Salt Lake City (South LRT)

South LRT

Salt Lake City, Utah

(November 1996)

Description

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is implementing a 15-mile light rail transit (LRT) line from downtown Salt Lake City parallel to I-15 and State Street to suburban areas to the south. The LRT line will operate at-grade on city streets in downtown Salt Lake City (two miles) and in a railroad right-of-way (13 miles) owned by UTA to the suburban community of Sandy. The total cost of this project is estimated at $312.50 million (escalated dollars). The LRT project is part of Interstate 15 corridor improvements which include reconstruction of a parallel segment of I-15. The project is estimated to carry 14,000 passengers per day in the year 2000 (opening year) and 23,000 passengers per day in 2010.

Status

Section 3035(f) of ISTEA directed FTA to enter into a multiyear grant agreement with UTA which provides $131 million in Section 5309 New Start funds to carry out the construction of the project. A Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) was signed with UTA in August 1995 giving a Federal commitment of $237.40 million in Section 5309 New Start funds. Through FY 1997, Congress has appropriated $73.35 million (including $15.52 million in funds from fiscal years prior to ISTEA) for right-of-way acquisition, engineering, design and construction. Of this amount, $66.79 million was included in the FFGA. FTA issued the final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in September 1994 and signed the Record of Decision in November 1994. Final design is currently underway and estimated to be completed in January 1997. Construction is estimated to be completed by December 2000.