MESA, Ariz. — A Valley mayor is working with a nationwide group to better our local infrastructure and public safety. Mesa Mayor John Giles was one of 200 mayors from across the nation who joined in on the new effort.
Giles said there are several different infrastructure projects happening in Mesa. A couple of them involve light rail and electric vehicles. Mesa received nearly $12 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2024 to strengthen its public electric vehicle charging network.
That money will be used to make driving electric more accessible and convenient, Mesa said. Mesa said 48 new vehicle charging ports will be added in the city. The efforts, they say, are a response to the growing needs of people who live in Mesa and businesses there.
The grant will increase charging ports by 40%. As of January, there were 49 public electric vehicle charging stations with 118 ports serving more than 3,200 city residents who drive electric vehicles. The new ports will be placed based on needs identified in Mesa’s community electric vehicle action plan.
Mayor Giles said it’s important for him to attend the national meetings to advocate for his city. One of his focus areas at the meeting is infrastructure.
“That’s one of the critical roles of local government," Giles said. "Mesa’s got a great story to tell with the way we’re accessing federal money through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.”
The city is also receiving nearly $16 million in federal grant money to move forward with the Rio East-Dobson streetcar extension.
The money is part of a Federal Rebuilding American infrastructure grant. It’s paid for under the Bipartisan Infrastructure law. The Rio East-Dobson streetcar extension or REDE project, will expand the existing 3-mile Valley Metro streetcar by more than four more miles from Tempe to Mesa.
The grant funds will be used to complete design and environmental work for project. In a release from Mesa, Mayor Giles said the extension will prepare the area for anticipated population growth and more jobs. He said it’s also providing transit for underserved areas. Mayor Giles added infrastructure money is being used for more than public transit in the city.
“We recently cut the ribbon at the new terminal at the Mesa Gateway Airport that was built entirely with bipartisan infrastructure money from the federal government," Giles said. "It’s important for me to be here at the national level advocating for the issues that are important to Mesa, like immigration, like infrastructure, like the other challenges that we face”
In February, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport unveiled a new five-gate south concourse. It's another step forward in increasing air travel in the East Valley.
These projects are all happening with an important vote on the ballot for voters in November, Mayor Giles said. Proposition 479, formerly Prop 400, will decide on the continuation of an already existing half-cent sales tax in Maricopa County.
A yes vote would extend the tax until 2045 and a no vote would discontinue the tax at the end of 2025. The Maricopa Association of Governments estimated a 20-year continuation of the tax would generate nearly 15 billion dollars in revenue, not adjusted for inflation.
“We're at a real risk of falling behind," Mayor Giles said. "Right now that's one of the strengths of Valley is our transportation infrastructure. If we're not successful in reauthorizing, not raising taxes, but just keeping that half cent sales tax in place, we could fall way behind when it comes to transportation infrastructure and that's going to result in delays.”
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