Draper group seeks referendum on TRAX

Asked if a referendum vote would even matter to future TRAX plans, UTA spokesperson Justin Jones said Monday that UTA will do what the community supports.

"We're not in the business of forcing them to do things that the overall public doesn't want," he said.

However, that right-of-way connects to other cities in Utah County that also want light rail, Jones said. He added that 62 percent of Draper residents voted this month in favor of Proposition 3, a ballot measure which would authorize a sales-tax hike for transportation improvements in Salt Lake County. The sales-tax revenue could include funds for the Draper TRAX line.

"Overwhelmingly, the citizens of Draper are speaking out in favor of this," Jones said.

"There's a vocal minority who are speaking out against" the route along the former Union Pacific tracks, he added.

UTA plans to start the line by 2015, after studies are complete and funding is in place.

CRT has 45 days to collect the signatures required for a referendum. That's a challenge during the holiday season, Pungh noted, but one that CRT members are willing to take to preserve their neighborhoods.

For more information on the group's efforts, visit drapertrax.com.

---

E-mail: astowell@desnews.com