Valley Metro reaches milestone on light-rail extension

Late last week, national and local government representatives joined Valley Metro officials and Phoenix community members to mark significant progress on construction of the 3.2-mile Northwest Phoenix light-rail extension.

The project, which will extend Valley Metro light-rail service form Montebello to Dunlap avenues in Phoenix, is nearing the halfway point. At the celebration held July 12, officials placed a "First Track" plaque on 19th Avenue. The service is expected to open in 2016.

"The Valley's light-rail system is one of the most successful in the country, ranking at the top in ridership," said U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) in a press release. "We're not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to build a regional transit system that will serve our growing community."

In fiscal-year 2013, Valley Metro posted total ridership of 73.4 million passengers, which set a new record for bus and light-rail boardings.