither of these plans have came to fruition. However, not all hope is lost for the I-10 corridor. There are plans to extend the current light rail from Downtown Phoenix, along the I-10 corridor, to 79th Avenue, which we will hopefully see soon.

Obviously, none of the ideas that were proposed in 1988 exist today, because the plan was shot down by voters at the time. While we don't quite have the rapid transit system that was originally planned for Phoenix, we do at least have the light rail.

Map showing the light rail traveling from Montebello and 19th Avenue station to Sycamore and Main Street station.
Light rail map from 2008

The current light rail was a part of the Transit 2000 Regional Transportation Plan, approved by voters in 2000, with additional funding approved in 2004. Construction on the initial light rail line began in March 2005, with its grand opening on December 27, 2008, with the line traveling from Montebello/19th Ave station, down 19th Ave and along Camelback Rd, down Central Ave, through Downtown Phoenix and along Jefferson and Washington Streets, across the Salt River and into Downtown Tempe, then along Terrace Rd and Apache Blvd, becoming Main St in Mesa, and ending at Sycamore/Main St station.

The first extension began construction in July 2012 and opened to the public on August 22, 2015, extending the eastern end from Sycamore to Mesa Dr/Main St.

The next extension began construction in January 2013, opening on March 19, 2016, extending the western end of the route from Montebello/19th Ave to 19th Ave/Dunlap.

An infill station was added on April 25, 2019 at 50th St/Washington St.

Another eastern extension started construction in October 2016 and opened on May 18, 2019, extending the light rail to Gilbert Rd/Main St.

Finally, the latest extension to the system began construction in July 2020 and was opened on January 27, 2024, extending the western end of the light rail down Dunlap Ave, up 25th Ave, and over to Metro Pkwy station at Thelda Williams Transit Center (the former Metrocenter Mall).

Another light rail extension is currently underway, with construction having started in October 2019, to extend the light rail from Downtown Phoenix, down Central Ave to Baseline Rd. This extension is expected to be finished by 2025.

Future Expansion

South Central Extension & Downtown Hub

Construction is currently underway on the South Central light rail extension and the Downtown Hub. This extension will add 5.5 miles of track, 8 stations, and 2 Park and Rides to the system between Downtown Phoenix and Central Ave & Baseline Rd. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.

Map showing the South Central light rail extension from 3rd Avenue and Washington / Jefferson in Downtown Phoenix, down Central Avenue to Baseline Road
South Central Extension Map

Capitol Extension

The Capitol Extension is a planned, 0.8-mile light rail extension that would travel along the Washington and Jefferson St corridor from 3rd Ave to 15th Ave. The original plan originally involved an extension to 19th Ave until legislation (SB 1102) was passed restricting how close light rail could be to the State Capitol.

Map showing the Capitol light rail extension from 3rd Avenue and Washington / Jefferson to 15th Avenue
Capitol Extension Map

I-10 West Extension

The Interstate 10 West Extension is a planned, 10-mile light rail extension that would travel from the end of the Capitol Extension at 15th Ave, then either travel up to Van Buren St or down to Madison St, then up 19th Ave, around the State Capitol to Van Buren St & 19th Ave, then the light rail would travel alongside Interstate 17, then along Interstate 10 and up 79th Ave to Thomas Rd, serving Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre and Desert Sky Mall.

Map showing the Interstate 10 West light rail extension from Van Buren Street and 19th Avenue to Thomas Road and 79th Avenue
I-10 West Extension Map

Pictures


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