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Tonya Papanikolas and Jon Dunn Reporting If UTA and several Wasatch Front mayors get their way, residents in West Valley and South Jordan will have light rail lines within seven years. But if that plan goes forward, Salt Lake homeowners will have to foot part of the bill.
Right now TRAX doesn't go any further West from the Delta Center stop, but eventually it will go out to the airport. The big question is when? Salt Lake county mayors have already recommended a plan to speed up the process by leaving it to the voters; today UTA endorsed the idea as well.
Those who ride the bus say planning extra time to get where they want is a necessity.
"I have to leave the house at 3:00 to get here at 5:00."
"At rush hour it's so bad."
But if they could ride a TRAX line to get to their destinations, these riders say they would.
Sherry Hulsey, West Valley City Resident: "I think one going westbound too would be fantastic."
UTA is hoping to make that wish a reality sooner rather than later. The department is planning to build four new light rail lines across the valley. One will go from downtown to the Salt Lake airport. Another extends from Sandy, seven miles South into Draper. In West Valley, TRAX will eventually stop near the E -Center and Valley Fair mall. And the Mid-Jordan line will extend into West Jordan and then Daybreak.
Tiffanye Bond, West Valley Resident: "It would be good because you don't have to catch the buses all the way down there."
Currently UTA has enough money to build the lines within 15-30 years. But they don't want to wait that long.
John Inglish, UTA General Manager: "We have a serious transportation problem, a crisis, if you will. And we will need to address it and address it quickly."
Today UTA's board of trustees endorsed a resolution to let the voters decide if they want to pick up some of the tab with property taxes. The cost would be between 70 and 100 dollars a year for homeowners with a 200-thousand dollar house. Those who would use the TRAX lines say they'd pay it.
Others say they'd rather see the money used elsewhere.
"We should be building freeways first."
The plan will now go before the Salt Lake County council who will likely decide sometime this month if they want to put the issue on the ballots this November.
