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Jed Boal and Greg Neft ReportingAs voters weigh proposals next week to raise money for transit projects, UTA showed off progress on its latest venture, commuter rail.
Light rail and commuter rail run different tracks but serve a similar purpose. Commuter rail -- called FrontRunner -- will start to roll in 2008. From what we saw today, work is accelerating just beyond the public's view.
Halfway there, that's the FrontRunner progress report from the Utah Transit Authority. Some rails are ready to ride, but the actual FrontRunner cars will stay in the service center until it's time to roll. The route from North Weber County to Salt Lake City is taking shape and should be ready for its first riders in 18 months or so.
UTA showed off a few rail cars, part of the initial FrontRunner fleet of eight trains, three cars each that will hit the rails. The success of Trax gives UTA confidence in FrontRunner.
John Inglish, General Manager, UTA: "A week or two ago we hit our 50 millionth rider on TRAX. A lot of people thought nobody would ride that. Interestingly, I haven't found anybody yet who said they wouldn't ride this big train."
Crews have already completed 17 of the 44 mile rail route. Each of the rails is a quarter mile long. They're recycled steel made from melted-down automobiles."
Crews have put in 600-thousand hours of work so far, that's nearly 300 working years. They've unloaded 63 miles of track and by the time they're done, they will weld rail sections together more than 12-hundred times.
Steve Meyer, Project Manager, Commuter Rail Construction: "I think they really get excited to see the rail on the grade. I hope the people along the freeway are excited about that as well."
Voters of Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties approved the money for FrontRunner in 2000. It's being financed 80-percent by federal money and the rest from the local money coming from referendum we passed six years ago.
