Reader comments
Becker, UTA sign agreement for airport TRAX line

Great Investment | 3:50 p.m. June 12, 2008

This is a complete no brainer. Great travel cities link their transportation hubs to city centers and business districts. New York, Tokyo, Rome, etc. We need mass transit alternatives to combat high fuel prices and 5 months of grey smog.
An Airport Trax line will makes travel easier for tourists skiing or attending downtown conventions, residents heading on vacation as well as airport workers. Delta is one of Utah's largest employers after all. This is a necessary and vital investment for the community. It will also serve and help develop one the the poorest areas of the city. Keep it up.

James J Strang | 3:59 p.m. June 12, 2008

If you want to get to the airport from Sandy, it should only take 4.5 hours!

C Warren | 4:09 p.m. June 12, 2008

I hope they plan the line so that at some future date it can be extended to the International Center. That area could also benefit from improved mass transit.

Comments continue below

A fan | 4:28 p.m. June 12, 2008

I remember when they brought light rail to O'Hare airport in Chicago. The crime rate involving stolen luggage tripled. Plus, if you're going on vacation, do you really want to lug your suitcases on the train to the airport? I think not.

To A fan: | 4:50 p.m. June 12, 2008

Actually, when given the option of dragging friends out of bed at ridiculous hours to give me a ride, paying for a taxi, or paying for parking while I'm gone, I really do want to lug my suitcases on the train to the airport. I've done it while visiting other cities and it has been very convenient. I think it's fabulous that they are finally going to build an airport line!

CougarKeith | 4:55 p.m. June 12, 2008

This is great, I can't wait for "Free Fare Day" so everyone can complain again! Quick someone call the Whambulance!!!

On a lighter note...
This is great news for Salt Lake, The Front Runner opened up the way for us to be able to get into "AFFORDABLE" Housing in a SAFE Neighborhood, 2000 sq feet for under $175,000 with a 2 car garage if you can believe that! All you SUCKERS still spending over $230,000 for 1,750 square feet, you are SUCKERS I hate to tell you!

For those hanging out for the Housing Market to crash, hang in there, IT WILL, The Foreclosure Market is picking up EVERY DAY! May be a couple years, but your day will come!

UTA has changed our life for the GOOD!!! THANKS UTA! funny thing, found out the "Express Bus" is faster than the Front Runner TRAIN, could have done this a long time ago even cheaper!

How about this | 5:26 p.m. June 12, 2008

What would really make public transportation much more user friendly is if they actually opened some EAST-WEST LINES. And by that I mean how about build a line from like 5600 West and 5400 South to like 5300 South and State Street, 5600 West 4000 South to like 1000 East. I don't know where they should end, but how about making it actually convienant and easy to get around!? Public transportation is a joke here. I used to live in Russia and thier subway system in moscow was totally awesome. Even the buses came on a regular schedule. Sure they were filthy but at least they came every 15-25 minutes. Again until public transit expands geographically and has more trains/buses coming it will continue to be a joke.

FM | 5:45 p.m. June 12, 2008

Re: How about this.

They just completed a major east west component of transit, it's the BRT (bus rapid transit) line on 3500 S from Magna to the 3300 S Trax station. It is a bus that has fewer stops than a regular bus, has a dedicated lane and has signal prioritization.

There are many much larger US cities that have nowhere near the transit options that SLC has, Phoenix is the best example of that.

Re: A Fan
If you take a train and get your luggage stolen isn't that really you're own fault. It's not as if you had it off to someone else when you get on. I currently live in a city that has a train to the airport and I take it every time, luggage and all. Haven't had a bag stolen yet.

SLC and the Wasatch Front are being very aggressive with Transit and I'm impressed that such a conservative afraid of change community has embrassed transit as well as it has.

Thank you UTA, and SL County voters.

FM | 6:15 p.m. June 12, 2008

Maybe I should have been clearer; they don't steal them on the train. It allows the thieves access to the airport that they might not have had before and they steal from the baggage carousels.

Andrew | 6:34 p.m. June 12, 2008

I think this is mostly for people coming/going on business trips or for tourism downtown. I have been looking forward to this for a while. As one person mentioned earlier, this would add to big city appeal of Salt Lake. Utah is trying to be proactive to head off nightmare traffic problems down the road.

FYI Believe it or not UTA is annnually voted one of the best transit systems in the US. Perhaps a low standard but an accomplishment nonetheless.

PS There are East West lines in the works for the South West part of the valley. Hang in there. First we had to do North South and others with major commercial implications.

Dougway | 6:50 p.m. June 12, 2008

A journey of one hundred fifty miles begins with a single tie.

FYI | 9:20 p.m. June 12, 2008

To How about this: Take Route 54 that runs every 30 minutes along 5400 South from 5600 West and goes to the Trax station which is about a block walk from State Street. I agree that public transportation is probably not as great as it is in Russia, but people in Russia don't live in their cars or do most of them even have cars. Public trasportation here was good when I was growing up, but that was before we had urban sprawl and people who won't get out of their cars. They want public transportation to get them there as fast as they can with there cars. Guess what, not going to happen. Until people are willing to get behind public transportation, it is not going to get any better. Building a ton of east-west lines is not cost effective. TAKE THE BUS!!!

Levin | 9:28 p.m. June 12, 2008

Re: how about this?

In order for mass transit to work, you need masses to transit. Moscow and other world capitals have had that for some time. Davis/Salt Lake/Utah County have only recently entered the phase where increasing mass transit makes sense. From afar (NY area) it looks to me like UTA is doing a lot (TRAX, Bus Rapid Transit, and of course commuter rail).

Not Drinking Utah's Kool-Aid | 10:15 p.m. June 12, 2008

This is a huge waste of money.

There is no congestion around the airport. Everyone knows that.

Airport employees commute during off-peak hours so they are not clogging the roads during rush hour.

At an upfront cost of $300 million plus operating and interest costs, this is not a cost-effective way to promote tourism.

Other cities have this because they have serious congestion problems between their airports and downtown. Getting from SLC airport to downtown is not difficult.

This is not a cost-effective way to reduce pollution or dependence on foreign oil. Light rail to airport will reduce total car trips in metro area by less than 0.5% (again, consider the cost).

Happy Man! | 11:02 p.m. June 12, 2008

Finally! I would much rather take rail to the airport then my car. All other major cities have rail to the airport. This make perfect sense. This is a very progressive move that makes Utah more attractive for Tourism, Conferences and provides convenience for the residence of Utah. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I have been waiting for this far too long!

Anon. | 11:48 p.m. June 12, 2008

I was in Atlanta last week and took the MARTA from the airport to my hotel in Buckhead, rode for the entire week back and forth to my conference, went to a Braves game at Turner field, went to see the temple, and back to the airport. Never rented a car or used a cab. Total cost $18 for the week. Would have been $13, but I had to by the card - which I can keep and use on another trip. It was great! It is good to see SLC joining the ranks of cities with a good mass transit system.

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