Overview
A re-evaluation of the transit corridor between downtown Salt Lake City and the City’s International Airport is currently underway. The study is assessing changes that have occurred since a proposed light rail alignment and station locations identified in environmental studies was approved by a federal Record of Decision in 1999. That decision approved the approximately 10-mile West-East Light Rail Corridor. However, funding was available to build only the easternmost 3.75-mile portion of the corridor, today called the University Line.
The study area includes the western portion of downtown Salt Lake City, North Temple Street between 400 West and approximately 2400 West and then following the airport access road to the eastern edge of the airport’s Terminal One. (See Maps for detail.)
The approximate length of the transit corridor is six miles from the northern terminus of the North-South light rail line at the Arena (former Delta Center) station to the airport.
The 1999-approved alignment included four stations along North Temple and one station at the airport. Locations of these stations will be reevaluated as part of this study. The station locations identified in 1999 are:
- 800 West Station, located just east of 800 West
- Fairgrounds Station, located just west of 1000 West
- Cornell Street Station, located at approximately 1540 West
- Winifred Street Station, located at approximately 1900 West
- Airport Station, located just east of Terminal One
Alignment Alternatives
Several options to the original, approved transit corridor on 400 West are being considered in the west downtown area. These include:
- 600 West. This alignment option would allow light rail to run north from the Intermodal Hub to North Temple and then turn west towards the airport. This option eliminates the need for a new aerial structure to lift light rail from ground level on 400 West to the level of the North Temple railroad viaduct. However, it requires the construction of an aerial structure to cross railroad tracks on 600 West at South Temple.
- 500 West Light Rail/Commuter Rail Transfer Station. Engineers are studying the feasibility of a potential transfer station between light rail and commuter rail along the North Temple Viaduct at approximately 500 West. This would only be possible with the original 400 West alignment.
What’s changed since the transit corridor was approved in 1999?
The western part of downtown Salt Lake City and the airport have both seen major changes since the 1999 corridor decision was approved. These include:
- Construction of The Gateway development between 400 West, 500 West, North Temple and 200 South.
- Development of the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub at 300 South and 600 West.
- Approval of light rail extension from Arena Station to Intermodal Hub along 400 West, 200 South and 600 West.
- Construction of commuter rail line from Ogden to Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub.
- Reconstruction of Interstate 15.
- Designation of future on- and off-ramps for northbound High-Occupancy Vehicles from I-15 to 100 South.
- Changes to the Salt Lake City International Airport master plan, including reconfigured access roadway and parking lots.
Potential Riders
Expected users of the Airport line are business and leisure travelers, Airport-area employees, park-and-ride commuters, area residents, and so on.
Salt Lake City estimates there are nearly 75,000 workers in the western part of the city, compared with about 60,000 workers in the downtown business district. In addition, the residential growth rate has been much higher in western Salt Lake City than in the city as a whole, and in Salt Lake County.
For example, the population of northwest Salt Lake City (north of North Temple and west of I-15) grew 42 percent between 1990 and 2000, compared with 13.6 percent in the city as a whole and 23.7 percent in Salt Lake County.