Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the planned route for the Airport TRAX line?
The line will travel from downtown Salt Lake City along North Temple to the Salt Lake City International Airport. The line will either begin at the existing Arena TRAX Station and travel north to North Temple along 400 West or will begin at the Salt Lake Intermodal Hub (300 South/600 West) and travel north to North Temple along 600 West. The decision on the 400 West versus 600 West alignment will be decided by Salt Lake City in 2008. A map of the project can be found by clicking here.
- How long is the project?
The project is 6 miles long.
- What areas/attractions will be served by the project?
In addition to the airport, the line will offer service to the state Fair Park, a direct connection to UTA FrontRunner (commuter rail), and the Jordan River Trail as well as many retail businesses, offices, and neighborhoods along North Temple.
- How long will it take to ride TRAX from downtown to the airport?
About 20 minutes
- How often will TRAX run on this line?
UTA initially plans to run trains on 15-minute frequencies, as is the practice for the existing TRAX system. The frequency may change to meet increasing ridership demands.
- How many stations will be located on the line?
The Airport Line features six new stations planned along North Temple, along with a potential future station:
-Transfer Station to/from FrontRunner (Commuter Rail) at about 500 West
-800 West
-Fair Park, about 1100 West
-Cornell, about 1450 West
-Winifred, about 1950 West
-Salt Lake International Airport
A potential future station is located at about 2200 West
These station locations were selected after an evaluation of the following criteria:
-Current development
-Future development plans
-Major destinations/ridership
-City input
-Feasibility
-Available transportation infrastructure and bus accessibility
-Spacing distance
-Environment including wetlands, cultural resources and farmlands.
- When will the project be completed?
Opening day for the Airport TRAX line is dependent on a variety of factors including a favorable construction schedule. However, the project team hopes to complete the line in the next 5 to 7 years depending upon available project funding. Design is expected to begin in 2008 and construction could start as early as 2009, but might start later depending on funding and agreements on the corridor configuration.
- How can I find out more about the project?
Those interested in learning more about the Airport TRAX line may sign up for UTA’s mailing list to receive updates on project milestones, public meetings and presentations. For groups interested in receiving more information about the project, a speakers’ bureau program is available. Information on the speakers’ bureau can be found by calling (801) 287-2290 or by clicking here.
- How much with the project cost?
Between $250M to $300M depending on final configuration and street improvements.
- What are the ridership projections for this line?
Year 2015 - Approximately 10,000
Year 2030 – Approximately 14,000
- Are there project related impacts and how are they mitigated?
See the embedded link here for access to the 1998/1999 EIS and the link here for access to the 2008 ESR. Project impacts and mitigation measures are detailed in these documents.
- Why is this project necessary? Traffic from downtown to the Airport doesn’t seem congested.
-The airport corridor completes an important link to a major origin and destination. This is beneficial to transportation over a wide regional system where other congestion and bottlenecks occur.
-This creates a convenient and valuable mode of transportation for business and other travelers; allowing them to use TRAX from the airport to hotels, places of business, convention centers and shopping centers.
-This gives Utah another competitive edge for attracting business, conventions, and tourism.
-Building now is a proactive approach for the future growth. Waiting until traffic is congested is reactionary and significantly complicates project related impacts and costs.
-Including this project as part of a larger program ‘package’ generates more federal dollars for transit in Utah.
-The Airport Line will give additional options for air travelers or airport workers who either cannot or would rather not drive to the airport.