Public comment period continues in April for ADOT's passenger rail study

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has scheduled a lineup of public outreach events during April for its Passenger Rail Corridor Study as the department continues to examine the feasibility of a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson.

ADOT is calling on the public to provide input on the three alternatives that have been selected for further study. The department has already received a tremendous response from participants — the month of March drew more than 2,000 comments both online and during public outreach events. The public comment period began on March 7 and runs until May 31.  

Last summer, ADOT narrowed the list of rail alternatives to three: the Green Alternative, which would run along Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson; the Orange Alternative, which would serve East Valley population centers and share part of its alignment with the planned North-South Freeway Corridor; and the Yellow Alternative, which would also serve East Valley communities and share right of way with Union Pacific Railroad north of Eloy, where appropriate. All three alternatives would run along I-10 south of Eloy and would also follow I-10 and US 60 in the western part of Maricopa County.

ADOT is participating in a series of community events in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties to reach out to community members to get their ideas and opinions on the three options currently under evaluation. The public can also participate and comment through an online survey. The survey, maps of the three alternatives, participation booklet, and the complete list of outreach events can be found at azdot.gov/passengerrail.

The following is a list of public outreach events during the month of April. More details are listed at azdot.gov/passengerrail.

• Marana Main Street Festival: April 5, beginning at 10 a.m.
• Peoria Arts Festival: April 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Gilbert Global Village Festival: April 12, noon to 6 p.m.
• ADOT’s State Route 24 Opening Event in Mesa: April 15, 4 to 7 p.m.
• Downtown Tucson: April 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• University of Arizona, Tucson: April 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Pima County Fair: April 18, 1 to 9 p.m. and April 19, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Celebrate Mesa: April 26, 2 to 6 p.m.

ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study is part of the department’s long-range plan to determine what it will take to construct a rail line to link Phoenix and Tucson, while meeting demands for future growth and travel options along Interstate 10, one of the busiest highway corridors in Arizona.

ADOT is working toward establishing one preferred rail corridor for further study. There is currently no construction schedule and no funding identified to build a rail system between Phoenix and Tucson. It will be up to the public, policymakers and the federal government to decide if the project should move forward and how to generate the funding to pay for it. The study still includes the no-build option.

For more information about ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study, visit azdot.gov/passengerrail.