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SALT LAKE CITY -- A project is the works to help connect several downtown destinations with an extensive streetcar system.
The project, which has already begun in Sugar House, has city planners in Salt Lake City exploring the idea.
Downtown Salt Lake already has several transit options, including a light rail and commuter rail, which provides access for many residents along the Wasatch Front. However, city officials believe a streetcar system would better connect several downtown destinations.
"The big picture is to try and connect this area around the Intermodal Hub with the core of downtown," said DJ Baxter, executive director of the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City.
A streetcar would probably provide a lot more pedestrian- friendly options for people when they come downtown. They can just park once and get around the downtown area with a simple, easy system that they understand.
–Jason Mathis
Initial planning has the streetcar system running along 200 South, starting at the Intermodal Hub area, ending at the downtown Harmons. This first section would link prominent landmarks like the Capitol Theatre and downtown hotels with TRAX and FrontRunner.
"A streetcar would probably provide a lot more pedestrian- friendly options for people when they come downtown," said Jason Mathis, executive director of Downtown Alliance. "They can just park once and get around the downtown area with a simple, easy system that they understand."
A streetcar system is cheaper than light rail, could have many more stops and provides a permanent investment that has helped drive development in other cities.
Eventually, other lines could extend east to the University of Utah, south to the Granary District and north to Davis County.
"The vision for the streetcar is not to have one or two lines here and in Sugar House. It has to be a connected network," Baxter said. "Salt Lake City originally had a streetcar system of 145 miles of track, just within our city boundaries. The way that track was laid out was to connect all the city's neighborhoods to downtown. We can replicate that."
The cost of the first line is roughly $40 million, but a funding source has yet to be identified.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
