Bound and Determined: 'Urban Growth Boundaries' Aren't Enough to Keep Utah From Expanding its Transportation Network - Transit Network, That Is

Utah is expanding its transit network to try to ease traffic congestion on the Wasatch Front, which includes Salt Lake City and dozens more municipalities. About 80 percent of the state’s population lives in this region, which is less than 20 miles across at its widest point. It is bounded on the east by mountains and mountains and lakes to the west. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA), established in 1970, launched service on its first light-rail line in 1999 in anticipation of the 2002 Winter Olympics. It now has a second line and the FrontRunner Corridor. The next goal is FrontLines 2015, which entails building 70 miles of rail in seven years. It will result in four light-rail lines and one commuter-rail corridor. The ultimate aim is to link the Wasatch Front communities by a network of rail, tram, streetcar, and bus rapid transit. Public support for various revenue measures to expand rail transit has been strong. In April, the UTA opened the $611-million, 44-mile Salt Lake City-to-Ogden line, funded through a 2000 referendum. In May, it broke ground on the Mid-Jordan TRAX line, the first of the five FrontLines corridors. In August 2008, UTA started work on FrontRunner South, a 45-mile extension of the rail corridor from Salt Lake City to Provo. The Airport TRAX line is expected to start construction later in 2008. UTA is saving money by bundling equipment and supply purchases for all five projects and by taking full advantage of available federal dollars. It also coordinated large-scale planning, including the utility relocation program, in one combined step. Future plans will require more building into the third decade of the century.