Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting - 32

2010 Annual Meeting UTA’s FrontLines 2015 Rail Expansion Defies the Odds
BY GERALD CARPENTER Senior Media Relations Specialist Utah Transit Authority Salt Lake City, UT

espite the challenges of the economic recession, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is continuing a rail expansion program at a level unprecedented in the western U.S. During the next few years, UTA will more than double the number of miles in its passenger rail system, adding 25 miles of light rail and 45 miles of commuter rail to its network. UTA has one of the largest geographic service areas in the U.S., providing public transportation to 80 percent of the state’s population in the six-county region known as the Wasatch Front. The new lines, collectively referred to as the FrontLines 2015 program, are in various stages of completion. Two light rail lines, West Valley and Mid-Jordan, are nearing completion and scheduled to open for service next year. A light rail line to Salt Lake International Airport is under construction and will open in 2012 or 2013, while a 45-mile commuter rail extension from Salt Lake City to the Provo area is well into construction and will open by 2014. The last line in the FrontLines 2015 program, a three-mile extension of UTA’s existing north-south light rail line into the city of Draper, is in the final stages of environmental study and is also projected for opening no later than 2014. “Construction is in full swing on four of the five lines, and we are on budget and ahead of schedule,” said UTA General Manager Mike Allegra. “When these lines open, 75 percent of the population of our service area will be within three miles of a major transit stop.” The massive $2.5 billion rail expansion program is being funded through a combination of federal and local sources. Most of the funding comes from local option sales taxes, which were increased by voters in a successful 2006 ballot initiative. Additional funding came from the Federal Transit

UTA prepares for a thermite weld near the future Vineyard Station on the FrontRunner commuter rail line.

Map of the FrontLines 2015 rail expansion program.

Administration in the form of a full funding grant agreement (FFGA) for the Mid-Jordan line. UTA is also seeking an FFGA for the Draper line. UTA has not been immune to the effects of the recession. Over the past two years, the agency’s sales tax revenues have dropped by approximately $40 million a year, which translates into an estimated revenue loss of $2 billion to $3 billion over 30 years. “Even during these difficult budget times, we are determined to keep our commitment to the voters and open the new lines by 2015,” Allegra said. “We just have to work harder and smarter with less money.” Allegra attributed UTA’s continued progress on the FrontLines 2015 program in the midst of the economic downturn to good relationships with its contractors, and the agency’s proactive efforts to trim expenses and become more efficient. “We have a great relationship with our contractors, which has allowed us to continue to move forward on the construction of the new lines,” he said. “Their willingness to partner with us has enabled us to manage cashflow, pace construction to suit the economic conditions, and take advantage of lower construction costs.” Low administrative overhead costs also have proven to be an advantage to the agency. “By consolidating the project management for the five lines into one program, essentially treating them like one big project, we have significantly reduced overhead costs,” Allegra said. “While many construction projects average overhead costs of 20 percent or higher, our program is running at about 9 percent. It’s given us a real advantage during these economic times.” While construction of the FrontLines 2015 program is in full swing, UTA is already planning the next phase of expansion, which will include a network of bus rapid transit lines, streetcars, more light rail and commuter rail, and improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities. “We are building the backbone now,” Allegra said. “The next step is to fill in the gaps and provide a truly world-class transit system. Our goal is to have 90 percent of the population of the Wasatch Front within one mile of a major transit stop by 2030.”

32 | Passenger Transport

Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting

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