In the years since it opened in 2008, the system has undergone six expansions (including the infill station at 50th Street/Washington and the Tempe Streetcar), with at least three more scheduled.

Historic vehicles may be seen at the Phoenix Trolley Museum, with Car #116 celebrating her 80th birthday on December 25, 2008, just days before the opening of modern rail service.

In 1989, the ValTrans elevated rail proposal was turned down by voters in a referendum due to cost and feasibility concerns.

Additional funding for the new rail line was secured in 2004 when residents approved Proposition 400, extending the half-cent countywide sales tax.

The event was produced by Arizona's Entertainment Solutions, Inc.[12] and was attended by thousands of local residents who waited as long as an hour or more to ride the vehicles.

The light rail has also led to rapid urban development in downtown Phoenix and Tempe, generating additional revenue through taxes.

Valley Metro had its busiest month in April 2017, with a total passenger count of 1,514,456 and an average weekday ridership of 52,910.

[20] The extension cost $200 million, paid for from a combination of Proposition 400 sales tax revenues, federal air quality, and New Starts grants.

[21] However, due to lower-than-expected sales tax revenues and uncertainty regarding the availability of federal funds to support the project, the opening date was delayed.

[33][34] The line, budgeted at approximately $184 million, travels in the median of Main Street and has one intermediate stop at Stapley Drive.

[37] Tempe Streetcar consists of 14 stations, running from Dorsey Lane west on Apache Boulevard, then north on Mill Avenue.

[39] The route continues along Rio Salado Parkway to Marina Heights, with a possible extension to Mesa to connect with the Chicago Cubs’ new spring training facility, as well as Tempe Marketplace.

From there, the system heads west on Mountain View Road, before crossing Interstate 17 and terminating on the east side of the Metrocenter shopping mall.

[35] The extension was originally planned to open in 2026, but it was accelerated to 2024 after the Phoenix City Council passed the Proposition 104 sales tax increase in 2015.

[48] Outreach to the residents and business owners of South Phoenix became strained when the extension called for the reduction of lanes from four to two along Central Avenue.

[49] In February 2019, opponents were able to gather enough signatures to require the city to hold a referendum on future light rail expansion.

[50] The referendum to stop light rail expansion, known as Proposition 105, failed to pass in a special election on August 27, 2019.

[53] As of 2024[update], the Valley Metro Rail system consists of one single line serving all 41 stations on 29.8 miles (48.0 km) of tracks within the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa.

The light rail line starts in Phoenix on the east side of the former Metrocenter shopping mall at the Metro Parkway station.

The line runs south on 25th Street, crossing the Arizona Canal and passing by the Rose Mofford Sports Complex.

After Center Parkway/Washington station, the line leaves the median of Washington Street and runs south on a bridge that crosses Tempe Town Lake, parallel to the Union Pacific Railroad.

[60] The LF-LRVs are also equipped with energy absorbent bumpers to reduce the effects of road vehicle collision, measures warranted due to the light rail mostly running in the center of streets.

[73] Additionally, this project will form a light rail hub in Downtown Phoenix, between Central and First avenues to the west and east, and Washington and Jefferson streets to the north and south.

Also included are new tracks for turn-around / staging purposes at both Third Avenue and Fifth Street for enhanced flexibility during peak service.

[74] Trains along the segment are planned to operate as a new line, originating at Baseline Road and running to the Downtown Hub before interlining with the existing light rail system and continuing north to the terminus at Metro Parkway.

It will then go over the westbound lanes of I-10 to continue alongside the highway to Desert Sky Mall, adding 10 miles (16 km) and 8 stations to connect the West Valley and ease congestion on Interstate 10.

Initially, three different route options were proposed, all heading west from the current light rail system and featuring a shared terminus in the Downtown Glendale area.

[90][91][92] A previous study into a Northeast light rail corridor has been suspended indefinitely, with Phoenix City Council directing funds towards street maintenance instead.