TRAX sparked many changes in its first 25 years. What will its next 25 look like?

SALT LAKE CITY — Carlton Christensen remembers the fight over light rail that raged up to Utah Transit Authority's TRAX debut on Dec. 4, 1999.

For example, a group protested as ground broke on the line's first 15.5 miles two years beforehand, holding signs that read "Trash TRAX" and chanting "No light rail!" while the ceremony took place, the Deseret News reported in 1997.

"We experienced a lot of controversy," said Christensen, who successfully ran for a Salt Lake City Council seat a few months after ground broke on the project, putting him in office when it debuted 25 years ago.

Christensen now serves on UTA's board of trustees where he's tracked TRAX's evolution and legacy. A quarter of a century later, the Wasatch Front is still tackling transportation issues, but it's also grown to levels that he said he could never have imagined. Developers are quick to reference transit-oriented development when building high-density projects near TRAX or FrontRunner train lines.

Utah's growth shows no signs of slowing down, either, and UTA leaders say TRAX may also look different in the next 25 years.

TRAX at 25

UTA celebrated TRAX's anniversary on Monday, offering riders a spread of hot chocolate and sweets like it did when the service debuted in 1999. The turnout was sparse compared to 25 years ago, largely because TRAX is less of a spectacle and more of a Salt Lake County transportation staple.

The Deseret News reported that an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people rode trains on the first day, blowing away expectations and causing delays because of the fanfare. UTA initially ran trains from downtown Salt Lake City to Sandy, but the agency has since expanded service to three lines that run from downtown Salt Lake City, the city's airport and the University of Utah to Draper, West Valley City and South Jordan's Daybreak community.

Ridership today is similar to that chaotic first day, but only because of some bumps on the track. Average weekday boardings reached 47,746 in September, but it once surpassed 66,000 average weekday riders in a month before COVID-19. September's peak marked the highest ridership since the pandemic.

However, its largest impact so far could be the growth along the way, including many new transit services and housing options.

"I think the legacy is, the seed that was TRAX has blossomed into an amazing transit system for this entire community," said UTA director Jay Fox, pointing to the creations of FrontRunner, S-Line, bus rapid transit and other forms of nonbus transportation options across the Wasatch Front launched after TRAX debuted.

That, in turn, fueled transit-oriented development. South Jordan and Salt Lake City remain two of Utah's fastest-growing cities, somewhat tied by their position along the line. It opened up transit-oriented development opportunities, bringing more mixed-use residential and commercial areas near TRAX stations and other transit zones.

Salt Lake City's population reached 209,539 by mid-2023, according to the Census Bureau. That's up 15% since the 2000 census, taken a few months after TRAX was launched.

Nick Norris, the city's planning director, told KSL.com that he doesn't believe Utah's capital city would have experienced its growth spurt without TRAX. The service ultimately became the "backbone" of city plans to address transportation and housing demands.

City planners began building off the line like UTA. They built new bike lanes, wider sidewalks and other infrastructure that connected to TRAX in some way, while allowing for more housing density to be built near stations.

Over 90% of Salt Lake City dwellings built over the past five years are within a half-mile of either a TRAX or S-Line station, Norris said. That's because housing and commercial developers now prefer options closer to transit in the land-strapped city.

"It's such a key component of how we grow without adding more cars. … We'd be a totally different city (without TRAX). I think we'd still have density, but I think it'd be so auto-dependant," he added, explaining that the city would likely have far more traffic problems and housing issues without what light rail ultimately sparked.

The next 25

UTA is working on a new station in front of the Salt Lake Bees' new Daybreak stadium, but loftier goals are on the horizon as the agency looks at TRAX's next 25 years:

• Transit officials are close to finalizing their TechLink TRAX Study, which would introduce a fourth line that runs from the airport to the University of Utah and new service through Salt Lake City's fast-growing Granary District. The service could be completed in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics if all goes to plan. A large portion of TRAX's initial funding came from federal aid as Salt Lake City prepared to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
• State transportation officials unveiled plans last year to potentially extend the TRAX corridor deeper into Draper, toward the old Utah State Prison site by the Point of the Mountain that's being redeveloped.
• TRAX cars will also look different soon. UTA reached a deal with Stadler Rail in October for 20 new cars to replace the aging Blue Line fleet. New cars are expected to be in use by 2028, but Stalder could supply up to 60 more cars under the agreement.

UTA has other long-term plans that focus on the growth of TRAX. This includes the Mid valley Express bus rapid transit system coming to the middle of the county, while a similar system could one day run along the Point of the Mountain region, too.

Fox said TRAX's growth likely comes down to interest and funding, but he believes it will only continue the trends that developed over the past 25 years.

"The future is building on this amazing system — taking the system we have and looking toward the 2034 Olympics," he said.

Norris agrees. It appears there's no stop to Salt Lake City's future growth along its light-rail corridor, especially with new downtown plans and changes along North Temple now on the horizon.

"It helps us manage our long-term growth very well," he said. "It's something that we continue to look forward to seeing expanded and used."

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