KTAR
In 2015, Phoenix voters approved a measure that would allot $550 million for light rail expansion from downtown Phoenix east to the South Mountain Village Core.
But newer documents that Valley Metro Rail filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Federal Transit Administration estimated costs at about $1.35 billion.
Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith explained that figure now includes metro rail expansion from downtown Phoenix west to the Arizona State Capitol.
“All of that work was expected to be done as a separate project, and now is included as a single project,” Smith said. “So, when you add all of that up, it’s a billion-dollar project.”
