About

The Brigham City Transit Corridor Study was completed it 2007. It examined options for a transit link between Ogden and Brigham City. The report found that commuter rail would be the best mode to connect the two communities. Shortly after the corridor study was completed, Box Elder County passed a sales tax to support the development of the extension of commuter rail to Box Elder County.

In 2008, UTA implemented FrontRunner service between Ogden and Salt Lake City, including trips to Pleasant View. Service to Provo began in 2012. UTA owns the track for FrontRunner starting 12th street in Ogden. Previously UTA was operating on a shared track with Union Pacific to provide service to Pleasant View. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 required that all rail providers implement positive train control (PTC) systems by the end of 2018. Union Pacific and UTA have developed different PTC solutions. Using the shared track would require a significant investment in PTC equipment by UTA. As such, service to Pleasant View was suspended until UTA can purchase the right of way and build a track separate from Union Pacific.

The 2019-2050 Regional Transportation Plan identifies the need to preserve the corridor between Ogden and Brigham City for future transit service. See https://wfrc.org/vision-plans/regional-transportation-plan/2019-2050-regional-transportation-plan/ for more details.

UTA is working with willing sellers to purchase a 50-foot corridor adjacent to Union Pacific’s Track. In Box Elder County, funding accumulated from the sales tax passed in 2007 is being used to buy the property. Acquiring these properties ahead of housing and commercial development will reduce future impacts and costs. UTA has a surveyor on board to develop right of way plans and other documents needed to purchase the land. UTA has successfully obtained several properties, including a future station site, in Box Elder County.

UTA is working in partnership with city and regional representatives to plan for public transportation improvements to support growth between southern Davis County and northern Salt Lake County. Building on the successes of routes 455 and 470, and aligning with the larger plan for transportation in the area (Wasatch Front 2019-2050 Regional Transportation Plan), the Davis-SLC Community Connector is a proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system connecting communities to opportunities including jobs, entertainment, and recreation. The recommended route is shown in the map below.

UTA’s light rail network, which just celebrated its 20 year anniversary, has become a key component of the region’s transportation system. Although very successful, the system must adapt to growth and evolving travel patterns to retain and improve its vital function in the overall transportation network.

Over the years, through both internal processes and regional planning efforts, a range of projects have been considered to optimize the efficiency of the network, assure sustainability, and expand to new areas. However, all of these elements have not been examined holistically. A comprehensive analysis of the network is needed to determine which improvements UTA should pursue in both the near and long term.

The Future of Light Rail Study will:

• Analyze and recommend:
  • Service, operational, and capital improvements to the regional light rail network to optimize existing function and accommodate future growth
  • A fleet strategy to address aging vehicles
• Evaluate:
  • A range of possibilities related to:
    • Frequency and span of service
    • Potential light rail extensions and new lines
    • Development of new station locations, including infill stations on existing lines
    • Possible changes and additions to end-to-end routing of lines
  • Costs and benefits for each potential improvement will inform the analysis
• Propose:
  • A phased approach to implementing realistic, incremental enhancements that will meet immediate needs and optimize operational efficiencies
  • Capital improvements that increase capacity to accommodate future growth and improve system efficiency
  • A draft light rail system plan to forward into the regional planning process

The Federal Transit Administration and the Utah Transit Authority – in partnership with Taylorsville, Murray, West Valley City, UDOT, WFRC, SLCC, and Salt Lake County – is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) and design for a new bus rapid transit (BRT) facility from Murray Central Station to the SLCC Redwood Campus in Taylorsville and West Valley Central Station.