Today, Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council voted to officially name the forthcoming transit hub in downtown Phoenix in honor of former mayor and current U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (AZ-04).
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During his tenure as mayor, Stanton led the passage of the Transportation 2050 plan, the 2015 voter-approved initiative that funds street and transit improvements, triples the light rail system, expands late night bus and Dial-a-Ride service citywide, adds bike lanes, and more. Two weeks ago, the Phoenix Heritage Commission voted overwhelmingly to approve the City Council’s recommendation made in mid-May.
“I am thrilled that one of our newest additions to the Phoenix skyline—the soon-to-be-completed Central Station Transit Hub—will officially be named after one of Phoenix’s most effective champions for accessible public transportation: former Mayor and Congressman Greg Stanton,” Gallego said. “Without his leadership, Phoenix would not have achieved the incredible growth of our light rail and bus systems, which move and connect tens of thousands of residents and visitors each and every day. We are building a bright future for Phoenix on the foundations that he worked hard to lay, and he is deserving of this honor.”
“Watching my dad take the bus to work every day showed me how important public transit is for working class families. It’s the reason I’ve fought my entire public service career – on the council, as Mayor and now in Congress – to expand reliable and affordable transit options,” Stanton said. “This is a real honor. I’m grateful to Mayor Gallego and the council for this recognition – but more importantly for their ongoing work to improve transit in Phoenix.”
The Greg Stanton Central Station will be located on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix, a 1-million square foot mixed-use development adjacent to Civic Space Park and Arizona State University’s Downtown Campus. The station will provide more than 400 bus trips and nearly 200 rail trips every day when it becomes operational next year.
There will be over half a dozen local bus routes within and adjacent to Central Station, as well as the DASH circulator, a designated space for Dial-a-Ride paratransit service, multiple RAPID and Express bus routes, and the ASU intercampus shuttle. It will also have east and west bound light rail service extending to Northwest Phoenix and the East Valley. Light rail service will be augmented with the opening of the South-Central light rail extension next year, which will extend service to Central and Baseline.
