Light-rail work set for approval

MESA — The next phase of Mesa’s aggressive push to extend light rail is poised for City Council approval Monday night.

The work will carry the tracks from near Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road, adding 1.9 miles to the 3.1 miles currently under construction from Sycamore Street through downtown.

Mesa and Metro light rail hope to begin work on the second extension about the time the first one is finished in late 2015.

Last summer, Mesa and Metro agreed to spend $750,000 for an environmental assessment of the Gilbert Road stretch. Now, an additional $1million is needed to complete that work and for preliminary engineering.

By far the bulk of that money — $943,000 — will come from a federal fund that pays for projects aimed at reducing traffic and enhancing air quality. Mesa will pay the rest.

The environmental assessment is scheduled to be completed by October.

Many questions remain in terms of traffic configurations, station location, park and rides and the impact to properties along the route.

Ever since the downtown extension was approved several years ago, Mesa officials have said it would make more sense to run the tracks to Gilbert Road. Studies showed the extension would add about 4,000 riders a day to the lightrail system.