Obama funds Draper TRAX line

Obama funds Draper TRAX line


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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Transit Authority's Draper TRAX extension project received a nod from the Obama administration Tuesday, as the president recommended funding it to completion.

The 3.8-mile extension was one of 10 new capital transit construction projects around the country to make it into Obama's 2012 federal budget proposal.

"Salt Lake City is rapidly emerging as one of the most transit-friendly metropolitan regions in the nation and it is reaping big mobility and economic benefits as a result," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "By extending the light rail network from Sandy to Draper, we will bring even more residents into the network and make even greater progress."

LaHood also liked the idea of keeping workers employed as the line is completed.

Other local projects that the government is finalizing payments on include the 10.6-mile Mid-Jordan TRAX line and commuter rail from Salt Lake to Weber County. In all, if approved, the budget proposal would send $244.5 million in federal dollars for transit projects in Utah in the coming year.

Tuesday's budget proposal includes $3.2 billion in funding for 28 transit construction projects nationwide that are expected to increase mobility, reduce energy consumption, curb air pollution and make America more competitive, according to the Obama administration.

Approval of all the projects is tricky, however, as congressional Republicans have vowed to cut out nearly half of Obama's proposed transportation budget, axing nearly $430 million from the federal New Starts program that the Draper line is a part of.

E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com

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