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The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently approved Valley Metro’s request to enter the project development phase for the METRO Light-Rail’s Central Mesa extension.

The approval marks the first step in receiving the feds' green light for the project and, ultimately, federal funds to build the 3.1-mile extension on Main Street from the current end-of-line at Sycamore in Phoenix through downtown Mesa to Mesa Drive, Valley Metro officials said in a prepared statement.

Now, preliminary engineering work can begin. The Central Mesa extension is scheduled for completion in 2016.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot and Mesa Vice Mayor Kyle Jones recently won re-election to serve on METRO Light-Rail’s board as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, for fiscal-year 2010-11.

Simplot has served as METRO's chairman for the past four years; Jones has served as vice chairman for the past year.