Tempe Streetcar Tests Move To Newly Constructed Tracks
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With two streetcars in Arizona and four more on the way, Valley Metro will begin to test one of the vehicles on the tracks in Tempe.
The testing phase of the Tempe Streetcar project is the last phase before the projected launch later this year.
The streetcar will be tested on the Tempe tracks on the evening of Tuesday, June 8, but Madeline Phipps of Valley Metro says tests are already being conducted in multiple locations.
“We are in the testing phase of construction now. So we’ve actually been testing our vehicles on the Light Rail alignment, and at the Valley Metro Operations and Maintenance center, just to make sure that everything’s safe and operating correctly,” said Phipps.
Phipps noted that unlike the light rail, the Tempe Streetcar will be integrated with traffic.
The launch was initially set for spring 2021 before pandemic-related closings slowed production on the vehicles.
