Southern Davis County residents voice opposition to streetcars

CENTERVILLE — Residents at a public hearing Tuesday had no shortage of complaints about a plan by the Utah Transit Authority to build a streetcar line from Salt Lake City to Centerville.

Complaints touched on support by local governments, location, cost and impact of the project, whether the project is needed and how safe a streetcar would be along Main streets in Centerville and Bountiful.

Cami Layton, a Centerville resident, said UTA's commuter train, FrontRunner, isn't yet used to capacity, and neither are local buses.

She objected to the $411 million to $470 million estimated price tag for the project, which doesn't have funding yet.

"Centerville wants to be consumer-savvy in an economic downfall," Layton said.

But she said she recognizes UTA's job is to create transit opportunities.

And there's a huge opportunity in Centerville and Bountiful to help residents commute to Salt Lake City without using their cars, says UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter.

If the project eventually gets the go-ahead, an electric-powered streetcar on steel rails could come to southern Davis County with a bus route to the Farmington FrontRunner station. It would operate both in exclusive and shared lanes with cars along its 12-mile route.

"Davis County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state," Carpenter said. In the next 20 to 50 years, congestion on Davis County's roads is expected to grow, so solutions are needed before congestion becomes gridlock.

"The line is part of a balanced transportation approach," he said, adding that it is projected to have 15,000 riders a day by 2030.

"It's critical for us to start thinking ahead," he said.

Residents say it's easy to get in their cars and drive, said Centerville Mayor Ron Russell. "It won't be that way 10 years from now."

The mayor said the streetcar will help reduce dependence on oil and reduce pollution.

For residents who say the streetcar should go to Centerville's destinations, such as the city's shopping district, Davis County Library and future Davis Cultural Arts Center, Russell said the streetcar's mission is to help get people to their jobs and home, not necessarily to bring them to the grocery store.

Tuesday's public hearing focused on the project's draft Environmental Study Report, for which UTA is accepting public comment. Comments received by March 16 will be addressed in the project's final report.

About 200 people attended the hearing, held at Centerville Junior High School, and filled out comment cards or left verbal comments with a court reporter.