The Eagle Mountain City Council has unanimously approved a resolution for the city's participation in the Utah Transit Authority system.

The Saratoga Springs City Council also is interested, but has not yet voted on a resolution. City Manager Ken Leetham said he has been ordered to look into the matter.

"An express-bus route out here would really help our citizens," he said Wednesday.

The cities are west of Lehi in Utah County and about 40 miles from Salt Lake City. But it often takes folks up to 90 minutes in rush-hour traffic to get home.

Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson said elected officials have been talking about the UTA partnership for about two years. She hopes it might alleviate traffic congestion, especially because more construction is scheduled within the area.

"This would . . . get some of the cars off the road," she said.

The proposal: Each city would have a park-and-ride lot and express-bus routes - two in the morning to downtown Salt Lake City and two returning in the evening. Under current fares, the cost per ride is $4; a monthly pass is $160.

The process: Each city has to pass a resolution and send it off to the UTA Board of Trustees. If approved, UTA would schedule a public hearing in each city. At the same time, each city would have to put a quarter-cent sales-tax increase on the ballot.

The problem: The cities have a Sept. 5 deadline to get the tax item on the November ballot. The UTA board doesn't meet until Sept. 17.

The cities are unsure whether they can request an extension. And it's unclear if residents of both cities have to approve the tax increase for the proposal to become a reality.

The UTA-city partnership doesn't cost the cities anything, but the quarter-cent sales tax would go to UTA. For example, Eagle Mountain officials estimate the city would have collected about $10,000 in 2007-08.

If everything is approved, city officials are hoping the routes could be in place by April.

jsanchez@sltrib.com