The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration has awarded the Phoenix Public Transit Department with a $12.9 million congestion relief grant.

The award will fund Project EASE, also known as effective access solutions for easing congestion in the city.

In partnership with Via Transportation, Inc., the project will implement microtransit service (a flexible, on-demand transit option) and evaluate its effectiveness with the city’s commuter bus program. The project also aims to discover new ways to decrease congestion within specific zones.

Project EASE is a three-pronged "congestion mitigation initiative" designed to provide options for passengers to use public transit, according to a city release, including:

• Implementing three strategically placed microtransit zones in Phoenix over a three-year period.
• Augmenting existing RAPID commuter bus service that will complement the new microtransit zones.
• Integrating new and existing microtransit services into the regional transit software application (Valley Metro app) for trip planning, real-time vehicle tracking and fare payments.

The total project cost is estimated at $16.2 million, with Phoenix providing a local match of $3.2 million.

The city plans to undertake community engagement and outreach efforts in 2025 to gather public feedback and opinions on implementing and refining the services.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.