Barbara Christiansen - NORTH COUNTY STAFF | Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007 11:00 pm
High-speed commuter rail will be coming to Utah County in a little more than three years and some of the county's leaders got a preview Friday.
The Utah Transit Authority conducted a test ride on FrontRunner, the commuter train that will run from Pleasant View to Salt Lake City starting in the spring. UTA officials said they anticipated the rail service would be in place in Utah County in 2011. They plan stops in Provo, Orem, American Fork and at Thanksgiving Point. They have hired the contractors who will begin construction on what will be termed FrontRunner South.
"We will begin utility work in spring of 2008," said Hugh Johnson, Regional General Manager of UTA's Timpanogos Division. "The rail line should be completed to Provo by 2011. It sounds like a long time, but it will go quickly."
Elected officials and other leaders from Utah County rode the train Friday as a preview of the upcoming service.
On the 15-mile demonstration ride, it reached 79 mph, surpassing the traffic on the nearby freeway, especially at one point where the traffic came to a standstill because of an obstruction.
Nelson Abbott, a member of the Elk Ridge City Council, said he enjoyed the trip.
"It was nice, very clean and quiet," he said. "The best part was seeing the cars not moving and going right past them."
Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn said he also liked the ride.
"I think it was a very helpful trip to get a feeling for the equipment we will have," he said. "I think it will be a real boon to our communities. I believe that it will encourage people to use it. I am confident it will have a huge impact, helping relieve congestion on the freeway, especially during the reconstruction. I was very impressed."
Washburn said there was still work to be done to coordinate services to make the transportation more convenient, and therefore more useful to the public.
"We have a real challenge to improve our transit," he said. "It will require us also to have better bus service. We need seamless transit links, so people can take a bus, then get on the train."
Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson said he was anticipating having the service in Utah County.
"I am looking forward to it," he said. "I am excited for it to be in. I believe once it is in place and people begin to understand and appreciate the convenience, it will be well utilized."