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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah is putting a finishing touch on its system of rail transit with an extension to the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper.
Regular service starts Sunday. It completes a network of light-rail and commuter trains stretching 87 miles along the Wasatch Front.
Planners are looking ahead at possible future additions. But now for now, the Utah Transit Authority's $2.5 billion vision for rail transit has been fulfilled. The federal government paid $545 million of that.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Utah's system is an example for the country at a ribbon cutting Friday.
"It means better access to jobs for hard-working families. It means less time stuck in traffic. It means that the air is cleaner and clearer. It means that this region - which is already one of the fastest-growing regions in the country - will be better prepared to handle more people as they make the Salt Lake City region their home," Foxx said.
Next up: Street cars in the Salt Lake City neighborhood of Sugar House by December. That project is being separately funded by a mix of state, local and federal dollars. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 8/17/2013 8:01:34 AM (GMT -6:00)
