New Valley Metro Extension/Hub Creates Jobs, Connects Communities

More than 5,000 community members, along with federal, state, and local officials, gathered to celebrate the opening of Valley Metro’s South Central Extension/Downtown Hub (SCE/DH) light rail expansion in Phoenix, AZ, June 7. The project created more than 5,000 local jobs, with more than 600 workers hired directly from South Phoenix communities.

“Today, we are celebrating 5.5 new rail miles and the transformation of Valley Metro Rail into a multi-line operation, creating an important new connection to South Phoenix,” said Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller. “We built this project with the community to achieve their vision, and we will continue to advance the community’s vision to connect to the West and East Valleys and bring greater mobility and economic opportunity to more of metro Phoenix. I congratulate and thank the community and our teams for today’s successful opening!”

The extension marks an evolution to a 35-mile, two-line rail system. The A Line now travels east/west and the B Line travels north/south, with weekday service increased to 12 minutes before 7:00 p.m. The extension will add more than 8,000 daily riders to the system, which currently serves an average of 32,000 boardings per day.

There are eight new stations, a new park-and-ride facility at Baseline Road/Central Avenue, and a transit hub converging in downtown Phoenix. The extension also includes a number of community upgrades, such as enhanced bike lanes, pedestrian pathways, more than 550 new trees, and desert-adapted landscaping, along with comprehensive utility upgrades replacing more than 30 miles of underground infrastructure.

The $1.34 billion project was made possible through a strong federal-local partnership, with federal grants providing more than half the funding, alongside Phoenix Transportation 2050 and regional Proposition 400 investments.

Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix prioritized supporting small, locally owned businesses throughout construction through a first-of-its-kind grant program. Through the Small Business Financial Assistance Program, more than 270 grants, totaling more than $1.6 million, were awarded to small businesses along the corridor.

“Arizonans understand that these infrastructure investments make us more connected and more prosperous,” said Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ). “As we now look westward for future light rail expansion and anticipate the extensions of the streetcar line in the East Valley, we’re in a magical moment in Phoenix’s history, and we can only keep up this momentum if we keep investing in ourselves.”