The more rails the merrier

They're almost all gone now — the people who would talk about hopping on the old Bamberger rail line and chugging south all the way to Salt Lake City. But their children and grandchildren are here. And in Davis, Box Elder and Weber counties, they are trying to resurrect the ride of the rails. This time for commuter rail. And this time because people in those counties not only come to Salt Lake City to celebrate and shop, but now many come every day to work.

The plan is to boost sales taxes by a quarter of a cent in those counties and put the funds into new roads and mass transit. The tax hike would cost families about $140 a year. And though we'd prefer to see gasoline sales be taxed to take some of the pressure off — since sales tax tends to take a bigger chunk from struggling families — we like the forward thinking up north and the way officials and business leaders there are trying to get out in front of the curve.

Projects range from a bus rapid-transit line to buying more land for a Legacy Parkway extension. If the vision holds, businesses up north and in the Salt Lake Valley would benefit and the number of cars clogging the freeway during rush hour would be diminished.

Some argue that light rail — not commuter rail — would be the best bet since light rail could handle more stops and would be more convenient. But commuter rail is easier to install, and it would move much faster.

Groups against the move say this is not the time to raise taxes.

But, from our perch, it looks like one of those "pay me now or pay me later" propositions. The Wasatch Front has become a hotbed of immigration and real estate development. And as in most states, all things flow toward the capital city. The sooner officials in nearby counties can help grease the skids and start finding safer, cleaner and more effective ways of funneling their citizens into Salt Lake City and back, the better.

The Bamberger, in its time, was a great success. Anyone who looks at old photos of Salt Lake City sees the cross-hatching of rail lines that eventually were removed in the name of "progress." Now progress dictates that we put them back again.