Central Mesa light rail extension is one step closer to federal funding‏

The Federal Transit Administration has approved METRO light rail’s request to enter Project Development for the Central Mesa light rail extension. This marks the first step in receiving federal project approval and ultimately federal funds to build the 3.1-mile extension on Main Street from the current end-of-line at Sycamore, through downtown Mesa to Mesa Drive.

“This is a significant milestone for the Central Mesa light rail extension,” said Mesa Vice Mayor and METRO Board Vice Chairman Kyle Jones. “It allows us to begin designing the project that we’ve all worked so hard to develop over the past three years.”

With this approval, preliminary engineering work can begin and will be conducted by Jacobs Engineering. METRO has contracted with Jacobs for preliminary and final engineering that will collectively take approximately two years and be followed shortly by construction. The Central Mesa extension is scheduled for completion in 2016.

“Central Mesa is a solid project,” said Steve Banta, METRO CEO. “While the FTA process is competitive, our project received a favorable rating and should fare well in its application for federal grant money.” The project cost is estimated at $200 million and will be paid for using a mix of regional and federal funds.

For more information on the Central Mesa light rail extension, visit www.metrolightrail.org/centralmesa.

About METRO

METRO is responsible for the development and operation of the region’s high-capacity transit system. The first 20-mile light rail line opened Dec. 27, 2008 and served 11.3 million riders in 2009, exceeding all first-year ridership projections. METRO continues to serve an average of 41,000 daily riders and refine its 20-mile operation. It is also planning for 37 miles of future extensions.

Source: Metro Light Rail