Utah is way off-track with its car-heavy and train-light Unified Transportation Plan
Small Lake City
By Benjamin Wood @BjaminWood
There's big train news out of the Unified Transportation Plan, a one-stop-shop for all of Utah's long-term highway, transit and trails projects (find it at unifiedplan.org). Between now and the year 2032, Salt Lake City and the Utah Transit Authority intend to finally push the S-Line Streetcar to Highland Drive, via Simpson Avenue.
The Streetcar is a bit of an odd duck that feels disconnected on both ends. This extension will mitigate that, making it somewhat easier to visit the Sugar House Shopping Center without a car. But for anyone who'd like to one day take the train to Sugar House Park, that's still not in the plans—at least not before 2050—so remember to wear your walking shoes.
But wait, there's more. By 2042, the plans call for the first new Trax lines in Salt Lake City since the Green Line extension to the airport. A few blocks of rail on 400 South will facilitate the Orange Line, with a direct connection between Salt Lake Central and the University of Utah. And an extension along 400 West will add connections around Pioneer Park and the Granary.
And ... that's it.
To be fair, the state is planning several Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, including one on State Street. A streetcar on Highland Drive linking Holladay and Millcreek to Salt Lake City is at least noted on the plans, albeit without any expected timeline or funding source. And throughout all of this, UTA will continue its slow, steady march toward a double-tracked Frontrunner, while eyeing eventual extensions to Payson and Brigham City.
But the long and short of the Unified Transportation Plan is that Salt Lakers should expect some change, but not very much, to the city's passenger rail map over the next 20 years. Did I say "big" train news? I meant there is some train news.
Much bigger news are the plans to widen highways during that same time period. Sure, 20 years can only buy us a couple new Trax stops but for drivers, the next two decades will see rounds of widening on interstates 15, 80 and 215; Highway 201 and Legacy Parkway, the extension and widening of the Mountain View Corridor and "operational improvements" on 2100 South, 1300 East and Foothill Drive.
The research on induced demand tells us that each of those highway projects will worsen traffic congestion and pollution while displacing residents and businesses and increasing the danger to pedestrians and cyclists near those corridors. The research on transit tells us that a high-frequency train with meaningful connections provides the most appealing and efficient alternative to driving.
Here's hoping the 2070 plans start to take this all seriously. Or maybe it will be our third Olympics that finally prompts us get our act together, if we're still around by then.
Small Lake City is home to local writers and their opinions.
About The Author
Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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