FTA Awards $75 Million to Tempe Streetcar
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefThe Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded a $75 million Capital Investment Grant to Valley Metro for the Tempe Streetcar Project in Tempe, Ariz. The project, FTA said, “will improve mobility and transit service through the historic downtown Tempe area, which is the city’s government and financial center, linking riders to Arizona State University and Valley Metro’s existing light rail system.”
The Tempe Streetcar is a three-mile line with 14 stations and six vehicles that will connect downtown Tempe, Arizona State University and the emerging employment corridor of Rio Salado Parkway, which connects existing light rail serving Phoenix, Mesa and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The total project cost is $192.4 million, including the $75 million in FTA infrastructure grants.
Support for the Tempe Streetcar project is provided through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, which provides funding for major transit infrastructure projects nationwide. Transit infrastructure projects accepted into the CIG program “must meet rigorous requirements in law through a multi-year, multi-step process in order to be eligible for consideration to receive program funds,” FTA noted.
