| Tempe Streetcar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | City of Tempe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Tempe, Arizona, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
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| Stations | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Streetcar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System |  Valley Metro Rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Valley Metro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | 6Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 793,628 (FY 2024)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | May 20, 2022 (2022-5-20)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 3 mi (4.8 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Streetcar in mixed traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC + battery | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheTempe Streetcar is amodern streetcar inTempe, Arizona, operated byValley Metro. The 3-mile (4.8 km) line serves downtown Tempe,Tempe Town Lake, and theArizona State University Tempe campus with 14 stations. Construction began in 2017,[3] and the line opened for service on May 20, 2022.
The Tempe Streetcar serves a C-shaped route through Tempe, from Tempe Town Lake to the southern edge of theArizona State University Tempe campus, via downtown Tempe. The line operates primarily in mixed traffic, operating in the curbside lane in downtown Tempe and in center lanes elsewhere. The Tempe Streetcar's southern terminus, Dorsey/Apache Blvd, is a shared station with the Valley Metro Rail main line. Another connection to Valley Metro Rail is available at the streetcar's Third St/Mill and Third St/Ash stations, which are within walking distance of the Valley Metro Rail Mill Ave/Third St station.[4]
As of the July 2024 timetable[update], the Tempe Streetcar operates every 20 minutes. Weekday and Saturday service operates for 18 hours per day, and Sunday service operates for 16 hours per day. Northbound trips are scheduled at 19 minutes, and southbound trips are scheduled at 24 minutes.[4]
The Tempe Streetcar has a total of 14 stops.[5][6]
| Station[5][6] | Character Area | ↓ | ↑ | Layout[5][6] | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marina Heights/Rio Salado Parkway | Rio Salado | ● | ● | 2 tracks,island platform, center of street | Northern terminus |
| Hayden Ferry/Rio Salado Parkway | Rio Salado | ● | ● | 1 track,island platform, center of street | |
| Tempe Beach Park/Rio Salado Parkway | Rio Salado | ● | 1 track,side platform, center of street | ||
| 3rd Street/Mill Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | 1 track,side platform, curbside lane | Connect toValley Metro Rail atMill Avenue/Third Street | |
| 3rd Street/Ash Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | 1 track,side platform, curbside lane | Connect toValley Metro Rail atMill Avenue/Third Street | |
| 5th Street/Ash Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | 1 track,side platform, curbside lane | ||
| 6th Street/Mill Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | 1 track,side platform, curbside lane | ||
| University Drive/Ash Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | 1 track,side platform, curbside lane | ||
| 9th Street/Mill Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | ● | 2 tracks,island platform, center of street | |
| 11th Street/Mill Avenue | Rio Salado | ● | ● | 2 tracks,island platform, center of street | |
| College Avenue/Apache Boulevard | Apache | ● | ● | 2 tracks,island platform, center of street | |
| Paseo del Saber/Apache Boulevard | Apache | ● | ● | 2 tracks,island platform, center of street | |
| Rural Rd/Apache Blvd | Apache | ● | ● | 2 tracks,island platform, center of street | |
| Dorsey/Apache Boulevard | Apache | ● | ● | 1 track,side platform, center of street | Valley Metro Rail |
The Tempe Streetcar operates a fleet of 6Brookville Liberty NXT cars, built byBrookville Equipment inBrookville, Pennsylvania. The cars are 70 feet (21 m) long, with 32 seats and a maximum capacity of approximately 120 passengers. Tempe Streetcar cars are of a 70%low floor design, and are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Tempe Streetcar cars are stored and maintained at the Valley Metro Operations and Maintenance Center, located across theSalt River in Phoenix. The OMC was built in 2006 to serve the Valley Metro Rail system, and was expanded in 2021. Tempe Streetcar cars access the OMC via the Valley Metro Rail main line, which has a track connection to the streetcar line at Dorsey/Apache Boulevard station.[7][8]
The majority of the Tempe Streetcar line is powered byoverhead lines at 750 VDC. Overhead lines are not installed in the central section of the streetcar line through downtown Tempe, and streetcars operate on battery power.[6]
The Tempe Streetcar launched with free service in 2022, and was expected to be free for one year.[9] As of October 2024[update], the streetcar is expected to remain free through the end of 2024. The fare for the streetcar will be $1, lower than the standard Valley Metro local service fare of $2.[4]
The development of Tempe began in the 1870s, and with the opening of theTerritorial Normal School at Tempe in 1886, the town grew rapidly. Local rail service in Tempe began in the 1890s, with the opening of a shorthorsecar line operated by the Tempe Street Railway. The line was unsuccessful, and closed before the end of the decade.[10]
The city of Tempe began studying options for a downtown streetcar in 2007, while construction was underway on theValley Metro Rail system. Plans were continuously revised for years, leading to concern that funding for the streetcar would be reallocated to other projects.[11]
The planning process for the Tempe Streetcar emphasized aesthetics in downtown Tempe, which led the city and Valley Metro to study alternatives to traditionaloverhead lines to power the streetcar. As part of the public outreach process, Valley Metro hosted a public exhibition of a prototype battery-equipped streetcar in 2011. The prototype "ameriTRAM" streetcar was built byKinki Sharyo, the firm that built the original rolling stock for the Valley Metro Rail system, and was exhibited on light rail systems around the United States.[12]
One proposed north-south route along Mill Avenue was denied federal funding in 2013, after the Federal Transit Administration found that it was not cost-effective enough.[11] The route was revised to follow Rio Salado Parkway, Ash Avenue, Mill Avenue, and Apache Boulevard, and a finalenvironmental impact statement was released in July 2015.[5]
Valley Metro issued arequest for proposals to obtain vehicles for the Tempe Streetcar in the summer of 2016.[13] Potential suppliers originally includedAlstom,Bombardier,CAF USA,Kinki Sharyo,Siemens and TIG/m. Vehicle options for this line included a combination of battery power,overhead catenary or on-boardhydrogen fuel system.[14][15]
Construction 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 PresidentBarack 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.[16] The final 2017 budget, approved in May 2017 under PresidentDonald Trump, included $50 million.[17]
In December 2016, Valley Metro selectedStantec 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.[18] In May 2018, the design was finalized.
Brookville Equipment Corporation was awarded the $33 million contract for sixLiberty Streetcars in 2017. The Brookville Liberty is acommercial off-the-shelf vehicle equipped withlithium-ion batteries, which allows it to operate without overhead power for part of their route.[19]
Construction began on June 1, 2017, with utility relocation, which made way for tracks to be laid.[20][21] In August 2018, Valley Metro received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to begin the initial phase of significant construction on the Tempe Streetcar. With this approval, Valley Metro began work on building the system's rail trackway, power systems and street improvements.[22]
The first streetcar vehicle was delivered on March 14, 2021, and test runs began in June 2021.[23] The line opened for service on May 20, 2022.[2][24]
Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Extension | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 2024[update], Valley Metro is in the planning phases of extending the streetcar past its terminus at Marina Heights intoMesa, via Rio Salado Parkway and Dobson Road.[25] The proposed extension would serve major destinations in Mesa and eastern Tempe, includingTempe Marketplace andSloan Park. The extension would be approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) in length.[26][27]
The Rio East-Dobson Extension project was awarded a $15.9 million federal grant in July 2024. The grant was funded by theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and will help advance the planning process for the proposed line.[28]
