Today UTA Board of Trustees Chair Carlton Christensen, Utah Congressman Ben McAdams, South Salt Lake City Mayor Cherie Wood, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Utah State Senator Gene Davis all commemorated the completion of the S-Line streetcar double track construction project. The new section of double tracking from 300 East to 500 East will allow UTA to provide 15 minute service along the S-Line, which connects the Fairmont Station in Sugarhouse to the Central Point TRAX/Bus station in South Salt Lake City.
UTA Chair Carlton Christensen christened the new stretch of double tracks proclaiming “The S-Line unofficially stands for success and starting Sunday it will also stand for speed. We hope the public will come out and take advantage of this.”
UTA’s S-Line began operating in December 2013 on a single track, allowing for 20 minute headways. With ridership increasing 60% since its inception, UTA and several other stakeholders, including the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Salt Lake County and South Salt Lake City sought to improve service on the line.
Ground was broken on June 11, 2018 on the new section of double tracking from 300 East to 500 East. The completion of construction makes 15 minute frequency possible on the S-Line, decreasing time spent waiting for trains, reducing congestion, improving air quality and providing better connections with UTA’s other modes of transportation. This improvement in service is also anticipated to encourage more residential and commercial development.
Congressman McAdams shared a recent conversation with fellow members in the U.S House of Representatives saying, “What we need to do going forward is not just look at transportation in a silo and housing in a silo but look at how the two relate to each other to create access for residents to work and school and other opportunities. We know transportation and housing are linked and the S-Line is a prime example of that. An example we can be proud of and hold up to the nation.”
“This is something that will grow in a number of other communities,” added Senator Davis. “As we talk with other cities I represent they like what’s happening here in Sugarhouse and South Salt Lake. Mass transit is the future as the county and state continue to grow.”
Since the S-Line began running 5 years ago the South Salt Lake and Sugar House areas of Salt Lake City have experienced significant growth, with the addition of more than 1,000 residential units and over 2 million square feet of redevelopment.
South Salt Lake Mayor Wood said, “South Salt Lake has become a desirable place to call home. Amenities like the S-Line double track make it even more desirable.”
The two block stretch of double tracking was made possible by $4 million dollars in Salt Lake County Infrastructure funding and $1.9 million dollars from the Wasatch Front Regional Council CMAQ program grants (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement). The County is also pledging $500,000 for additional operating costs for the first three years of double track service. This investment is estimated to attract approximately 1,000 additional daily passengers by 2030.
According to Salt Lake County Mayor Wilson, “In the 1990’s there was incredible resistance to the idea of incorporating rail service into our public transit system. But there were leaders who stood up and the public at large really did favor this idea of investing in rail. Fast forward to today we’re seeing revitalized communities due to rail. UTA is helping us create an amazing web of transit throughout Salt Lake Valley.”
With seven stops along the two mile route, the S-Line is a convenient way to visit parks, shops and restaurants while making connections with TRAX and bus lines. The line is built on a rail corridor which originally served as a spur of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. UTA purchased the corridor from Union Pacific in 2002. 17 years later the S-Line now averages 1,369 weekday boardings.
For a complete list of times and stations visit http://www.rideuta.com/Rider-Tools/Schedules-and-Maps/720-S-Line
