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METRO Light Rail is a light rail system currently under construction in the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa, Arizona. It is part of the Valley Metro public transit system. The 20-mile (32 km) starter segment is scheduled to be completed in December 2008. Construction began in March 2005.
OverviewThe expected construction cost for the initial 20 miles (32 km) is $1.4 billion [1]. Trains will operate on city streets in a "center reservation," similar to the Red Line of the METRO light rail system in Houston and the surface sections of the Green Line in Boston. Some parts of the line, such as near State Route 202, are long stretches which have no contact with vehicle traffic. The vehicles used will be rated for a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h), and are expected to have an average speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) during rush hour over the 20-mile (32 km) route, completing it in approximately 50 minutes.[2] An equivalent section of the Red Line bus route that the rail line replaces takes 80 minutes.[3]. HistoryVarious plans preceded the current implementation of light rail. The Phoenix Street Railway provided streetcar service from 1887 to 1948. Historic vehicles may be seen at the Arizona Street Railway Museum. In 1989, the ValTrans elevated rail proposal [4], was turned down by voters in a referendum due to cost and feasibility concerns. Other subsequent initiatives during the 1990s failed over similar reasons. METRO was created by the Transit 2000 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which involved a 0.4 per cent sales tax and was approved by voters in Phoenix in 2000. Transit 2000 aimed at improving the local bus service and the formation of bus rapid transit and light rail, among other things, which was seen as a more affordable approach. It used the route placing and color designations from the 1989 plan. In March 2008, cracks in the system's rails were discovered. The cause of the cracks was determined to be improper use of plasma cutting torches by contractors.[5] The affected track was repaired by May at a cost of $600,000 with still no word on which parties will be held financially responsible.[6] The last of the concrete and rail for the system was installed in the end of April, with CEO declaring the system to be on time and on budget.[7] There are 27 stations on the initial twenty-mile (32 km) starter segment due to open on 27 December 2008. The stations will be designed to complement their immediate surroundings[8]. Station platform areas will be approximately 16 feet (4.9 m) wide by 300 feet (91 m) long. Future extensions and improvements
Proposition 400 was approved in the 2004 elections allowing for possible construction along:
The plan also identifies several "eligible high capacity corridors" (Figure 8-4) for added service within a few decades:
The above projects all have completion dates ranging from the 2010s to 2020s, since studies and consultations must take place well before construction. Future increasing cost, especially in relation to right-of-way acquisition where land values are rising, is another issue. Commuter railThe Maricopa Association of Governments and the Arizona Department of Transportation are studying suburban commuter rail as a complement to light rail.[10] The MAG Commuter Rail Strategic Plan was released in March 2008. [11] In April 2008, a coalition of Arizona business and political leaders, including Governor Janet Napolitano, proposed a $42 billion state transit plan which would include commuter rail.[12] Commuter rail generally uses upgraded existing freight rail lines, with stations every three to five miles (8 km). In Phoenix, as in other areas that have implemented commuter rail, track speeds would be increased, signals updated, and additional sidings and double-track added. Proposals for constructing entirely new rail rights-of-way in the middle of urban highways have largely been eliminated due to their expense and their location far beyond walking distance from downtowns and activity centers. Contemporary discussion of commuter rail in Phoenix began with the "Hattie B." flood relief train of 1980 [13][14] and was first widely promoted in 1991 by the Arizona Rail Passenger Association[15]. Daily rail service had existed until the 1960s between Phoenix, Glendale, and Wickenburg as well as Tempe and Mesa. A single short commuter rail line was also part of the ValTrans proposal. See alsoExternal links
References
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