The city of Denver was first settled not by the lone frontiersman, but by a community that came together. Mayor John Hickenlooper, a candidate to succeed former Colorado Governor and current U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, had the same in mind when he expanded the metro region's light rail and mass transit system after he became mayor in 2003.

On Saturday, December 27, Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, Arizona welcomed passengers aboard their brand-new light rail system. The 20-mile, $1.4 billion dollar rail system is a first for the state; until now, Phoenix had been the largest U.S. city without public trains.