The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced a $75 million grant to Valley Metro in Arizona for the Tempe Streetcar project.
The goal of the work on this transit infrastructure project is to improve mobility and transit service through the historic downtown Tempe area, which links riders to Arizona State University and Valley Metro’s existing light rail system.
The Tempe Streetcar is a 3-mile streetcar with 14 stations and six vehicles that will connect downtown Tempe, Arizona State University, and 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.
"FTA is proud to join our partners in Arizona to improve public transportation in downtown Tempe," FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams said in a statement. "The Tempe Streetcar will provide fast and efficient service, improving mobility and access to other transportation services for the thousands of riders who use this service every day."
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.
For the city of Tempe, the streetcar project is seen as widely beneficial for its potential to increase transit ridership, connect students and residents to neighborhood services in the downtown area, and how it might boost encouragement to reinvestment in neighborhoods.
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SOURCE: Federal Transit Administration
