That same evening, the Bountiful City Council gave its nod of approval. Mayor Joe Johnson has been a strong proponent of light rail connecting from Salt Lake City to South Davis.
For example, in the past, he fought against a proposal from UTA for bus rapid transit, saying it would not meet the needs of the area and that South Davis should not be short-changed.
"In the beginning, it was very vague" as far as what UTA was proposing, Johnson said last week. "Now (we're) focused on what will really work."
That could even include street cars, among other options being studied, he said, adding, "We will need to get federal funds" to make any major proposal happen.
The proposed alternative would see construction of a "high capacity fixed guideway system" along U.S. Highway 89 and State Road 106.
Kerry Doane, a UTA project manager, said that due to concerns about the width of right-of-way north of Parrish Lane, in Centerville, a bus connection would take passengers to Farmington.
"The alternatives analysis reveals what the community wants, the preferred alternative," Doane told county commissioners.
"There has been a lot of work between Salt Lake City and South Davis cities," County Commissioner Bret Millburn said. Transportation falls under his portfolio on the commission.
He noted that Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker has been "very supportive" of the bi-county transportation effort.
Now an environmental impact study will be undertaken. The study was a joint effort of UTA and the Utah Department of Transportation.
The city councils of Centerville, Farmington, North Salt Lake., West Bountiful and Woods Cross also are due to be asked for input and approval of the resolution.
The "fixed guideway system" would include a 12-mile extension of the system from downtown Salt Lake, starting at the 600 West (Gateway area) intermodal hub. It would run through North Salt Lake, Bountiful and Woods Cross, ending in Centerville with the bus service to Farmington. It's also called the South Davis County Transit Corridor.
"I'm very, very pleased with the progress that has been made," said Johnson in an interview early this week. "As slow as it is, any time you deal with transportation, it's a slow process, but you have to stay on track with it.
"From where we were five years ago, to the point we have a firm alternative to where the route is going to be," he called notable progress.
With $2.5 million funding left from the Legacy Parkway project used to fund the year-long study, the EIS is currently under way, Johnson said.
"Those steps need to be taken before we can ever expect money from the federal government. I think it's still a long way off, but each step we take brings us closer to a TRAX line in our city. That is something they will actually use."
While praising commuter rail as another mass transit option, he reiterated his belief that "they're (Bountiful area residents) not going to use light rail, I'm convinced of that. We're too close to Salt Lake City, can just drive there, rather than get off a train (light rail), park at a freeway.
"I can't understand for the life of me why there is not a TRAX line to the north. It goes every other direction," Johnson said.
"I believe we will have a TRAX line. But we won't have one if we don't keep taking the steps. (As planned) we'll connect out to the airport line coming out of Salt Lake.
"My hope is we can have a connection to that line," he said.
tbusselberg@davisclipper.com
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