UTA is looking at another route to move passengers east and west

Utah Transit Authority was awarded nearly $1 million to find new ways for east-west transit, linking three high-growth areas of Salt Lake City.

The study, which received funding from the federal Department of Transportation, will look at linking University of Utah’s Research Park to the innovation district west of downtown at about 500 West and 200 South. An aim of the project is to run a connection through downtown.

Called the TechLink Corridor Study, the project will look at existing and potential transit options for residents along the corridor, where job growth is expected. It hopes to reduce the number of cars driven, improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

“We would like to thank the [Federal Transit Administration] for awarding the ... planning grant to Utah Transit Authority, in partnership with Salt Lake City and the University of Utah,” spokesperson Carl Arky said. “UTA is also grateful to Utah’s congressional delegation for its support during this successful application process.”

The study will look at the negative impacts any transit options would have on marginalized communities to prevent displacing available social services from the area.

The $1 billion DOT grant program judged projects based on safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life and economic development among other criteria. The UTA study was the only project in Utah to receive funding from the program.

“As in past years, we received far more applications than we could fund: this cycle saw about a ten-to-one ratio of requests to available dollars,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “But going forward, with the passage of President [Joe] Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, we will be able to support far more infrastructure projects to support jobs and everyday life in communities across the country.”