For the past six years, DJ Baxter has worked tirelessly on behalf of our west side residents to persuade Union Pacific to abandon the 900 South rail line so local residents can be free from the noise and vibration of trains moving through the area at all hours of the day and night. This long, difficult negotiation process is now weeks away from completion. During the 2006 Legislative Session, we secured $3.5 million in County sales tax funds with the help of House Speaker Greg Curtis and Rep. Ralph Becker. With the Council's help, we have now completed most of the property acquisition needed for the Grant Tower rail realignment, and are within weeks of finalizing written agreements with UDOT, Union Pacific, and Salt Lake County to formally commence this exciting project. This has been extremely complicated, but we are at the point of seeing vast progress, thanks to the hard, relentless work of DJ and others.

Construction for the project will begin shortly, and should be finished by mid-2008. Once completed, Salt Lake City will have a quiet zone free from locomotive noise from its northern boundary to its southern boundary, and from 500 West to the Jordan River. Union Pacific will then transfer to Salt Lake City all property associated with the 900 South rail line, from 700 West to Redwood Road. Union Pacific will also transfer to the City all of its property along the Folsom Street Corridor, from I-15 to 1100 West, where Salt Lake City will be able to bring the flow of City Creek to the surface and spur revitalization of the area. DJ has worked his heart out on this project, and deserves our gratitude for his efforts.

To increase available parking for residents and visitors to our downtown, we added over two hundred fifty new center-of-the-street parking stalls to Broadway Boulevard and 300 East. We also introduced reverse-angle (back-in) parking on 200 South to provide for greater safety for cyclists. With the support of the Council, we continue to provide free parking during the holiday season at all City meters. As part of our Green Vehicle Program, alternative fuel and high-efficiency vehicles can now park for free for two hours at any City parking meter.

To improve the walkability of Salt Lake City, reduce auto dependence, and enliven our streets, we undertook an extensive pedestrian safety campaign. I worked with the City�s Pedestrian Safety Committee, led by Dan Bergenthal, to implement a wide array of improvements. Since 2000, the Transportation Division has equipped 189 crosswalks with orange pedestrian flags, installed over 1000 pedestrian countdown timers at every City-owned traffic signal, installed seven pedestrian-actuated overhead flashing lights, painted 500 "LOOK" crosswalk pavement indicators on our streets, built eleven raised crosswalks, and posted 90 signs downtown reminding drivers of laws designed to ensure pedestrian safety.