John Genovese – Jul. 15, 2011
The Arizona Republic
Valley Metro has received the required environmental clearance to allow for its 3.1-mile light rail extension into central Mesa.
The “Finding of No Significant Impact” was issued by the Federal Transit Administration after Valley Metro officials were required to submit an environmental impact report to the agency.
“This is another significant step toward implementing the voter-approved extension of light rail,” Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said on Thursday. “(The extension) is so important to not only Mesa, but to the entire metro region.”
According to a press release, transit officials have spent more than a year reviewing potential property, historic preservation sites, and environmental factors to plan for the rail extension.
“This is good news that took a lot of hard work by METRO working closely with the City of Mesa,” said METRO CEO Steve Banta. “It allows us to initiate other key areas of work including utility relocation and real estate acquisition discussions.”
The planned extension will be built through downtown Mesa on Main Street, ending at Mesa Drive.
The section will include four new stations and a park-and-ride lot. Destinations such as the Mesa Arts Center and Nile Theater will be alongside the new addition.
Officials said rail planners are still working to finalize the project design, and the extension is expected to be operational by 2016.