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James Simpson doesn't normally make appearances if his agency hasn't first cut a huge check.
But Utah has repeatedly impressed the administrator for the Federal Transit Administration by getting projects done ahead of schedule and under budget. "Most of you only know what goes on here in the Salt Lake City region. You don't know how to compare," he said. Most federally funded projects would receive a C or D grade while Utah gets straight A's, he said. On Tuesday, Simpson and many local politicians driving enough vehicles to back up traffic at Thanksgiving Point for half an hour broke ground on the second half of UTA's commuter rail system. The Utah Transit Authority recently began service on FrontRunner North from Salt Lake City to Ogden and is averaging around 7,000 "boardings" per day. It's standing-room-only at rush hour.
Traffic UTA won't say how much the 45-mile line from Salt Lake City to Provo will cost because it is part of a transit super-project that includes four light-rail (TRAX) spurs in the Salt Lake Valley. But its northern counterpart cost $611 million to build. When it's full, the train will likely take about 6,000 cars off the road daily, less than 5 percent of total traffic. But the Utah Department of Transportation doesn't dismiss that number because roads are near capacity and even small relief means big gains on the commute. "It can make the difference between gridlock and people going 50-55 mph during rush hour," said spokesman Nile Easton.
Funding and environment Counties around the state have implemented a quarter-cent sales tax to help pay for transit projects, relying on federal largesse for the rest. Much of the funding for the north rail came from the federal level, and a unique approach by UTA is likely to secure money for other projects. UTA officials have asked for more than the usual amount of federal funding for two of the five transit projects while using only local money for three more. That allows them to get the same amount of money but save costs in environment impact studies required with federal funding. Bypassing additional environmental requirements didn't appear to bother anyone on Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, said such studies can be done better on the local level, anyway.
Trains and automobiles The pomp comes as Utahns have curbed their voracious appetite for gas. UDOT numbers show that traffic on state roads has dropped for the first time in history while UTA bus ridership is up as much as 20 percent. While gas prices have started to drop across the country after hitting historic highs earlier in the summer, Utah has been slow to follow suit. On Tuesday, the national average was $3.79, while the Provo-Orem area average was at $4.08. The cost to ride FrontRunner currently is $3 for a one-stop ride and 50 cents for each additional stop. Monthly passes are available for $160. At Thanksgiving Point, Simpson said the concerted effort by residents, businesses and lawmakers to push transit forward makes the state a bellwether for similar projects elsewhere. "If the rest of the country would be like Salt Lake City, we'd really be ahead of the game," he said. FUTURE FRONTRUNNER STOPS • Salt Lake City: 200 S. 600 West • Murray: Vine Street/5300 South • Sandy/South Jordan: 10200 South • Draper/Bluffdale: Bangerter Highway • Lehi: Thanksgiving Point • American Fork: Main Street or Pleasant Grove: 6400 North • Vineyard: West of 800 North in Orem • Orem: University Parkway near I-15 exit • Provo: University Avenue near Center Street To complete the 45-mile FrontRunner South Line: • 520,000 linear feet of continuous welded rail • 640,000 tons of ballast rock, finely chopped • 117,000 concrete ties, in eight foot pieces • 2 million cubic yards of earthwork • 10 locomotives • 10 cab cars • Eight coaches Source: Utah Transit Authority |
