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It’s a concept that’s got a lot of people talking: a passenger rail system that could carry travelers and commuters between Phoenix and Tucson. The Arizona Department of Transportation is reminding the residents and businesses of Florence that there is still time to participate during the department’s ongoing public comment period to let us know your thoughts about the possibility of constructing a passenger rail line between Arizona’s two largest metropolitan areas.
ADOT is calling on the public to provide input on the three alternatives that have been selected for further study as the department continues to examine the feasibility of a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson. The department has already received a tremendous response from participants — more than 10,000 surveys and comments have been received both online and during public outreach events during the past three years of the study.
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.
You can participate and comment through an online survey until June 30. A survey, maps of the three final corridor alternatives, and an informational booklet can be found at
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 fundingidentified 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.