While We Continue To Wait - Clipper Article - May 2008

UTA light rail support voted down in W.B.

by Shain Gillet

May 14, 2008 | 18 views | 0  | 0  |  | 

WEST BOUNTIFUL -- Kerry Doan made several presentations outlining what a light rail system could do for the city of West Bountiful and neighboring cities, but the resolution failed anyway. "The problem I have is that we have so many other projects our citizens want us to address, and yet we're considering whether or not to raise the city's taxes for this system," said West Bountiful council member Ken Romney. "We should be focused on fixing our own city's needs first."

The proposed light rail was presented to city council back in January, when Utah Transit Authority representative Kim Clark told council members about their plans to put in a light rail system. She stated at the time that there would be a low-cost benefit for riders in the areas between Farmington and Salt Lake City.

The rail's benefits included improvement in ridership, leading to a decrease in vehicle usage. The light rail will run along 2600 South, bordering the cities of Woods Cross, Bountiful and North Salt Lake.

Council members had issues with increasing their taxes in the city then, stating that it would create more traffic problems because it's considered a congested area to begin with. Another issue brought about by council member Valerie Shaw was safety, as the rail would share one lane of roadway with traffic.

"I don't like the way it looks," she said about the design of the light rail in North Salt Lake and beyond. "I just don't feel safe about sharing a lane of traffic with the rail."

Further studies have shown that the city's benefits to the rail system is minimal at best, and that other, more important, issues should take priority.

"We have enough problems in our own city," said Shaw. "I want to know what our citizens think before we pass a resolution to support this."

Between Clark and UTA's other representative Kerry Doan, they were unable to convince the city council over the next three months. Soon after Doan's updated information was proposed to the city, council members voted the resolution down.

"There are more pressing issues we as a city need to address," said Shaw.

"I like what UTA is doing, but I just don't see the overall benefits outweighing the city's needs."



sgillet@davisclipper.com