News - Win One, Lose One.

  • The Salt Lake City council has agreed to go ahead with the east/west light rail line tonight, after voting last month to kill the project. The UTA worked the entire month since the vote to change the construction plans to win the votes on the council. The following terms where agreed upon to get the vote to go ahead:
    1. The line will run on Sundays-Almost no UTA service including the new TRAX light rail line runs on Sundays. However as part of the agreement the both light rail lines will. The UTA was hesitant to agree to this since they experimented with Sunday service in three years ago and it was a fiancial disaster in this community.
    2. No Streets are to be closed during Construction-Many businesses along Main Street where hurt during the construction of the North/South TRAX line when the entire street was closed for a year. 400 South with is a major East/West Business route, will remain open during the construction. There was also some other minor consessions to get the agreement. Construction should begin in the spring and be finished by December of 2001.
  • Boyer Development Corp, broke ground yesterday on its Gateway Project which includes the former Union Pacific station. The project has forced Amtrak into a trailer as a temporary station until a new intermodal terminal can be built. The Boyer group moved the construction schedule around the UP station ahead, since incoming Mayor Rocky Anderson is opposed to project for many reasons — including that it will elimanate any possiblities of using the UP station for the intermodal terminal. One of the big reasons for support of having the intermodal terminal at the Union Pacific station is that it would allow Commuter Trains to arrive within walking distance of downtown. Now anyone riding the proposed commuter trains will have to ride a bus or taxi into the downtown area. Many in the community feel that this kills the commuter train project, although UTA is still working on it.
  • Business on the new TRAX light rail line continues to exceed expectations. Businesses along Main Street that suffered during construction, are now seeing business increase dramatically. Overall, more people seem to be shopping downtown this year than in several years. The biggest complaints now are that the parking lots are full, and people have to stand most of the day. UTA is already having to run 4 car trains, even though it was thought that 2 car trains would be enough for most of the day.