Draper light-rail plans gain steam

The Wasatch Front Regional Council announced its preference for the controversial route just in time for a community meeting about the project on Wednesday.

The council, a regional planning body, holds great sway with the Utah Transit Authority and with the federal government, which is expected to fund 80 percent of the Draper light-rail plan.

The route that would follow the old Union Pacific railroad tracks is likely to bring about 3,000 more daily riders than a route along State Street or west of I-15 would, said UTA consultant Ken Sislak.

And even including the cost of the railroad land, which UTA already owns, it will be about one-third cheaper and will be able to travel more quickly.

"Aha! That's the alternative," Sislak said during a presentation. "That's the one the federal government will pay for."

The ridership numbers were calculated by WFRC using both software and data gathered by UTA, said UTA project manager Greg Thorpe.

Sending the route into residential neighborhoods will offer the greatest number of people an easy way to downtown Salt Lake City, Thorpe said.

The route through agricultural and residential land isn't scheduled to be built until around 2030. It has been highly criticized by some residents of the area. In fact, one group took UTA and Draper city to court over the plan but were ultimately turned down by the Utah Supreme Court.

The efforts of that group have since quieted, but residents are being encouraged to make their voices heard until January or February, when a final public comment period on the project will conclude.

Another section of light-rail line into Draper is expected to be built before 2015. It will extend the Sandy route and will end near Draper's City Hall at about 12400 South.

"I'm ready for it and I think it's a good thing," said Tom Hurley, who lives near the proposed line and belongs to a community advisory committee on the project. "(The eastern route) makes the most sense cost-wise and construction-wise."

E-mail: rpalmer@desnews.com

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