Valley Metro will ask Phoenix city leaders to approve an agreement up to $50 million to move forward with another light-rail extension project. The money will cover design and pre-construction work so the train can travel to south Phoenix.
The extension will start at Central Avenue and Jefferson Street and run five miles south to Baseline Road.
It will end right outside the door of Evolve Dance and Fitness Studio where Bobby Wade says they offer classes and events for kids and parents.
Some business owners are worried because the project will cut Central Avenue from four lanes to two lanes, but Wade told a city subcommittee he thinks fewer lanes could help.
"A lot of the people are passing through,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even understand what south Phoenix has to offer, what businesses are there. And if we’re able to slow that down a little bit I think people tend to pick their head up and see what’s going on.”
Real-estate agent Victor Vidales has an office along Central Avenue and told committee members he supports the extension.
“We’ve been on multiple tours with our community in Mesa, and we see the beautiful job that they’ve done of taking four lanes to two lanes and making this very walkable community and we look forward to the same,” he said.”
If the City Council approves Valley Metro’s request on Wednesday, it also will include a comprehensive traffic analysis to assess business impacts. The design phase is expected to take two years. The total cost of the south Central extension project is estimated at $704 million, which includes federal, regional and local funding.
