USDOT announces $158M grant for light rail project in Phoenix

© Shutterstock

On Friday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Nuria Fernandez announced the U.S. Department of Transportation had awarded the City of Phoenix $158 million in construction grant funding.

The money would allow Valley Metro to construct the Northwest Extension Phase II Light Rail Project – a 1.6-mile light rail extension that will provide public transit between Phoenix and the Metrocenter Mall.

“I’m delighted to be back in Phoenix today to help the Federal Transit Administration make this important funding award official,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Four months ago, I had the chance to see the remarkable work that Valley Metro is doing, and the Northwest Extension project will help even more residents get where they need to go, while at the same time helping to ease congestion and counter the climate crisis that has been so damaging to the Southwest.”

The project will provide access to the region’s light rail system for communities in north and west Phoenix, as well as in Glendale and Peoria. It will support transit-oriented development in the corridor while linking the Metrocenter to existing regional activity centers, including downtown Phoenix, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and Arizona State University.

“FTA is proud to join our partners in Arizona to expand light rail service and improve transit connections between Metrocenter, downtown Phoenix and other important destinations,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “The Northwest Extension Phase II project will get riders where they need to go – faster, more efficiently, and sustainably.”

The funding, through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, includes three stations, three bridges, a multi-modal transit center, and a parking structure. The light rail line is expected to be open in February 2025.