West-siders lobby for embedded light-rail tracks on North Temple

Steven Asay remembers a day when North Temple was the gateway to the city and west-side homes were the first people saw as they arrived in Salt Lake City.

Now, as the City Council looks to transform the street into a "grand boulevard" and extend a TRAX line to the airport, Asay and other west-siders worry they'll get the short end of the light-rail stick.

Calling it a matter of parity between the east and west sides, dozens of residents Tuesday called on the City Council to use the bulk of its budget for the project on embedding the tracks in concrete instead of opting for a cheaper, gravel substitute.

"By using ballast on the tracks, you're telling me it doesn't matter what my neighborhood looks like," Asay said.

The city has set aside $10 million for improvements along North Temple. City planners picture canopy trees, art displays, landscaped medians, benches and bike racks. But embedding the tracks in concrete would use $6 million.

That's a price tag Red Iguana owner Bill Coker thinks the city can live with. The 10-foot sidewalks and solar-paneled stations can wait, he said.

"Everything does not have to be done before you cut the ribbon for the first train," Coker said, "but the track must be done."

Earlier in the afternoon, some council members said they did not care for either track option. Councilman Soren Simonsen called them "at best, pretty mediocre."

"We're making a 100-year investment, and I don't want to sell us short," Simonsen said.

City planners discussed the possibility of using color and stamping patterns into the concrete to improve its appearance.

The city must soon submit its decision to the Utah Transit Authority, but the council delayed its vote on the matter Tuesday night.

E-mail: afalk@desnews.com