UTA Seeks Public Input on Transit Needs in Southern Davis County

Media Release

Contact: Remi Barron, 801-859-6095,

UTA Seeks Public Input on Transit Needs in Southern Davis County

Open House Dec. 11 on Davis-SLC Community Connector Transit Study

What: The public is invited to an open house to give feedback on the need for additional transit service, potential transit alignments, and potential modes and destinations in the community.

Who: UTA and local transit representatives from Bountiful City, City of North Salt Lake, Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front Regional Council.

Where: North Salt Lake City Hall, 10 E. Center St. North Salt Lake.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 21, 2013— An open house will be held on Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at North Salt Lake City Hall to get ideas and opinions from people on the future of transit between south Davis County and downtown Salt Lake City.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is partnering with Bountiful City, City of North Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Davis County and the Wasatch Front Regional Council to conduct an Alternatives Analysis (AA) study. The focus of the AA is to better understand current and future transit needs of people living in southern Davis County through the planning horizon of 2040.

The study area includes Bountiful City, City of North Salt Lake, downtown Salt Lake City and connections to the Woods Cross FrontRunner station. Considering the nature of the corridor and extended potential transit needs further north of the study area, the cities of Woods Cross, West Bountiful, Centerville, and Farmington are included as planning influence areas.

The areas of influence are being considered in regional analysis and in the selection of future transit options. Information about potential transit alignments, travel data, and public involvement results will be shared at the public open house. UTA and its partners are seeking public comment on the following items:

·  Need for additional transit service

·  Potential transit alignments

·  Modes of transportation

·  Possible destinations

How this AA Study Differs from Previous South Davis Transit Studies

UTA completed the South Davis Transit Study Alternatives Analysis in 2008, followed by the South Davis Draft Environmental Study Report in 2010. Stakeholder consensus on the selected alignment and mode of transportation was not achieved from these studies and so a transportation project was not eligible for federal funding.
The local transit market has changed significantly since the completion of earlier studies and the transit system has grown and is now more comprehensive, with the addition of FrontRunner commuter rail service.
The current study begins anew with a clean slate.It will be more targeted and cover a smaller geographic area than former studies. All transit modes and possible alignments will be considered with the goal of obtaining stakeholder consensus on a preferred transit alignment and mode of transportation. Once a locally preferred alternative has been identified, the proposed Davis-SLC Community Connector Study will then be eligible and more likely to compete for future federal funding.

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Established in 1970, UTA has become a multi-modal transportation leader that is 100 percent accessible with a fleet of more than 600 buses and paratransit vehicles, 400 vanpools, 146 light rail vehicles, 63 commuter rail cars and 18 locomotives. UTA operates in six counties along the Wasatch Front, including 36 miles of light rail in Salt Lake County and commuter rail from Salt Lake City to destinations in Davis and Weber counties. In 2011, UTA carried riders on more than 41 million trips.

Visit UTA’s social media hub at www.letsrideuta.com 04-UTA-032912