Utah County leaders say highways should come first. But Sen. Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, notes Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties all approved quarter-cent increases in sales taxes in 2000 to upgrade rail and bus transit.

If Utah County also adopts a quarter-cent hike, Eastman argues, it should follow suit.

"UTA money ought to go to mass-transit projects," said Eastman, who is working on a bill he says would "level the playing field."

"What's happened is that [other counties] agreed to pay a sales tax for commuter rail," he added. "Most of that money was spent to buy the right of way [for commuter rail]. . . . All we're saying is that we need some reciprocation, that all counties should be treated the same."

Such talk riles Utah County leaders, especially if it saps their power to spend transportation funding where they say it is needed most - on roads rather than rails.

Utah County leaders say they put their transportation projects on hold while traffic gridlock was addressed in other counties along the Wasatch Front after being reassured their needs would be met next.

"I'm not against being fair and equal," Utah County Commissioner Steve White said Monday. "But now there's no money, there's no will to raise gas taxes, double registration fees on cars or whatever it takes to start building roads. Where's our money?"

During peak periods, Interstate 15 and other Utah County roads resemble parking lots in some places. The county has an estimated $1.3 billion worth of transportation needs.

Rather than wait for the Legislature, Utah County commissioners decided last fall to put a quarter-cent sales tax on the ballot, but then backed down under pressure from state lawmakers and the Utah Taxpayers Association.

The tax boost would have generated about $12 million a year - cash the county could have been spent retooling I-15 interchanges, State Street and other traffic chokeholds.

Commissioner Jerry Grover insists upgrading roads makes more sense than taxing residents for commuter rail that is years away. Those trains are expected to be running between Salt Lake City and Ogden by 2007.

"Nothing against the Utah Transit Authority," Grover added, "but the studies show that only about 3 to 5 percent of traffic congestion on the interstate will be alleviated by a mass-transit solution."

Eastman counters that the Wasatch Front's traffic woes are regional and that all counties need to be on the same page in crafting solutions. As for commuter rail, he adds, every county must get on track or opt out altogether.

"They can't use that [sales tax] money to start building roads and expect transit to service their area without paying their fair share," Eastman said.

Neither UTA nor the Utah Department of Transportation was familiar with Eastman's bill, which is still in its infancy and may not make it to the Senate or House floors.

Eastman is undecided whether his bill would compel Utah County to earmark any transportation tax increases for transit or give other counties the same latitude in spending their sales-tax dollars.

Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, says Eastman has assured him the bill is intended to give flexibility to other counties, not punish Utah County.

meddington@sltrib.com