From Deseret News archives:
TRAX, rail-funding plans may go on ballot
'More projects than resources' could mean tough choices
And that's if all the money from the tax increase goes to rail projects, Utah Transit Authority boss John Inglish said Wednesday during a committee meeting of the UTA Board of Trustees. A transportation-funding bill that's being drafted for an expected special legislative session on Tuesday is "so open-ended that there's no guarantee the money would go to TRAX lines," he said.
At the request of lawmakers, UTA is working on several different scenarios for how to spend the money in the bill, if it is approved. Two proposals are being considered.
One would put a statewide quarter-cent sales tax for transportation on the November ballot. It would fund "regionally significant" projects like airports, transit and road improvements.
The other proposal would allow individual counties to put a quarter-cent sales tax hike on the ballot for transportation improvements. The counties would decide which projects the money would fund.
Either way, Inglish said, it's clear that the measure won't provide enough money to build all four TRAX lines, plus commuter rail in Salt Lake County. The TRAX lines would cost taxpayers about $895 million. Commuter rail is estimated to cost upwards of $300 million to build.
Inglish said Wednesday that building commuter rail through Salt Lake County became a priority last month when Utah County Commissioners put a sales-tax increase on the ballot to build commuter rail through their county. It makes no sense for Utah County to build the line if it doesn't connect through Salt Lake County, Inglish said.
That could mean that one or two TRAX lines may be postponed to pay for commuter rail. Another alternative might be that only portions of the four lines would be built, Inglish said.
"Frankly, something's got to give," Inglish said. "We now have more projects than resources."
Draper Mayor Darrell Smith said Wednesday that the notion of dropping a TRAX line was disappointing. UTA has been pushing a plan to build four TRAX extensions since the beginning of the year, he said. The additional lines would run to Draper, West Valley, South Jordan and the Salt Lake International Airport.
In July, the Salt Lake County commission put an $895 million bond initiative on the November ballot to pay for construction of the four lines. If the governor puts the transit funding bill on a special session agenda — and it's approved — the measure will likely replace the bond initiative on the ballot.
Of the four lines, Draper is furthest behind in terms of environmental and engineering studies, but the line could still be built quickly because the route for it has already been purchased, unlike other lines.
"I'm optimistic enough to say we stand a chance," Smith said. "We're still on the team, and we play hard. I support what they're trying to do. I just hate to see part of the goal taken away."
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com
