Mesa, Ariz. LRT extension gets funded
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefA three-mile extension of light rail transit deeper into Mesa, Ariz., has received $35.5 million in fiscal year 2012 appropriations.
The amount is less than the $75 million sought under the federal “Small Starts” program for the extension, which Mesa, east of Phoenix, has sought for the LRT extension. The $35.5 million will fund right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation for the approximately three miles along Main Street from the Sycamore Street station through Mesa’s downtown. Total cost of the project is estimated at $200 million.
Valley Metro’s 20-mile line, serving Phoenix and Tempe, currently ekes across the Mesa’s western border, east of the state capital, but Mesa officials have sought to extend the line more deeply into the municipality. Mesa’s pro-rail stance has stood in marked contrast to some of Phoenix’s other suburbs, which have sought to avoid LRT expansion.
