The West Phoenix line would extend from the existing Valley Metro line at Camelback Road and North 19th Avenue, but was already in doubt when, in 2017, the city of Glendale discontinued its participation in the planning process.
This action follows an earlier October 2018 decision when the council suspended planning on the Northeast Extension to the Paradise Valley Mall. Also at risk is the 5.5-mile South Central extension, which is being fought by local business owners and activists, as previously reported by Trains.
Each of these projects are part of the city’s voter-approved Transportation 2050 plan, funded by a 0.7 percent sales tax, with 35 percent designated for light rail, 51 percent for buses, and 14 percent for street work.
“Through a countywide proposition, residents in Maricopa County approved a regional 66-mile light rail system, which included the expansion to West Phoenix and beyond,” Valley Metro spokeswoman Susan Tierney said in a statement emailed to Trains.
Valley Metro serves a population of 4.3 million people. Its current 26-mile rail route counted 16.5 million riders in 2017, according to the National Transit Database, an increase of more than 15 percent from 2013.
Trains has just learned that the new Gilbert Road extension will go into service May 18, adding two miles of new route. Finishing touches are being put on a new station at 50th Street that will open on April 24.
