2008: “Phoenix Rising” – The Grand Opening of a Light Rail Line in Arizona

December 27, 2008

In central Arizona, the light rail line known as Valley Metro Rail was officially opened to the public. This line, which is part of the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority, serves the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa.

The Saturday morning inauguration of Valley Metro Rail was marked by plenty of fanfare.  More than 90,000 people turned out for the festivities, which included ribbon-cutting ceremonies and music provided by a Dixieland jazz band. “Light Rail Packed for Grand Debut,” announced a headline in the next day’s edition of the Arizona Republic.

“The lines were long and the weather was cold, but trains were right on time,” reported this newspaper. “At stops along the 20-mile [32-kilometer] line, passengers lined up with video and cell-phone cameras to record the moment.” The first of Valley Metro Rail’s trains to arrive in Phoenix ended up bursting through a large banner with the words “Phoenix Rising.”

Tempe resident Janine Roumain was among the many individuals on hand for Valley Metro Rail’s first day of operations. “I’ve been waiting for this day like a kid waiting for Christmas,” she said. Cathy Simpson, another Tempe resident, likewise highlighted the significance of the new light rail service. “This is historic,” she asserted. “Before too long, people will wonder what we did without it.”

Valley Metro Rail now covers a total of 28.2 miles (45 kilometers) and encompasses 38 stations altogether. With a total ridership of well over nine million passengers in 2022, it is one of the busiest light rail systems in the United States.

Photo Credit: Beyond My Ken (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

For more information on Valley Metro Rail, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Metro_Rail

A list of the busiest light rail systems in the United States is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_light_rail_systems