LOCAL NEWS

UTA’s orange line could be operational in time for 2034 Winter Olympics. Here’s its likely route

Oct 20, 2024, 6:30 PM

A TRAX train displays an Olympic-themed wrap as it transports members of the International Olympic ...

A TRAX train displays an Olympic-themed wrap as it transports members of the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission, IOC, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic leaders and community leaders touring proposed venues for the 2034 Games in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

SALT LAKE CITY — The future of light rail within Salt Lake City may soon include more service on 400 West and at the University of Utah, as state transit officials seek to expand access in Utah’s growing capital.

One of the four possible scenarios for the future fourth TRAX line outlined in Utah Transit Authority’s TechLink TRAX Study has risen to the top largely because of its benefits. If all goes to plan, agency officials say it could be operational in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Utah.

“This project is a priority for UTA with respect to the Olympics,” said Patti Garver, UTA’s manager of environmental compliance and sustainability, as she provided Salt Lake leaders an update on the study during a meeting on Tuesday.

Shaking up TRAX

All four scenarios in the project call for a new orange line running from the University to Utah’s Research Park to Salt Lake City International Airport, adding new stations along Mario Capecchi Drive and Arapeen Drive by the campus. All four options also call for new service downtown via 400 South and 400 West.

However, all signs point to an option called Alternative 3 since those options were unveiled in March, according to Alex Beim, manager of long-range and strategic planning for UTA.

It calls for an expansion of the line along 400 South that currently turns south when a train coming from the university reaches Main Street. The line would instead continue west to 400 West, where the trains would go in opposite directions.

UTA’s Alternative 3 proposal

  • Red line trains would turn south at 400 West, passing through the Granary District to reach Ballpark Station (1300 South) before traveling south to Daybreak in South Jordan.
  • Orange line trains would turn north at 400 West to connect with the Planetarium Station before reaching the existing green line route, which leads west to the airport.
  • New 400 South stations would be built at West Temple and Pioneer Park for both lines, while a new station at 400 West and 300 South would be added to the orange route. The red line would gain new stops along 400 West at 600 South and 800 South, as well as 300 West by Brooklyn Avenue (1025 South)
  • Blue and green routes would be swapped. The blue line would run from the airport to Draper and the green line would run from Salt Lake City Central Station to West Valley City.

Projected weekday ridership and access to the train remained about the same between the four alternatives, while all four also would likely serve either existing or potential future development and redevelopment, Garver said.

Alternative 3, however, offered three key benefits that helped it stand out. Its proposed route design would allow the orange line to run end-to-end four minutes faster than the other options even though its speed — a key factor in noise impacts — would run slower than the rest.

Perhaps most importantly, its projected capital cost of $390 million would be the least expensive option, $60 million cheaper than any other proposed alternative. Its annual operation and maintenance costs are slightly lower than the rest, as well.

It also fared well during the public feedback period because the route wasn’t as wonky as the others.

“We heard from a lot of folks that they preferred a more direct alignment that did not go out of direction to connect into the Salt Lake Central Station,” Beim said, adding there’s still a future option to add connections between 400 West and Salt Lake Central Station.

Salt Lake City Council members were generally supportive of the plans presented on Tuesday, but there were questions, including how the red and orange lines would connect with the blue and green lines in the future.

Currently, southbound red line trains connect with the blue and green lines at Courthouse Station as they begin their journey to Daybreak. Under the proposed design, the easiest way to do this is to exit at the new West Temple station and walk about a block or two to the station.

“Having those options where the three lines intersect has always been really important to me usually because I was traveling with small children, so I didn’t want to be in a space where I had to walk multiple city blocks, trying to carry my bags and hold onto different little hands,” said Salt Lake City Councilwoman Sarah Young. “Wherever it’s possible to have those types of hubs … it’s such a game-changer.”

The potential of 24/7 service is also being explored, but that would require some sort of solution to lift the challenge currently blocking that regular option right now. UTA shares the lines south of the 1300 South agreement with Utah Railway, allowing it to pull freight in the early morning hours.

