Tempe, Ariz. – On December 18, Kendra Burton, Senior District Adviser for U.S. Representative Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.-09), joined National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member company, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. and representatives from the City of Tempe and Valley Metro, for a briefing on the Tempe Streetcar project set to open in 2020.
Eric Iwersen and Amanda Nelson, Principal Transportation Planner and Public Information Officer, respectively, for the City of Tempe, presented an overview of the project. The Tempe Streetcar, which was first considered in 2004, will be a three-mile route with 14 stops running from the Marina Heights development through downtown to the Dorsey/Apach Blvd. station.
The streetcar will have two connections to Valley Metro’s light rail system. Six streetcar vehicles accommodating up to 125 passengers each will arrive at each stop approximately every 10 to 15 minutes on a typical operating day.
The City of Tempe reached a 60 percent design milestone in August and is scheduled to finalize design plans by early 2018.
The Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Manager At-Risk (CMAR) awarded Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. a contract for the project in January 2017. The $186 million project is supported by several funding sources, including a $50 million Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant and a local transit sales tax.
Attendees discussed hosting the congresswoman in March when rail welding will begin for a joint NRC-Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) – Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter event.
Also in attendance were: Andy Auxier, Project Manager, Stacy and Witbeck; Jody Sims, Business Development Manager, Stacy and Witbeck, and Board Member, NRC; Mary Ann Miller, Business Assistance Coordinator, Valley Metro; Luis Mota, Project Manager/Resident Engineer, Tempe Streetcar, Valley Metro; and Kelly Kaysonepheth, Marketing Director, AZTEC Engineering, and VP, WTS – Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter.