1/8/2024 0 Comments Trax salt lake cityAll that adds up to a rough estimate of around six years before transit riders could gaze upon 400 West from the window of a train car.Īt the same time, Salt Lake City has completed its Ballpark Station Area Plan, and it’s working on a similar plan for the Granary District. Then, if that funding gets approved, it would take a few more years to design and construct the project. If UTA gets those approvals through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, it could then apply for additional funding through the FTA for the capital project to extend TRAX. Once that study is done and alternatives are identified, the agency will have to go through another round of federal approvals to make sure none of the alternatives would negatively impact the environment, which could take another year, Garver said. The agency received a grant from the Federal Transportation Administration to study those connections and explore alternatives through the 18-month TechLink study, according to Patti Garver, UTA’s Manager of Environmental and Grant Services. is only possible with transfers, and public transit options up to Research Park are very limited. Rail travel between the Salt Lake City International Airport and the U. The goals of the study are to explore possible connections between the University of Utah’s Research Park and Downtown Salt Lake City, specifically the industry-heavy western portion of Downtown. The Utah Transit Authority, along with Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency and the University of Utah, is currently studying what is known as the TechLink corridor. But years of studies and other bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way of that becoming a reality as multiple government agencies have something at stake. In a best-case scenario, one transportation official estimated it would be at least six years before SLC residents could see a new light rail line on 400 West.īut momentum is there, and stakeholders say TRAX on 400 West could be part of a transit network that would connect crucial parts of the city and provide necessary services to up-and-coming areas of west Downtown. So what would it take to see Salt Lake’s first new TRAX line in over a decade? Lots of time. Validating our position 15 years ago, Salt Lake City continues to serve as an example for low density communities across the country of what can when public transportation investment is intentionally linked with supportive local land use and zoning policies.An abandoned railroad right-of-way on 400 West in Salt Lake City has potential to bring a light rail extension to the rapidly developing Depot and Granary districts of Downtown. Streets that were once characterized by surface parking lots, fast food restaurants and strip malls are now transforming into higher density, multi-modal friendly environments. TOD has continued to mushroom throughout the Salt Lake City metropolitan area in the vicinity of its numerous transit stations. Stretching two miles in length, this modern streetcar line connects the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City with the neighboring city of South Salt Lake, and the TRAX light rail system. Today, FrontRunner is an 88-mile system that ties Salt Lake City with the cities of Ogden and Provo. In addition, UTA began operation of the FrontRunner commuter rail system in 2008. Since our 2007 article, TRAX has expanded from a 19-mile, 24 station LRT system into a 46.8-mile network with 44 stations. While time has moved slowly in Northeast Florida, Salt Lake City’s LRT system has continued to pay dividends.ĭespite initial skepticism, TRAX now enjoys broad support. While it took the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) 10 years to go from planning to operating their initial TRAX light rail transit (LRT) lines, 15 years have passed and Jacksonville is no closer to investing in any form of fixed rail transit than it was at that time. A major economic benefit mentioned during that series was its ability to stimulate transit oriented development (TOD) within walking distance of transit stations. The “I’m smaller than Jax and I have rail” series highlighted low density American cities and urban areas operating various forms of fixed rail as a part of their public transit networks. In 2007, we published an article titled “ I’m Smaller than Jax and I have Rail: Salt Lake City” at. Today, Salt Lake City's mass transit investment and complementary land use decisions can serve as a positive example for low density sunbelt cities like Jacksonville, that have yet to seriously invest in proven rapid mass transit strategies. This collection of photographs illustrate the impact of Salt Lake City's decision to invest in light rail, 22 years after the original line began operation. Transit oriented development projects continue to mushroom into reality around the Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) TRAX light rail system.
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