Utah Transit Authority (UTA) representatives, along with elected state officials, this week commemorated the completion of the S-Line streetcar double track construction project.
The new section of double tracking from 300 East to 500 East will allow UTA to provide 15-minute streetcar service along the S-Line, which connects the Fairmont Station in Sugarhouse to the Central Point TRAX/Bus station in South Salt Lake City.
UTA’s S-Line began operating in December 2013 on a single track, allowing for 20-minute headways. With ridership increasing 60% since its inception, UTA and several other stakeholders, including the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Salt Lake County and South Salt Lake City sought to improve service on the line. Today, the S-Line averages 1,369 weekday boardings. With seven stops along the 2-mile route, the S-Line is a convenient way to visit parks, shops, and restaurants while making connections with TRAX and bus lines.
Ground was broken on June 11, 2018, on the new section of double tracking from 300 East to 500 East. The completion of construction makes 15-minute frequency possible on the S-Line, decreasing time spent waiting for trains, reducing congestion, improving air quality and providing better connections with UTA’s other modes of transportation. This improvement in service also is anticipated to encourage more residential and commercial development.
The two-block stretch of double tracking was made possible by $4 million in Salt Lake County Infrastructure funding and $1.9 million from the Wasatch Front Regional Council Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program grants. The county also is pledging $500,000 for additional operating costs for the first three years of double-track service. This investment is estimated to attract approximately 1,000 additional daily passengers by 2030.
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Source: Utah Transit Authority
