For years, critics of metro Phoenix's mass transit system have blasted light rail, calling it expensive, ineffective and its construction disruptive to businesses.
But national industry experts recently gave Valley Metro top marks as one of the best transit agencies in the nation for reliability and safety, joining passengers in praising the service they get.
Ridership of the expanding Valley Metro system has almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and nearly 90% riders on the light rail and buses reported feeling more satisfied with the public transit system than ever before, according to a 2026 report from Valley Metro.
Valley Metro is the regional public transit agency that provides bus and light rail service to the Phoenix metro area.
The whole
system, including bus, light rail and Tempe's streetcar, saw nearly 42 million trips between 2025 and 2026, according to the report, up nearly 9% from the previous year. That would equal every person in the Phoenix metro area riding some kind of Valley Metro-operated service eight times in a single year.
Part of that surge includes ridership from south Phoenix. The 5.5-mile south-central light rail extension opened in June 2025 and now accounts for 20% of all light rail boardings, according to Valley Metro.
Valley Metro has also invested in security, seeing a 55% decline in rail passenger assaults. The agency has also expanded payment options.
Valley Metro recently won the top national award for a mid-sized transit system based on customer satisfaction, on-time performance and safety.
What's next for public transit in metro Phoenix?
Two major projects are underway at Valley Metro.
The agency is conducting the region's first comprehensive redesign of the bus network in more than 20 years. Proposals for the project are expected to be released in the fall.
The second project is the proposed 10-mile West Phoenix light rail extension. The extension has faced multiple hurdles, but planning is finally underway.
Lauren De Young covers transportation and the cities of Tempe and Chandler for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at ldeyoung@azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Love it or hate it, Valley Metro lauded for nation's 'best' service
