List of Valley Metro Rail stations explained

Valley Metro Rail is a light rail transit system that serves the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, United States. The light rail system, which operates under the Valley Metro brand name, has 41 stations and 29.8miles of tracks within the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. The system serves on average over 49,400 weekday riders as of 2016, making it one of the busiest light rail systems in the United States.

Valley Metro Rail opened its initial 20miles starter line on December 27, 2008. The starter line, which was funded through a combination of federal, regional and local municipal funds, operated from the 19th Avenue/Montebello station in Phoenix, through Tempe, serving the Arizona State University Tempe campus, and ended at the Sycamore/Main Street station in Mesa. The starter line provided service to 28 stations in total, which were primarily located on-street at the intersections of major arterial roads every 0.5miles, although mid-block stations are common in areas of higher urban density. On April 8, 2013, the PHX Sky Train people mover opened, providing direct service from the 44th Street/Washington station to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. On August 22, 2015, Valley Metro's first light rail extension, the Central Mesa Extension, opened, which added four new stations on the eastern end of the starter line going through downtown Mesa, including a new terminus at Mesa Drive/Main Street station. The second light rail extension, the Northwest Extension Phase I opened on March 19, 2016, which added three new stations on the western end of the starter line on 19th Avenue, including a new terminus at 19th Avenue/Dunlap station.

Three new stations opened on 2019. Two of these, Stapley/Main Street station and Gilbert Road/Main Street station, are part of the Gilbert Road Extension, which began service at May 2019.[1] [2] The third station, 50th Street/Washington station, is an infill station located between the 44th Street/Washington station and Priest Drive/Washington station in Phoenix. This station opened in April 2019, and was funded by Proposition 104, Phoenix's 2015 ballot initiative that extended and expanded the city's transportation sales tax.

Each light rail station is approximately 300feet long, which allows up to three separate light rail vehicles to be linked into one train (each light rail vehicle is 90feet long). Access is primarily provided at the end of the stations, usually at signalized intersections. All stations maintain a similar design, are ADA accessible and provide level boarding throughout. Each station consists of a platform and an overhead canopy that provides shade and shelter from the weather. Station amenities include seating, trash canisters, a drinking fountain, lighting, digital and vocal rider information, emergency call boxes and public art. Fares can be purchased at the ticket vending machines located at each end of the station platforms. Five of the stations have associated transit centers for transferring between light rail and buses. 10 of the stations have associated park-and-ride facilities that provide approximately 4,500 public parking spaces combined along the entire light rail system.

Valley Metro is currently in various phases of planning and development on six light rail extensions. Combined, these extensions will expand the light rail system by 37miles by the year 2034. Three of these extensions have completed a sufficient amount of planning to determine the number of stations they will include. The Gilbert Road Extension, as discussed previously, will add two stations; the Northwest Extension Phase II will add three stations; and the South Central Extension will add seven stations. The other two extensions are still going through the station selection process. The Capitol Extension will add approximately two new light rail stations. The I-10 West Extension will add 8 new stations. The West Phoenix is in the planning process, and thus the number of stations have yet to be determined. The Northeast Extension has not begun the planning process, and thus the number of stations have yet to be determined. Valley Metro also completed the Tempe Streetcar in downtown Tempe, which has 14 stops along its 3miles alignment. Two of these stops directly interface with the existing light rail stations at Mill Avenue/Third Street station and Dorsey/Apache Boulevard station. After the completion of all of these extensions and the 50th St/Washington infill station, the Phoenix metropolitan area will have 63miles of light rail and over 65 separate light rail stations. As part of Phoenix's Proposition 104, various new extensions have been proposed, although none of these have been formally adopted by Valley Metro Rail's Board of Directors.

