Salt Lake City's Transportation Advisory Board voted 7-2 to route the TRAX line east from the airport and along North Temple until it turns south on 400 West and links to the Utah Transit Authority's existing rails. The board's recommendation goes to the city Planning Commission and ultimately the City Council.

UTA had proposed building a new, trains-only viaduct to swerve the line south from North Temple at 600 West and access the city's intermodal hub. One board member said the agency seems intent on channeling all transportation through the hub southwest of The Gateway just to justify building the station there.

"I just hear so much about the hub being the solution," said board member Alama Ulu'ave. "It's not the solution."

He favored routing the line across the North Temple viaduct, if not rebuilding that bridge altogether to create a more pleasant route to west-side neighborhoods.

UTA could support the 400 West alignment, but only if it includes a station on the North Temple viaduct linking commuter rail riders below to the light-rail line above, senior program manager Matt Sibul said. Then they would have a straight shot on TRAX to the airport.

To force commuter-rail passengers to backtrack through downtown and transfer twice onto TRAX trains - once at the hub and once at the Arena station - likely would cut ridership by a quarter, Sibul said.

The transportation board voted to support such a two-level link, which would add $10 million to the cost when compared with the 600 West option.

The project potentially carries several benefits to west side neighborhoods, starting with the addition of a TRAX station with elevators around 500 West on the viaduct. As the trains remove some of the need for car traffic on North Temple, the city plans a "grand boulevard" that would turn over a lane in each direction along the current street and viaduct to pedestrian and bicycle access, said Tim Harpst, the city's transportation director.

Most board members agreed that neighborhood protection and the city's plans for North Temple should win out, though Steve Sturzenegger said he voted against the 400 West alignment because he believes it will foul up North Temple's traffic flow.

Several neighbors from the North Temple corridor left the meeting relieved.

"What they would do with another overpass is box us in," said Sharon Martines, who said she lives 73 feet from where the new bridge would pass if the city chooses the 600 West route.

bloomis@sltrib.com