The long-anticipated light rail expansion into South Phoenix, an area that's been gridlocked with construction for what feels like an eon, is finally a done deal. As reported by ABC15, over a thousand locals turned up to mark the historical moment, signs in hand, praising family members who've driven the rails, and likely harboring high hopes for a swifter commute. "We are holding signs for our Tia, she drives the light rail and she has been driving the light rail for 25 years, since it opened," Lindsey, a resident, told ABC15.
The South Central Extension now promises to seamlessly connect, a process expedited to ferry folks every 12 minutes before the sun sets on the workweek, according to data from KJZZ. Over in Tempe, streetcar services are not to be outdone, arriving every quarter-hour to maintain a steady flow of urban ebb and tide. The Valley Metro is banking on an influx of more than 8,000 daily riders joining the transit convoys—clearly, they're not playing at trains here.
However, it wasn't all smooth tracks; the construction phase meant local businesses frequently saw the business equivalent of tumbleweeds. Local resident Monica lamented the inconvenience to ABC15, "Yeah, construction hasn't been that great." Still, former Congressman Greg Stanton, likely clad in his political best, maintained a sunny outlook, acknowledging the patience required through the construction phase in a statement obtained by ABC15.
Despite the snags and the odd complaint, city officials are already eyeballing the next horizon. No rest for the wicked—or the city planners, as Mayor Gallego suggests, "We celebrate but don't stop working," she said in a moment of municipal earnestness to ABC15. And who knows?
