Supreme Court sides with Draper, UTA on referendum

Utah's high court has sided with Draper city and the Utah Transit Authority in denying a referendum regarding a proposed light rail route through Draper's rural east side.

The decision means that a 2006 Draper City Council resolution endorsing the route will stand. But that resolution did not effectively change any law so the people may not vote on it, according to the ruling published Friday.

Citizens for Responsible Transportation (CRT), which sued for the right to referendum, is extremely disappointed with the ruling, said its leader, Summer Pugh, a Draper Realtor and homeowner.

"We have been hoodwinked," she said.

The Supreme Court appeal was the last legal remedy for CRT, but UTA officials have said the east-side route is not yet set in stone, and won't be until 2009.