"We wouldn't go so far as to take the first step if were weren't confident that everything is going to come into place in a timely fashion to make this work," Cook said. "We wouldn't take that kind of risk."

West Valley Mayor Dennis Nordfelt, who serves as chairman of the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the group responsible for transit planning along most of the Wasatch Front, said Monday that if Utah County were to put something on the ballot — and it passed — he would push Salt Lake County to fund commuter rail.

It could be tricky, however, because county voters are being asked this fall to vote for or against a property tax hike to fund four new TRAX lines. Political analysts have said that county voters may not have the stomach for another tax hike to fund commuter rail, especially in time to meet Utah County's needs during I-15 reconstruction.

The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce is pushing for the Legislature to authorize counties to put a sales tax hike on the ballot this year so voters can approve funding for both TRAX and commuter rail, as well as other transit improvements.

Chamber President Lane Beattie said the business group has been talking with legislative leaders and that they are "looking outside other solutions to a special session to solve the transportation problem."

Nordfelt says Salt Lake County has been waiting a long time for Utah County to show interest in funding commuter rail.

"Philosophically, we recognize that commuter rail needs to extend south and at least to the middle of Utah County, if not farther," he said. "We have been waiting for Utah County to take the lead and show interest and be willing to fund it. There's no sense in dealing with that until they're ready to do that."

Eccles says he hopes a commitment to commuter rail will put to rest the perception that Utah County officials have been dragging their feet when it comes to regional transit options.

"That's never been the case," Eccles said.

Instead, Utah County has been working through "issues that have made things difficult for us," he said. One of those is the gap in the commuter rail line from the Point of the Mountain to Salt Lake City, and another is that Utah County is not unified as a transit district.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Jeff Alexander, R-Orem, and passed in 2003 provides the county a way to work around the latter hang-up. The law gives county leaders the option of putting a quarter-cent sales tax on the ballot to fund transportation and transit projects. If voters approve the increase, money will be collected from the entire county, not just participants in the transit district.