History

As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, Utah will see its population to increase by an estimated one million by the year 2030, and it is expected most of these new residents will be living along the already-crowded Wasatch Front.

This situation means more travel demand and increased traffic congestion. Currently, travel demand is outpacing Utah’s booming population growth, increasing about 4 percent each year. This means by 2030 the amount of daily vehicle trips will have doubled compared to today. To help meet this demand, in 2004 local-elected officials along the Wasatch Front suggested accelerating the Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) 2030 Long-range Transportation Plan. This approach was presented to voters in Salt Lake and Utah counties, and in 2006 voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax increase to finance the design, construction and operation of the 70 miles of light rail and commuter rail found on UTA’s Long-range Plan.

These 70 miles of rail make up UTA’s Front Lines 2015 project. The project consists of five lines: FrontRunner commuter rail between Salt Lake City and Provo, the Mid-Jordan Light Rail Line, the West Valley Light Rail Line, the Airport Light Rail Line and the Draper Light Rail Line. All five projects will be completed and in full operation by the year 2015, 15 years ahead of UTA’s original schedule.