Sinema Receives Update on Tempe Streetcar Progress

Oct 7, 2019

Following Major Grant Announcement Following Sinema requests, the Tempe Streetcar Project earned $75 million in transportation funding

TEMPE – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema recently met with leaders from Valley Metro and the City of Tempe to receive an update on the Tempe Streetcar. Following a request from Sinema, the Tempe Streetcar recently received $75 million in resources from the Federal Transit Administration, allowing work on the project to be completed.

“I’m proud to have helped advance the Tempe Streetcar project, which will expand opportunities for Maricopa County. We’ll continue supporting smart, efficient, and fiscally responsible infrastructure in every Arizona community,” said Sinema.

“We are appreciative of the support we’ve received from Senator Sinema. The Tempe Streetcar project will link riders with regional light rail and bus routes, major employment centers, entertainment and event destinations,” said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell. “I’m proud that Tempe is making these necessary infrastructure investments for future generations that will support growing travel demand and business interests here and throughout the region.”

In September, the Federal Transit Administration awarded a $75 million grant through its Capital Investment Grants program to Valley Metro for the Tempe Streetcar. This is the final grant Valley Metro and the City of Tempe needed to complete the project.

Sinema has supported the Tempe Streetcar Project since her time in the U.S. House, where she helped cut through red tape to ensure the project could move forward.

The Tempe Streetcar is a three-mile streetcar with 14 stations and six vehicles that will connect downtown Tempe, Arizona State University, and the emerging employment corridor of Rio Salado Parkway, which connects existing light rail serving Phoenix, Mesa, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.