Sen. Bob Bennett had good news for Davis County last week. Nearly $34 million in U.S Department of Transportation transit funds for commuter rail and the University of Utah Medical Center light rail extension is on the way to Utah. The Ogden-Salt Lake portion of commuter rail received a grant of $1.5 million to prepare environmental documents for the engineering and design work and a $2.1 million grant for the preliminary engineering phase.

The bulk of the funding will reimburse Utah Transit Authority for more than $30 million in construction costs it incurred completing the University of Utah Medical Center extension of light rail.

Bennett believes that both light and commuter rail are critical elements of the state's mass transit program.

Bennett, a member of the Senate Appropriations Com-mittee said, "Utah communities recognize the importance of these projects to help ease the traffic congestion along the Wasatch Front.

"TRAX has proven to be very successful, and it is my expectation that commuter rail will be as beneficial."

mwilliams@davisclipper.com