Mesa streetcar inches forward

The Mesa and Tempe city councils are expected to decide by early next year whether to move ahead with streetcar expansion, Valley Metro told Axios.

Why it matters: Rail — though expensive and often controversial — can move more people quicker and with less environmental impact than private vehicles.

• With the east Tempe/west Mesa area expected to see a 55% population increase by 2050, the region needs to find new ways to transport people efficiently, Valley Metro spokesperson Juliana Vasquez-Keating told us.

The big picture: The cities are exploring connecting Tempe's streetcar to some of west Mesa's biggest attractions, including Sloan Park, Mesa Riverview and the Asian District.

• The expansion would be the streetcar's first since Tempe debuted the three-mile system in May 2022.

State of play: Before the streetcar even opened, Tempe, Mesa and Valley Metro began exploring a Mesa connection.

• Through multiple studies, the cities have agreed that if streetcar comes to Mesa the route will extend from its current eastern endpoint at Marina Heights down Rio Salado Parkway to Dobson Road, which it would follow south to Main Street and connect with the light rail.

The latest: Valley Metro is collecting community input through June 28 about where along that route stations should be located, whether the streetcar should run in the middle or on the side of the roadway and whether it should have a dedicated lane.

• Valley Metro will use the input to construct a recommendation, which will be presented to Tempe and Mesa city councils early next year.

• If they agree to move forward, the cities will then establish a funding plan and construction timeline, Vasquez-Keating said.

The intrigue: Rail projects like this traditionally have been funded in part with a countywide transportation tax, which voters will consider extending in November.

• The extension, however, can't be used for rail funding, as part of a compromise with legislative Republicans.

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