Mesa receives $920K for 5-mile streetcar route development
Jan 23, 2022, 7:00 AM | Updated: Jan 24, 2022, 7:42 am
A Valley Metro Rail train drives through downtown on March 26, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite fears from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Valley Metro services continue on a regular schedule. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Mesa received a $920,000 grant to manage the planning of 11 stations along a 5-mile streetcar route that would connect four activity centers, officials in the East Valley city said.
The funding will be used to conduct extensive planning efforts, determine design guidelines and establish economic strategies, Mesa city officials said in a press release Friday.
When completed, the route would connect Riverview Marketplace, Asian District, Fiesta District and downtown.
“Enhancing the mobility of our residents is crucial to attract businesses, revitalize communities and strengthen our economy,” Councilmember and Valley Metro Chair Francisco Heredia said in the release.
RELATED STORIES
It was the second-largest Transit-Oriented Development grant in the country, following the $970,000 MARTA grant in Atlanta, the release said.
“The pilot program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning grant will allow us to develop the strategies to maximize economic opportunities around the streetcar route,” Heredia said.
Last June, the Valley Metro Tempe Street Car Project was allocated $17.4 million under the American Rescue Plan to advance the 3-mile streetcar plan with 14 stations and six vehicles.
