- Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson opposes the Utah Department of Transportation's Point of the Mountain transit plan.
- Johnson argues the plan is costly, time-consuming and inefficient for residents.
- UDOT encourages public feedback, emphasizing integrated transit solutions for future development.
LEHI — A proposed transit plan from the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Transit Authority prompted a strong response from Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson across social media on Tuesday.
The plan would connect Lehi and Draper with stops at the future Point of the Mountain development — which was previously the site of the Utah State Prison — via a light-rail system.
"It's the wrong (plan) for our city and everyone who travels through Lehi," Johnson said. "We don't need a scenic route, we need a smart one."
Specifically, Johnson said three things matter when considering new transit in the region: cost, time to build and service to residents.
He believes the proposed locally preferred alternative falls short of these three priorities.
"It will cost significantly more, it will take decades to complete and it won't get Utah County residents to Salt Lake City faster," Johnson said.
According to the plan, the preferred alternative would begin at the existing Draper FrontRunner station and stretch south to the Lehi FrontRunner station. Included in the plan are 9½ miles of new, transit-only lanes and nine new stations — including two at The Point.
"This new proposal reroutes the original east transit line across I-15 to the west side, then loops through the old prison site. This will unnecessarily give us two Lehi connections to the same location and delay riders getting where they need to go," Johnson said.
The plan said light rail is the preferred transit mode among the local community due to its permanence and the fact that it could reduce the need for parking areas.
"Developers estimate that The Point could see a reduction of 25% to 30% of required parking. By reducing the area required for parking, developers can make more productive use of land in the station areas in the form of additional housing and commercial space and realize greater economic investment," the plan states.
Johnson encouraged residents to speak out via public comment, which are being accepted through Thursday and can be submitted here.
As for UDOT, spokesman John Gleason said the department is trying to deliver on its goal of offering "transportation choices to help people get where they want to go, especially as this area continues to develop."
"Solutions for transit, walking, biking, and driving need to function together at a high level for us to have the transportation system we want our children to inherit. Feedback is vital to planning and decision-making on all of our projects. The public comment period is an important part of that process and we encourage all to participate," Gleason said.
