Tempe Streetcar


Tempe Streetcar is a future streetcar extension of Phoenix's Valley Metro Rail light rail system. Construction began in 2017 with a projected opening for service in 2021. When completed, it will link various parts of the city's downtown, as well as the Tempe campus of Arizona State University.

Background

Tempe Streetcar is joint project between Valley Metro and the City of Tempe Public Works Department and will consist of 14 stops, running from Dorsey Lane west on Apache Boulevard, then north on Mill Avenue. From there, it will loop around Downtown Tempe along Mill and Ash avenues. The route continues along Rio Salado Parkway to Marina Heights, with possible extensions into the City of Mesa under consideration and evaluation. Once completed, a transfer from light rail to the streetcar at the 3rd Street station will permit travel to Gammage Memorial Auditorium at Arizona State University to the south and the Hayden Ferry and Marina Heights office complexes to the north.
Construction will cost approximately $200 million and will be funded using the Proposition 400 sales tax and federal grants. In February 2016, the project was identified in President Barack Obama's budget for Fiscal Year 2017. A total of $75 million was dedicated to the project and would supplement the Proposition 400 funds, as well as local funds and other federal grant funds. The final 2017 budget, approved in May 2017 under President Donald Trump, included $50 million.

History

Design

In December 2016, Valley Metro selected Stantec Consulting Services for design work to be completed in 2017, allowing construction to start later in the year. Stantec has designed other streetcar projects in the United States and contributed to the design of the Valley Metro light rail system. In May 2018, design was finalized.
The streetcar will be able to travel on the light rail line and will use those tracks to travel to the Operations & Maintenance Center.

Construction

Construction began on June 1, 2017 with utility relocation, which made way for tracks to be laid. In August 2018, Valley Metro received approval from the Federal Transit Administration to begin the initial phase of significant construction on the Tempe Streetcar. With this approval, Valley Metro began work this fall on building the system’s rail trackway, power systems and street improvements.

Rolling stock

In 2011, Kinki Sharyo offered a demonstration model of its ameriTRAM vehicle, to allow members of the public to provide feedback on the vehicle.
Valley Metro issued an RFP to obtain vehicles for this route in the summer of 2016. Potential suppliers originally included Alstom, Bombardier, CAF USA, Kinki Sharyo, Siemens and TIG/m. Vehicle options for this line included a combination of battery power, overhead catenary wires or on-board hydrogen fuel system.
Brookville Equipment Corporation was awarded the $33 million contract for six Liberty Streetcars in 2017.

Stations

The Tempe Streetcar will have a total of 14 stops.
Station↓↑LayoutNotes
Marina Heights/Rio Salado Parkway●●2 tracks, island platform, center of streetNorthern terminus
Hayden Ferry/Rio Salado Parkway●●2 tracks, island platform, center of street
Tempe Beach Park/Rio Salado Parkway●1 track, side platform, center of street
3rd Street/Mill Avenue●1 track, side platform, curbside laneConnect to Valley Metro Rail at
3rd Street/Ash Avenue●1 track, side platform, curbside laneConnect to Valley Metro Rail at
5th Street/Mill Avenue●1 track, side platform, curbside lane
6th Street/Mill Avenue●1 track, side platform, curbside lane
University Drive/Ash Avenue●1 track, side platform, curbside lane
9th Street/Mill Avenue●●2 tracks, island platform, center of street
11th Street/Mill Avenue●●2 tracks, island platform, center of street
College Avenue/Apache Boulevard●●2 tracks, island platform, center of street
Paseo del Saber/Apache Boulevard●●2 tracks, island platform, center of street
Rural Road/Apache Boulevard●●2 tracks, island platform, center of street
Dorsey Boulevard/Apache Boulevard●●1 track, side platform, center of streetSouthern terminus, connect to Valley Metro Rail