Open 7 Months Ahead of Schedule: Mesa, Arizona's Light Rail Extension

"The red carpet is getting rolled out in downtown Mesa on Aug. 22 as the community celebrates the first extension of the light rail system in the Valley," reports Shelly Ridenour.

"A 3.1-mile section of light rail has been extended into the heart of downtown Mesa. After several months of testing, it starts full-fledged operations Saturday morning." Mesa is located just to the East of Tempe and Phoenix.

A Valley Metro press release notes that the extension, delivered seven months ahead of schedule, is "the first extension since Valley Metro Rail began serving the greater Phoenix area in December 2008." Adds the release: "The additional 3.1-miles of service on Main Street, between Sycamore and Mesa Drive, are anticipated to carry an additional 5,000 daily riders on the system." The new extension includes five new stations, two of which include park-and-ride facilities.