(Photo via Valley Metro)
By Lindsay Walker | YourValley
The long-awaited Tempe Streetcar finally rolled into town on May 20 with an opening attended by elected officials, stakeholders and Tempe residents.
The “first modern streetcar in the Valley” serves 14 unique stations across a three-mile radius, each with its own public art by five local artists, according to Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller.
“It took an entire community and contingent of strong visionary leaders to make this happen today,” she said during the ceremony. “It gives us more opportunities in terms of where we can take the streetcar for expansions.”
While Mefford-Miller said west Mesa was next on the docket for growth, a spokesperson for Valley Metro said any Streetcar expansion is still in its earliest stages.
“From 2018-2020, Valley Metro and the cities of Mesa and Tempe conducted a study to evaluate potential corridors for future expansion of the streetcar,” said Madeline Phipps. “The final results of that study led to five potential routes for expansion. The next steps would be to secure funding for any potential extensions.”
