Utah Transit Authority spokesman Justin Jones says putting the sales tax increase on the ballot in Utah County "shows the rest of the Wasatch Front that (Utah County officials) are ready to step up, and they have been. They just needed time to figure it out."

But UTA has questioned the cost estimates that the county is using to predict the price of building commuter rail into Utah County. The agency is about halfway finished with construction on a 44-mile first phase of commuter rail from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View. The cost: $581 million.

Commuter rail into Utah County will be about the same distance. But building the line may be more costly, with the geographic challenges of going around the Point of the Mountain and over the Jordan River.

MAG's estimates use today's prices and don't account for inflation or other cost adjustments, Cook said.

"That could kick (the cost) up some," he said, "but ($600 million) is the the number we're working with for discussion purposes."

UTA estimates that cost will be closer to $750 million by 2011.

The environmental-study process for commuter rail from Salt Lake City into Utah County is now under way and expected to be completed within the next two years, Jones said. The rail system, called the FrontRunner, is projected to someday run 120 miles, from Brigham City to Payson. The first phase of commuter rail is expected to open in early 2008.

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