Mesa, AZ
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Gilbert, AZ (5.0 mi).
About Mesa
Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson, the 38th-most populous city in the U.S., and the most populous city that is not a county seat.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Mid-size city terminal (parametric range $1–2B) | $1.5B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1.0× on $200M base | $200M |
| Track: Mesa → Gilbert | 5.0 mi × $500M/mi | $2.5B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $4.2B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The downtown Mesa Main Street corridor at the Valley Metro light rail. Downtown Mesa's Main Street already carries Valley Metro light rail to its eastern terminus, and the Fiesta District's aging commercial parcels offer large redevelopment sites. A terminal here serves the East Valley's 1.5 million residents far better than forcing everyone through Phoenix.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- East Mesa (Superstition Springs) — eastern commercial corridor.
- The Fiesta District — redeveloping retail corridor on Main Street.
- Power Ranch — master-planned community on the Gilbert border.