As of Sunday, December 28, Phoenix’s Valley Metro light rail system is officially open for business. It brings rail transit to what had been the largest metropolitan area in the United States without such service, and adds another success story to light rail’s increasingly impressive resumé.

If light rail and streetcars can work in car-oriented cities the likes of Phoenix, Houston and Charlotte, surely they can work as a part of our transportation system in more transit-friendly Washington.

Neato.

For more images, see the grand opening thread at SkyscraperPage and flickr.