Downtown Streetcar Plans Moving Forward
05.14.2010 by Elizabeth Ziegler
(KCPW News) The Sugar House Streetcar might be further along in the planning process, but initial work on a downtown streetcar line has also begun. The project has spurred some comments from residents the city shouldn’t start another project when it’s facing a budget shortfall. But City Councilman Luke Garrott, who also heads the RDA board, says people shouldn’t get too excited yet about how the final project will be funded, because that could take at least five years to sort out.
“I think people should absolutely be engaged right now in the planning stage because we’re going to make some decisions about our preferences on alignment, on types of cars, these sorts of things, that will stick for when we are putting the other pieces in place,” Garrott says. “The funding part is the part that is going to take a while.”
The line would connect the Gateway to the industrial Granary district, ending at about 900 South. It would extend east to at least 500 East, and possibly one day connect to the University of Utah. The Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City approved spending roughly $60,000 earlier this week for a study on a possible north-south line on 500 West, behind the Gateway.
Downtown Community Council Chairman Christian Harrison says the downtown streetcar line would spur needed development, just as the capital’s once extensive streetcar system contributed to still thriving neighborhood commercial zones like 9th and 9th and 15th and 15th.
“We’re all very excited,” Harrison says. “We understand the role that streetcar plays in development, and we know how important development in making downtown the place it should be, which is dense, thriving and diverse.”
East Central Community Council co-chairwoman Esther Hunter says her neighbors are very excited about the idea. However, she says she’d like to see more community input on the funding of the project.
