Downtown Phoenix is an area filled with businesses, restaurants, museums, bars, and parks. All of which draw many people into the city every day. Maricopa County, which includes the City of Phoenix, has a population of 3,817,117, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Lots of people equal lots of congestion and pollution.
It appears that Phoenix and other Maricopa County residents felt that having anywhere near as many cars on the road as there are people was not practical. In 2005 voters passed Proposition 400 allowing for the continuation of the half-cent transportation sales tax through 2025. According to azcentral, The Maricopa Association of Governments plan for this money included $2.7 billion allocated for the regional bus system and $2.3 billion toward light rail expansion.
Many Arizona State University students are taking advantage of green transportation options to get from Phoenix to other campus locations.
The light rail currently runs along 57 miles of track. Phoenix continues to grow and it’s transportation system is trying to keep up. A West Phoenix expansion is planned which would stretch “westbound from the METRO starter line in downtown Phoenix to the 79th Avenue park-and-ride area… planning is underway and the extension is scheduled to open in 2021,” according to Valley Metro
Below is a map of public transportation in the Valley.
The New Downtown 