Valley Metro's Gilbert Road light-rail extension receives environmental clearance

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a "finding of no significant impact" for Valley Metro's proposed 1.9-mile Gilbert Road light-rail extension in Phoenix.

The FTA's finding follows the agency's submittal of the project's environmental assessment, Valley Metro officials said in a press release.

The proposed project would extend light rail beyond the Central Mesa extension on Main Street to Gilbert Road in Mesa, Ariz., by 2018. Construction for utility relocations is anticipated to begin in spring 2015 with operations starting in 2018.

"As we continue to build our Valley’s total transit network, the Gilbert Road extension helps satisfy the growing demand for transit service in the East Valley," said Valley Metro Chief Executive Officer Steve Banta. "With this approval, we can begin the important next steps of advancing into the design phase."