West Phoenix Extension
PlanningProposed ~10-mile light rail extension connecting the existing system near Indian School Road/Central Avenue west along Indian School Road to 75th Avenue, then south to Desert Sky Transit Center; designated the region's top light-rail priority in January 2026 after the Capitol Extension (CAPEX) project was cancelled.
Alignment Map
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Alignment is approximate.
Alignment
The West Phoenix Extension is a proposed roughly 10-mile light rail line connecting to the existing Valley Metro Rail system near Indian School Road and running west along Indian School Road to 75th Avenue, then south to Thomas Road, ending at Desert Sky Transit Center (79th Avenue & Thomas Road).
The project became Valley Metro’s top light-rail priority in January 2026 after Phoenix City Council voted down the previously planned Capitol Extension (CAPEX) — a $624 million segment that would have connected downtown to a separate I-10 West Extension — over cost, ridership projections, and state legislature-imposed restrictions on stations near the Capitol Mall. With CAPEX cancelled, the 10-mile I-10 West Extension it was meant to connect to is no longer expected to proceed as previously planned, and the city has shifted its focus to the West Phoenix Extension instead.
Updates
2026-01 — Capitol Extension cancelled, focus shifts to West Phoenix
Phoenix City Council voted down the Capitol Extension on January 27–28, 2026, and the city redirected its light rail priority to the Indian School Road corridor, targeting a 2037 opening for the West Phoenix Extension.