After some south Phoenix residents and business owners pushed back against the city’s plan to extend light rail, Valley Metro conducted more community outreach. It held meetings to explain why it wanted to reduce Central Avenue from four lanes to two lanes south of downtown to Baseline Road.

Based on community input, it incorporated more landscaped areas, bus pullouts and pedestrian crossings in the design. The updated design of the five-mile South Central Light Rail Extension will be shared during three open-house meetings:

When: Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m.
Where: South Mountain Community Center — 212 E. Alta Vista Road

When: Monday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
Where: Bentley Gallery — 215 E. Grant St.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.
Where: Cesar Chavez Community School — 4001 S. Third St.

In August 2015, when voters approved Proposition 104, it sped up the timeline for the South Central Light Rail Extension. Prop 104 increased and extended a sales tax for transit projects through Transportation 2050, a 35-year citywide plan. 

While the plan included tripling the number of light rail lines in Phoenix, at least two extensions face uncertainty due to lack of interest. They include an extension to Paradise Valley Mall and a connection west along Camelback Road to Grand Canyon University.