Valley Metro to open downtown Phoenix light-rail extension in June

Valley Metro's South Central Light-Rail Extension/Downtown Phoenix Hub (SCE/DH) will open to passenger service on June 7, transit agency officials announced yesterday.

The $1.34 billion, 5.5-mile extension will operate between downtown Phoenix along Central and 1st avenues, continuing south to Baseline Road, Valley Metro officials said in a press release.

The expansion will also introduce a two-line rail system intersecting at the new transit hub in downtown Phoenix: The A Line will operate between Gilbert Road/Main Street in Mesa, Arizona, and the Downtown Hub; and the B Line will operate between Metro Parkway in northwest Phoenix and Baseline Road/Central Avenue.

Other project features included eight new stations and 14 new trains. Selected as a priority corridor, the SCE/DH light-rail expansion addresses critical transportation needs in an area where 44% of residents have limited or no access to personal vehicles, according to Valley Metro.

The new extension is expected to add more than 8,000 daily riders to the light rail system, which currently serves about 35,000 boardings per day.