We have heard talks about the funding of METRO’s Mesa extension for quite some time, but the talks have been heating up lately as Mesa officials continue to explore extending the line further than originally planned.
A new study has been proposed to “better understand costs, station locations and to get public feedback” for an extension to Gilbert Road. It sounds like the cost of the $500,000 study will get a rubber stamp on Monday.
The Mesa light rail extension is being looked at as a key component towards economic development in the area, and preliminary reports show that extending the line from approximately Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road would have a positive impact on ridership numbers. Currently, the Sycamore and Main station is the eastern end of the line and showed the highest number of boardings in 2010. People using this station often come from Chandler, Gilbert and other east valley areas.
Given the fact that these additional 2 miles of track were not part of Prop 400, they “will likely need to find an unconventional funding source”, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said.
See the msnbc article here:
Remember, Rail Life has a Phoenix Light Rail Group on Flickr. Basically, we want to share some of our pictures from the community and allow people to add their pics (or videos), as well. These can be light rail related, but we also want pics or videos of your favorite spot, restaurant, sports team, community, event etc.
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