Stations

†Terminal station
Park and ride station
Transport hub
Bike rack station
Transfer to Amtrak (future)
Transfer to Phoenix BRT (future)
Transfer to Phoenix Commuter Rail (future)
 → Transfer to PHX Sky Train
Transfer to Tempe Streetcar
Station[3] ExtensionCityCharacter Area/Travel Sheds/Urban VillageOpenedPlatform TypeRidership (FY 2021)[4] CoordinatesRef(s)
 †    Northwest Phase IIPhoenixNorth MountainJanuary 27, 2024Island[5]
Northwest Phase IIPhoenixNorth MountainJanuary 27, 2024Island
Northwest Phase IIPhoenixNorth MountainJanuary 27, 2024Island
19th Avenue/Dunlap  Northwest Phase IPhoenixNorth MountainIsland1,465
Northern/19th AvenueNorthwest Phase IPhoenixAlhambraIsland469
Glendale/19th AvenueNorthwest Phase IPhoenixAlhambraIsland592
19th Avenue/Montebello   Starter LinePhoenixAlhambraIsland740
19th Avenue/Camelback Starter LinePhoenixAlhambraIsland693
7th Avenue/CamelbackStarter LinePhoenixAlhambraIsland399
Central Avenue/Camelback  Starter LinePhoenixAlhambraSide313
Campbell/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixEncantoIsland257
Indian School/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixEncantoIsland543
Osborn/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixEncantoIsland359
Thomas/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixEncantoIsland633
Encanto/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixEncantoIsland200
McDowell/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixCentral CityIsland568
Roosevelt/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixCentral CityIsland436
Van Buren/1st Avenue [6] Starter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide371
Van Buren/Central Avenue  Starter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide589
Jefferson/1st AvenueStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide264
Washington/Central AvenueStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide470
3rd Street/JeffersonStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide396
3rd Street/WashingtonStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide278
12th Street/JeffersonStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide157
12th Street/WashingtonStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide136
24th Street/JeffersonStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide218
24th Street/WashingtonStarter LinePhoenixCentral CitySide237
38th Street/Washington Starter LinePhoenixCentral CityIsland327
44th Street/Washington  →  Starter LinePhoenixIsland903
50th Street/WashingtonInfill stationPhoenixCamelback EastIsland217[7]
Priest Drive/WashingtonStarter LineTempeNorth TempeIsland443
Center Parkway/WashingtonStarter LineTempeNorth TempeIsland138
Mill Avenue/Third Street Starter LineTempeRio SaladoSide494
Veterans Way/College Avenue  Starter LineTempeRio SaladoSide541
University Drive/RuralStarter LineTempeRio SaladoSide547
Dorsey/Apache Boulevard  Starter LineTempeApacheIsland346
McClintock/Apache Boulevard  Starter LineTempeApacheIsland541
Smith–Martin/Apache BoulevardStarter LineTempeApacheIsland229
Price–101 Freeway/Apache Boulevard  Starter LineTempeApacheIsland326
Sycamore/Main Street  Starter LineMesaDowntownIsland581
Alma School/Main StreetCentral MesaMesaDowntown Island581
Country Club/Main StreetCentral MesaMesaDowntown Island558
Central MesaMesaDowntown Island217
Mesa Drive/Main Street † Central MesaMesaDowntown Island354
Stapley/Main StreetGilbert RoadMesaDowntownIsland273
Gilbert Road/Main Street †  Gilbert RoadMesaDowntown Island1,261

Under construction

Station[8] ExtensionCityUrban VillageOpeningPlatform TypeCoordinatesRef(s)
3rd Street Loop †South CentralPhoenixCentral City2025Side
Downtown HubSouth CentralPhoenixCentral City2025Side
South CentralPhoenixCentral City2025Side
South CentralPhoenixCentral City2025Side
South CentralPhoenixCentral City2025Island
South CentralPhoenixSouth Mountain2025Island
 South CentralPhoenixSouth Mountain2025Island
South CentralPhoenixSouth Mountain2025Island
South CentralPhoenixSouth Mountain2025Island
 † South CentralPhoenixSouth Mountain2025Island

Planned

Station[9] ExtensionCityUrban VillageOpeningPlatform TypeCoordinatesRef(s)
7th Avenue/WashingtonCapitol PhoenixCentral City2027
7th Avenue/JeffersonCapitolPhoenixCentral City2027
15th Avenue/WashingtonCapitol PhoenixCentral City2027
15th Avenue/Jefferson CapitolPhoenixCentral City2027
21st Avenue/Van BurenI-10 West PhoenixCentral City2030
35th Avenue I-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030
51st AvenueI-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030
59th Avenue I-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030
67th AvenueI-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030
79th Avenue/McDowell  I-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030
79th Avenue/Encanto I-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030
79th Avenue/Thomas †   I-10 West PhoenixMaryvale2030

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gilbert Road Light Rail Extension Fact Sheet . April 2019 . Valley Metro . April 26, 2019.
  2. Web site: Celebrate with us on May 18! Two more miles of light rail open in Mesa. Valley Metro. www.valleymetro.org. 20 May 2019 . 2019-05-20.
  3. The stations are in order from the western terminus to the eastern terminus.
  4. Ridership is reported as average weekday boardings
  5. News: Reagan . Kevin . Extended light rail route in Phoenix now open . 27 January 2024 . 12 News . 27 January 2024.
  6. This station is a split platform that serves one-way traffic.
  7. News: Boehm . Jessica . April 24, 2019 . Phoenix opens new, accessible light rail station as movement to kill rail program heats up . . April 26, 2019.
  8. The stations are in order from the western terminus to the eastern terminus.
  9. The stations are in order from the eastern terminus to the western terminus.

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