Funding for TRAX Expansion to Airport Up in the Air

Feb 25, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) At one point Friday afternoon, it looked as if Salt Lake City would be able to use $35 million in airport funding to extend light rail to the airport. But by the end of the night, this seemed doubtful. In fact, the larger five-line light-rail proposal for the entire region is now up in the air.

"I think we came in with low expectations on the outcome of the bill. And we were probably momentarily excited about its lack of support in the committee, but I think we were prepared for this outcome," said Salt Lake City Council Vice Chairman Carlton Christensen, just after a bill barring the city from using airport funding squeaked through the Senate Political Subdivisions Committee with a 4-to-2 vote.

Earlier in the meeting it failed in a tie vote. But the bill's sponsor, Provo Senator Curtis Bramble, swayed Senator Scott Jenkins, of Weber County, to change his vote by proposing to split the bill dealing with the Salt Lake International Airport and Utah County's airport into two different bills before it's considered by the full Senate. Bramble says he's adamantly against using airport funds to build light-rail systems.

"Light rail doesn't help the airlines bring one more passenger into or out of Salt Lake City," Bramble said. "New terminals and runways and such do. That's why that fund should be used specifically for airport improvements. And we need to find other funding sources to build light rail."

The city moved forward with the light-rail proposal after striking a deal in 1996 with Delta airlines, which secured airport funds to construct the last leg of the tracks that will cross over onto airport property. Mayor Ralph Becker says the city doesn't have the $35 million to complete the project. Pulling funding for the airport section of the project, Becker says, could jeopardize federal grant money pledged on condition that the entire five-line light-rail system has a secure funding source.

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