Metro Head Seeks $1.7 Billion More For Phoenix Light Rail Plans

"Metro Executive Director Rick Simonetta outlined a request for $1.7 billion at the agency's meeting Wednesday. He wants to finish the voter-approved 57-mile system in 2020 rather than 2025 and add 23 miles of track by 2027. He said he did not have specific goals for where those extensions should go. The numbers are based on demand and the reasonable rate at which tracks can be laid, he said."

"His announcement comes in response to Gov. Janet Napolitano's call for a statewide rail plan and after consultation with state and regional transportation agencies."

"His plan assumes the federal government will chip in about a third of the money and that rail can be built for $75 million a mile, more than the $70 million figure the starter line is costing. He called the approach practical."