Big news for public transit in the Valley Metro area as Representative Greg Stanton announced a significant federal boost to expand the local streetcar system. An injection of $15.9 million from the RAISE grant, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used to extend the existing line by over four miles, pushing the network deeper into Mesa from Temper. Stanton underscored the investment as a pivotal step for economic development in Mesa in a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier this year, according to an announcement on the City of Mesa's official website.
This expansion, known as the Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Extension (REDE), aims to meet the needs of an area anticipating population growth and greater employment opportunities. The RAISE funds will specifically target the completion of design and environmental work for a project that Mesa Mayor John Giles believes will fortify community connectivity. Giles hailed the grant as "a transformative investment in our community’s future," as per a statement obtained by the City of Mesa news release. Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia, soon chairing Valley Metro Rail, expects the extension to elevate the quality of life by reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.
Transit connectivity stands as a priority, fostering access to jobs and education. The REDE project is not just a matter of convenience, but also of environmental and economic strategy. Tempe Vice Mayor Jennifer Adams, who also serves on the Valley Metro Board, sees this as an opportunity to bolster both cities by providing additional transportation options. Adams told the City of Mesa, "Residents of both cities will soon have more options to get to work, take their children to school, or enjoy a spring training game in another city."
Jessica Mefford-Miller, CEO of Valley Metro, echoed the sentiment of her municipal counterparts, stressing the partnership with USDOT as vital to the project's progression. “The nearly $16 million award will help advance the Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Extension into engineering as we seek to add travel options, create safer streets, and improve air quality and connectivity in a corridor rich with diverse neighborhoods, activity centers and extensive growth,” Mefford-Miller expressed in a public statement. The initiative is seen as a boon to diverse neighborhoods along the planned corridor, which have been ripe for this type of infrastructural enhancement.
