Originally planned to open in 2034, city staffers want to speed up the South Central extension by nearly a decade. The five-mile line would run from downtown Phoenix to Baseline Road.
The South Central Extension calls for station locations at Baseline Road, Southern Avenue, Roeser Road, Broadway Road, Audubon Center, Buckeye Road and Lincoln Street.
As part of the Northwest Extension, staff want to see trains running to Metrocenter mall, just off Interstate 17 at Dunlap Avenue, by 2023. Construction could begin as soon as 2019.
During Tuesday's Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee meeting, Albert Santana, assistant to the city manager, pitched the schedule changes. He told subcommittee members the expansions can be accelerated thanks to a voter-approved sales tax increase to fund transportation projects. The full council must still approve the plans.
