Light rail in the Valley entered a new era over the weekend when the first train traversed the system's south Phoenix expansion.

The big picture: A 5.5-mile extension that runs south along Central Avenue from downtown Phoenix opened Saturday.

• The extension has eight stations, with Central and Baseline Road marking the end of the line. The light rail system now has 35 miles of track.
• Federal funds covered about half the cost of the $1.3 billion project, with revenue from the Proposition 400 transportation tax and the city paying for much of the rest.

Why it matters: About 44% of area residents have limited or no access to cars, according to Valley Metro.

• Jessica Mefford-Miller, CEO of Valley Metro, which runs the light rail system, noted the new line is a bridge across the Salt River, making it "a literal" and "symbolic connection" between south Phoenix and the rest of the metro area.

Driving the news: A large crowd gathered Saturday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

• "I believe the expansion will do justice for the people out here. Providing opportunities to get downtown, and also for people downtown to come down here," an attendee named Lindsay told ABC15.

Zoom in: The south Phoenix extension was not the only major change to the light rail over the weekend.

• The system is now separated into A and B lines, with the former running east to west from downtown Mesa to downtown Phoenix, and the latter north to south from Metro Parkway to south Phoenix.
• Riders can switch lines at the new downtown Phoenix transit hub, which also opened Saturday. There are 14 new trains, which will now arrive at stations every 12 minutes, down from 15.

Catch up quick: Construction began in 2019 and was originally expected to be completed in 2023, but the pandemic and other factors meant delays.

What they're saying: "This is us really growing up in the world," Mefford-Miller told Axios.

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Light rail riders can enjoy the view of 18 pieces of artwork on display along the new south Phoenix extension.

State of play: "The art along this light rail extension is spectacular," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told Axios.

• Those pieces include a "beautiful phoenix sculpture" and a bridge with lighting that changes colors — which could be red, white and blue for Independence Day, or purple and orange for the Phoenix Suns.

Local artist Isaac Caruso crarted the huge fiberglass phoenix — at Central Avenue and Sherman Street — that illuminates up at night.

• Caruso told the Arizona Republic it was inspired by the city's early history before its founding.
• The sculpture is near the Duppa-Mongtomery Homestead, founded in 1871 by Phillip Darrell Duppa, who is credited with giving Phoenix its name.

Zoom in: Valley Metro said the art installations were predominantly made by local artists and reflect "the character and cultural richness of south Phoenix neighborhoods."

⚾ Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes will undergo Tommy John surgery this week and miss the rest of the season. (CBS Sports)

😺 The Arizona Wildcats baseball team beat North Carolina to earn a spot as one of eight teams in the College World Series. (Arizona Sports)

🤑 The Goldwater Institute is suing to overturn a sales tax increase approved by Scottsdale voters last year, arguing that state law required the ballot issue to get at least 60%. (KJZZ)

• Courts rejected a similar argument in a lawsuit that sought to strike down a 2023 Cochise County sales tax increase, saying the 60% threshold only applies to statewide measures.
• Goldwater Institute attorney Scott Day Freeman tells Axios there are different legal issues in the Scottsdale case and the vote threshold wasn't central to the appellate court's decision.

🗳 The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Arizona is violating federal law by not properly verifying voters' identities and demanded it ask for driver's license numbers on voter registration forms. (Votebeat)

🏫 Public schools in Arizona face a $206 million shortfall for the remainder of the fiscal year, and the state's education department will only provide 60% of the funding schools were supposed to receive this month. Lawmakers expect to provide the rest in July after a new budget is passed. (AZcentral)

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As the nation remembered D-Day last Friday for the 81st anniversary, a dwindling number of World War II veterans remain with us.

The big picture: There were about 66,100 living WWII vets nationwide as of 2024, per U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs projections.

By the numbers: Arizona had a projected 1,381 as of last year, the 16th most of any state.

• California (7,455), Florida (5,511) and Pennsylvania (3,930) — have the most living WWII veterans per state as of 2024.
• New Hampshire (63.5), Rhode Island (41.9) and Connecticut (35) have the most per 100,000 residents overall.