TRAX Happy

By Amy Seigel, 2-20-06

We’re terribly lucky here in Salt Lake. Not only to we have a beautiful city surrounded by tall mountains and, indisputably, the greatest snow on earth, but we also have a mass transit system that, for the most part, really seems to work. I am not aware of any other Western city of comparable size that even comes close to providing its citizens with the same kind of service I’ve come to expect from UTA. Sure, hosting the Olympics does amazing things for a city’s infrastructure—we’re very lucky to have light rail system that spans so much of the city. And sure, not nearly enough people take advantage of the excellent bus and light rail service. All in all, however, Salt Lake is a pretty friendly place for those who need (or choose) to use public transportation.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that there's no room for improvement. While the bus system seems to work fairly well for those less-traveled routes, the far more efficient light rail (TRAX) leaves something to be desired. Due to a freak bike accident last summer involving curving light rails and skinny bike tires, I am, admittedly, somewhat leery of electric trains. However, while I am the only person I know to have wrecked a bike on the TRAX line, I think others share my frustration with TRAX’s limited services. And even though I am lucky enough to live within walking distance of a TRAX station, I must admit that I don’t make nearly enough use of the service. Why? Because, with the exception of the city library, TRAX just doesn’t get me where I want to go.

Happily, as the Salt Lake Tribune reports, this is all about to change. The city and the Utah Transit Authority propose to have the first of two new light rail stations near the Gateway up and running by the end of 2007. These new stations (125 S. 400 West, near the Gateway, and 525 W. 200 South) will connect the end of the existing line at South Temple and 400 West to the intermodal transit hub at 200 South and 600 West. Along with providing TRAX riders with more direct access to Salt Lake’s shopping Mecca, this expansion is key to the success of the UTA commuter rail, which is poised to connect Salt Lake City and Weber County by early 2008. For those who already live and work in the city, the new downtown stops are sure to make riding TRAX more attractive, and the new commuter line will be a godsend to gas-conscientious Weber county residents hoping to avoid rush hour.

Taken together, these projects will be a major step forward in the mass transit-friendliness of Salt Lake and its ever-expanding suburbs. And while the city is still firming up the details of exactly who will pay for the $30 million dollar project, it seems likely that, as long as federal sources come through, everything will be settled before the end of April—the deadline for signing the necessary legal documents that would allow the city to begin construction this summer.

These new stops are certainly good news—and not only for shopaholics and frequent moviegoers. D.J. Baxter, Mayor Anderson's transportation adviser, suggested in a report to the City Council that TRAX servicing nearly every other block of downtown Salt Lake “represents Salt Lake City's best (and, perhaps, only) opportunity for new medium- and high-density residential and mixed-use development.� Regardless of whether these developments are quick to materialize, the fact that someone out there is considering ways the city can help curb urban sprawl while providing its citizens with better mass transportation options is extremely comforting. Not that I believe altruism accurately describes all the motives involved, but irrespective of the exact mix of conservation and capitalism that went into proposing the new TRAX stations and the Salt Lake/Weber County commuter line, the end result is sure to be one that satisfies everyone.
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