Light rail cars are stored and maintained at UTA’s Jordan River Rail Service Center, located near 2200 South.

The next steps

Beim said UTA is currently in the process of refining the alternative, which is one of the last steps in the planning process before moving forward with a final plan and seeking ways to carry out construction. That’s where issues like station locations and transfer points to the blue and green lines could be cleared up.

Garver said she believes the final recommendation will be ready for a UTA board of trustees vote sometime in the coming months. Once approved, it will go through an environmental review process before a final design is compiled. The agency will seek out funding options during this time, which may include state and federal funding through Salt Lake City’s Olympics host city status.

Construction could begin as early as 2029 and potentially end in 2032, based on UTA’s current timeline.

While the goal is to have the service operational by the Olympics, Beim points out that the project aims to serve the growing city regardless of the global event.

“Nothing that we’re doing is just because the Olympics are coming,” he said. “It’s because we need all these things and plan to use them either before and/or after the Olympics.”

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

generic emergency lights...

Jacob Freeman

Two seriously injured after running red light, police say

Two people were seriously injured in a Harrisville car accident after a driver ran a red light, hitting another car, police said.

17 minutes ago

A surveillance image shows a man and woman suspected of stealing a $140,000 fur coat from a Park Ci...

Collin Leonard, KSL.com

Man charged with stealing $140K fur coat in Park City arrested in New York

A man suspected of stealing a $140,000 fur coat from a Park City store in February has been arrested in New York and now faces a felony charge in Utah.

2 hours ago

Voters line up at a voting center in Taylorsville to cast their ballots on Election Day, Tuesday, N...

Karah Brackin

Utahns head to the polls to cast their votes

Across the state, voters woke up early Tuesday to cast their vote on Election Day.  

2 hours ago

A dental office is hoping the public can help police identify a thief who they say helped herself t...

Lauren Steinbrecher

Brazen breakroom thief caught on camera in Orem dental office

A dental office is hoping the public can help police identify a thief who they say helped herself to employee belongings in the room they thought was safest at the office, right during the middle of the workday. 

3 hours ago

A voter makes their way to a polling location with a sign outside. The sign says "vote here." All o...

Don Brinkerhoff and Clayre Scott, KSLNewsRadio

Candidate merch like buttons, T-shirts not allowed near polling locations, county clerk says

Utah law requires that all campaign signs, advertisements and even T-shirts be at least 150 feet away from polling locations.

4 hours ago

emergency lights...

Mary Culbertson

5 injured, 1 critically, after head-on collision in Wasatch County

One person was critically injured in a head-on collision near Heber. Four others were taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.

5 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

abstract vector digital social network technology background...

Les Olson

Protecting yourself against social engineering attacks

Learn more about the common types of social engineering to protect your online or offline assets from an attack.

family having fun at home...

Lighting Design

Discover the impact of lighting on your mood

From color temperature to lighting saturation, we tackle how different lighting design setups can impact your day-to-day mood.

Laptops in a modern technology store. Department of computers in the electronics store. Choosing a ...

PC Laptops

How to choose the best laptop for college students

Finding the right laptop for college students can be hard, but with this guide we break down what to look for so you can find the best one.

young male technician is repairing a printer at office...

Les Olson

Unraveling the dilemma between leasing and buying office technology

Carefully weigh these pros and cons to make an informed decision that best suits your business growth and day-to-day operation. 

A kitchen in a modern farmhouse....

Lighting Design

A room-by-room lighting guide for your home

Bookmark this room-by-room lighting guide whenever you decide to upgrade your lighting or style a new home.

Photo courtesy of Artists of Ballet West...

Ballet West

The rising demand for ballet tickets: why they’re harder to get

Ballet West’s box office is experiencing demand they’ve never seen before, leaving many interested patrons unable to secure tickets they want.

UTA’s orange line could be operational in time for 2034 Winter Olympics. Here’s its likely route