Proposition 3 running strong in county poll

A new opinion poll shows a clear majority of Salt Lake County voters favor a quarter-cent sales-tax hike for transportation projects, which could include light-rail and commuter-rail expansion.

In the poll of 501 county residents, conducted Oct. 26-Nov. 2 by Dan Jones & Associates, 60 percent said they definitely or probably favor Proposition 3. Twenty-nine percent said they definitely or probably oppose the tax hike. Nine percent said they do not have an opinion.

County voters will be asked on Tuesday's election ballot if they want to impose the tax increase to pay for "corridor preservation, congestion mitigation or to expand capacity for regionally significant transportation facilities." The money could be used for any of a list of 33 projects, including four new TRAX lines and a commuter-rail extension through the Salt Lake Valley to Utah County.

No group has organized to oppose the tax measure, nor a similar proposal in Utah County. Both have support from a broad mix of business leaders, elected officials and environmental groups.

And nowhere was that support stronger Friday than at the Utah Transit Authority's commuter-rail maintenance facility on 900 North and 500 West. There, officials from UTA, the Utah Department of Transportation and numerous elected officials gathered to celebrate reaching the 50-percent completion mark on the FrontRunner high-speed commuter rail project.

The initial line, which has been under construction for 14 months, will stretch for 44 miles from Weber County to Salt Lake City. FrontRunner is projected eventually to run 120 miles from Brigham City to Payson, and Tuesday's ballot measures could help make that a reality.

Two FrontRunner rail cars were open for public tours during Friday's celebration, and members of the media were later taken on a tour of a portion of the rail line that is now complete.

"It shouldn't be much more than a year and we will be riding on these big boys here, up and down the Wasatch Front," UTA general manager John Inglish said as he spoke to the gathering inside the maintenance facility, in front of the two FrontRunner cars.

"Our cup is more than half full and we're just excited about what we are about to accomplish here," said Bob Hunter, vice president of the UTA board of trustees.

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, said Utahns should not take for granted what UTA has been able to accomplish in partnership with UDOT. Transit and road officials do not always work so well together in other states, he said, nor do they always complete projects on time and on budget, as has been the case in Utah.

"I just want to take my hat off to UTA for what they've done in that regard," he said.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said the FrontRunner project will help increase mobility and decrease congestion throughout the Wasatch Front.

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert predicted that commuter rail will enhance Utah's "economic sustainability ... for generations to come."

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Contributing: Nicole Warburton

E-mail: zman@desnews.com