From Deseret News archives:
Funding move boosts TRAX hopes
$2 million would be enough to secure 9400 South station
Matheson, D-Utah, announced this week that he has secured a $2 million spot in a House legacy transportation bill, which only comes up every six years to divvy up federal gasoline tax funds.
UTA officials say the $2 million would be enough to pretty much fully fund the construction of the station near the popular Jordan Commons and Salt Lake County's South Towne Exposition Center.
County officials and Jordan Commons owner Larry H. Miller say the popularity of both venues has led to traffic congestion and parking problems.
The irony, UTA general manager John Inglish has said, is that UTA made an offer to the county and Miller to put a TRAX station at 9400 South when TRAX was still in its planning phase. Back then, support for light rail was fairly sparse among the Salt Lake County Commission.
Inglish said UTA will work with all parties to build the station, however, with proposed TRAX lines to West Valley, West Jordan and Draper, as well as commuter rail to Davis County, UTA has no resources to put toward the station.
Sandy city spokesman Ryan Mecham said the city had been trying to figure out how to secure funding for the station when Matheson stepped in to find federal funding. Miller had said he would be willing to put forward funds if he had to and Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman said the county was seeking federal grant options.
"I heard about this project from both UTA and community leaders in Sandy," Matheson said. "This is one project that makes so much sense," given the popularity of the area.
Mayor Tom Dolan expressed gratitude to Matheson for helping to get the station project into the transportation bill.
But there are some political kinks to work out. President Bush has said he is not comfortable with the size of the bill. The House version of the bill was just passed and must be joined with the Senate version. At this point the bill is expected to be well over $275 billion when it hits the president's desk. Bush has said he would veto a bill that size.
Given that objection, it is expected that Congress will have to make cuts and concessions to reduce the size of the bill. Matheson said he feels confident that the TRAX project will survive the rounds of cuts. "I think there is a large bipartisan majority who are committed to this bill," Matheson said. "The fact that this project is in the bill gives me great confidence that it will get funding."
UTA spokeswoman Andrea Packer said if the bill is signed, it is not clear when UTA will see the funding. The bill is designed to appropriate funding for transportation and transit projects across the country over a six-year period.
In the meantime, Packer said UTA will continue to work with Sandy city on the design of the station.
Dolan said residents in the area are in strong support of a new station, however, parking is a concern. Dolan said he would like to see a "kiss and ride" station where TRAX commuters are encouraged to be dropped off rather than park their cars.
E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com
