CENTERVILLE -- The future of transportation in southern Davis County is now open for public debate.
The Utah Transit Authority is now accepting public comment on the South Davis Transit Corridor study. The study will determine transit needs in the area between now and the year 2030, and will evaluate alternatives that will improve mobility for residents working between downtown Salt Lake City and Farmington.
The transit agency will take comments on the project until March 16 and will hold a public hearing from 4 to 7 p.m. March 2 at Centerville Junior High School, 625 S. Main Street.
UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said the agency has prepared a draft Environmental Study Report that has identified a locally preferred alternative in the corridor.
The preferred alternative is a streetcar system that begins at 200 South in Salt Lake City and runs north to Parrish Lane in Centerville, then changes to enhanced bus service until the route stops in Farmington. The streetcar route runs along Highway 89, State Route 106, and Main Street.
According to UTA, the study area for the project had approximately 175,000 residents in 1990. The study area is expected to have approximately 250,000 residents by 2030.
"We need to look to the future on how we're going to transport people to work, to events, anywhere they need to go," said Bountiful Mayor Joe Johnson. "I realize we are a long way out with the streetcar possibility, but if we don't start looking at the future today, it will be here tomorrow."
Johnson favors the streetcar but said the cost of such an option could be an obstacle.
"I like the streetcar," he said. "It creates a great potential for economic development, it gets people out of their cars, and it's good for the older members of our community. But the cost of the thing will be an issue."
Carpenter said after the public comment period, comments will be integrated into a final ESR that will be put out again for public review, then UTA will look to acquire funding for the project.
Carpenter said funding is not yet in place and could come from a combination of federal grants, local sales tax dollars or partnerships between UTA and individual cities.
"That's the big question mark right now," Carpenter said. "Where are we going to get the funding for this. We're looking at several different options, and there are a number of grants cropping up that focus on these smaller streetcar projects through towns, but at this point we just don't know where the funding will come from."
To review the ESR and submit a comment, visit UTA's Web site at www.rideuta.com.
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