FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2026

Contact:
Will Greene, Arizona Representative
wgreene@swenergy.org | 206-406-6827

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[PHOENIX, AZ] – Late last night the Phoenix City Council voted to indefinitely pause the extension of Valley Metro’s light rail system to the Capitol, choosing to re-evaluate the future of the Capitol Extension Project. The decision will take Valley Metro out of line for approximately $250 million in federal funding and will result in no new rail service to West Phoenix until the late 2030s, and likely longer. Will Greene, Arizona Representative for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, a non-profit organization working to save Arizonans energy and money, issued the following statement in response:

“The Council made the wrong call, choosing to indefinitely delay a project that was on the cusp of starting construction. Opportunities for a new light rail line don’t come along every day, or even every decade.

Everyone deserves access to affordable, convenient and efficient mobility options. That’s why Phoenix voters approved Proposition 104 in 2015, creating a new sales tax to help Phoenix move into the future through transformative investments in the city’s streets, buses and light rail system; a vision voters have repeatedly affirmed, including by  rejecting a ballot initiative to defund light rail in 2019.

Despite today’s setback, Phoenicians are counting on Mayor Gallego and Council Members to prioritize continued investments in rapid transit. Today’s choice to delay the Capitol Extension must result in acceleration of the delivery of other transformative bus and rail projects around the city, including for people who live in or travel to the West Valley.”

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The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency, clean transportation, and beneficial electrification in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. swenergy.org