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UTA’s Orange Line could be operational in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics. Here is the likely route

UTA’s Orange Line could be operational in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics. Here is the likely route

SALT LAKE CITY – The future of light rail in Salt Lake City could soon include more service on the 400 West and at the University of Utah as state transportation officials look to expand access to Utah’s growing capital.

One of the four possible scenarios for the future fourth TRAX line outlined in the Utah Transit Authority’s TechLink TRAX study has made a name for itself primarily because of its advantages. If all goes according to plan, authorities say it could be operational in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Utah.

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

Shake up TRAX

All four scenarios in the project call for a new Orange Line running from the University to Utah Research Park to Salt Lake City International Airport and adding new stations along Mario Capecchi Drive and Arapeen Drive on campus. All four options also include a new connection to downtown via 400 South and 400 West.

It calls for expanding the route along 400 South, which currently turns south when a train coming from the university reaches Main Street. Instead, the line would continue west to 400 West, where trains would run in opposite directions.

UTA’s Alternative 3 proposal

  • Red Line trains turned south at 400 West and traveled through the Granary District to reach Ballpark Station (1300 South) before heading south to Daybreak in South Jordan.
  • Orange Line trains would turn north at 400 West to connect to the Planetarium Station before joining the existing Green Line route heading west to the airport.
  • Both lines would see new 400 South stations built at West Temple and Pioneer Park, while the Orange route would add a new station at 400 West and 300 South. The Red Line would receive new stops along 400 West at 600 South and 800 South, and 300 West at 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 train access remained about the same among the four alternatives, while all four would also likely serve existing or potential future developments and redevelopments, Garver said.

However, Alternative 3 offered three key advantages that made it special. The proposed route design would allow the Orange Line to consistently run four minutes faster than the other options, although its speed – a key factor in noise pollution – would be slower than the others.

Perhaps most importantly, the projected capital cost of $390 million would be the lowest cost option, $60 million cheaper than any other proposed alternative. The annual operating and maintenance costs are also slightly lower than with the other devices.

It also performed well during public feedback as the route wasn’t as quirky as the others.

“We’ve heard from a lot of people that they would like to have a more direct route that doesn’t go out of the way to connect to Salt Lake Central Station,” said Beim, adding that there is still the possibility of connecting between 400 and 400 in the future West and Salt Lake to add Central Station.

Salt Lake City Council members generally supported the plans unveiled Tuesday, but there were questions, including about how the Red and Orange lines would connect to 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 get off at the new West Temple station and walk about a block or two to the station.

“It was always really important for me to have these options where the three lines intersect because I was traveling with small children and I didn’t want to be in an area where I had to walk several blocks to get my luggage to carry and hold on to different little hands,” said Salt Lake City Councilwoman Sarah Young. “Wherever possible to have these types of hubs… it’s a real game-changer.”

The potential of a 24/7 service is also being explored, but this would require a solution to overcome the challenge that is currently blocking this regular option. UTA shares the routes south of the 1300 South agreement with the Utah Railway, allowing freight transportation in the early morning hours.

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

The next steps

Bei said UTA is currently refining the alternative. This is one of the last steps in the planning process before a final plan is presented and options for construction are explored. Questions such as station locations and transfer points to the blue and green lines could be clarified there.

Garver said she believes the final recommendation will be ready for a vote by the UTA Board of Trustees sometime in the coming months. Once approved, it will go through an environmental review process before a final design is created. The agency will seek funding opportunities during this time, including state and federal funding through Olympic host city status in Salt Lake City.

Under UTA’s current schedule, construction could begin as early as 2029 and possibly end in 2032.

While the goal is to have the service operational by the time of the Olympics, Bei notes that the project aims to serve the growing city regardless of the global event.

“We don’t do anything just because the Olympics are coming up,” he said. “That’s because we need all of these things and plan to use them either before and/or after the Olympics.”