This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 12:02 PM- TRAX riders who have waited years for a ride to Salt Lake City International Airport will get their wish in about four years.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Utah Transit Authority Assistant General Manager Mike Allegra inked an agreement Thursday that should start construction on the $300 million rail line from downtown by year's end.
UTA expects completion in four years, by which time Becker said the city also will transform the route along North Temple into a "grand boulevard" with new landscaping and two bike lanes in each direction.
"This will serve a tremendous array of possible users," said Becker, calling the step "an indication of a modern city and an urban city."
The agreement's signing also extends the downtown TRAX and bus free-fare zone east to Library Square - a concession the city bargained for while pledging $35 million toward the airport line's construction.