The metro Phoenix area recently surpassed five million residents, making it one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. While it continues to experience increased traffic as it builds outward, there is currently no existing fixed-transit service along the Rio Salado portion of the corridor between Tempe and Mesa.
To better connect this growing region, STV was contracted by the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority (Valley Metro) to serve as the lead planner and designer for the Rio East-Dobson Extension. This project is evaluating the expansion of Valley Metro Streetcar by approximately four miles, from downtown Tempe into Arizona’s third-largest city, Mesa.
STV’s team is conducting an alternative analysis to consider and evaluate the line’s configuration and how it can best connect various regional activity centers, employment centers and residential areas. The team is also studying the potential to integrate the project with planned transit-oriented developments throughout the cities while serving Tempe Marketplace and Sloan Park in Mesa. STV is preparing conceptual designs for the streetcar and analyzing the project’s potential for receiving federal grants in future phases.
Once complete, the expanded streetcar line will extend near the Sycamore/Main Street light rail station in Mesa, serving as a hub to encourage multi–modal ridership for travel to downtown Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, including the campuses of Arizona State University and popular entertainment venues, with the potential for additional streetcar expansion in the future.
Photo courtesy of Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority
