Phoenix gets grant for stations along 5-mile streetcar route

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Public Transit Department has received a $920,000 grant to manage the planning of 11 stations along a 5-mile streetcar route that would connect four activity centers in Mesa. City officials in Mesa say the money from the Transit-Oriented Development Planning grant will be used to conduct extensive planning efforts, determine design guidelines and establish economic strategies. They say the route would connect Riverview Marketplace, Asian District, Fiesta District and downtown Mesa when it’s completed. The Valley Metro Tempe Street Car Project was allocated $17.4 million last June under the American Rescue Plan to advance the 3-mile streetcar plan with 14 stations and six vehicles.