U.S. DOT Provides $35.6 Million for Improved Maricopa County Transit and Rides to Work

Maricopa County commuters and residents will benefit from improved bus services and transit improvements thanks to three grants totaling $35.6 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta announced today.

“Today, the Bush Administration does its part to help the region meet its current and future transportation needs, as local transit ridership and services continue to grow,” said Secretary Mineta.  “This investment will help better connect students to schools and workers to jobs in this rapidly growing economy.”

The Phoenix metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing urbanized areas in the United States. A $24.5 million grant, awarded to the City Of Phoenix, will be used for final design activities for the proposed 20.3-mile Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail System called METRO. The system will bring first time rail-access to Maricopa county residents, serving as a speedy link between the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa and Glendale. The new line will also provide commuters with a transit alternative to congested roads and increase access to major employment centers including Sky Harbor Airport, Arizona State University (ASU), Civic Plaza Convention Center, Bank One Ballpark, America West Arena, and ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium. It is estimated that by the year 2008, the rail system will serve 26,000 riders.

A second grant of $7.9 million to the City of Phoenix will be used to improve transit service and operations across the city and neighboring areas by constructing four new transit facilities. The funding will support land acquisition and design activities for three new maintenance facilities planned in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix, as well as continued construction of an administrative facility in Mesa, all of which will be used by Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA).  The grant also will be used to purchase 10 new buses.  The new buses, to be delivered in 2006, will replace existing vehicles that serve commuter routes throughout Maricopa County, providing riders with more reliable and more comfortable travel when going to work.

The remaining funding of $3.2 million will be used by the City of Phoenix to support its Job Access and Reverse Commute van program, which connects lower-income workers and welfare recipients to job locations, childcare centers and job training sites throughout the region on a needs basis. The van program has carried Phoenix area workers to jobs for the past six years and has served a total of 9,518 individuals since its inception in 1999. The funding announced today makes it possible for residents of Maricopa county and its surrounding areas to access scattered employment sites, including PetSmart Distribution Center, Sunland Beef, Palm Valley Medical Center, Lowe’s Rubbermaid and Sysco in the Southwest Valley where public transportation services are limited.