Public input wanted about future transportation between cities in the Salt Lake Valley

SALT LAKE CITY — Several cities in the Salt Lake Valley are asking for the public’s help in developing new transportation options between communities.

The study is called “Local Link” and addresses the population growth in our cities as the projected population is expected to double in the Salt Lake Valley by 2050.

The cities involved in the study include:

• Salt Lake City
• South Salt Lake
• Millcreek
• Holladay

“What we really want to do is we want to find a way to accommodate that future growth without people relying on an automobile and provide them another option,” said Jeff Gulden, a transportation engineer for the Salt Lake City transportation department.

Four potential transit types have been identified:

• Street car
• Light rail
• Bus rapid transit
• Enhanced bus

“We looked at quite a few different metrics for how each of those would operate,” Gulden said. “We looked at how much ridership for example each of those would carry which is different for all four of those.”

They also looked at environmental impacts in the cost of each option.

“This is something we need to start looking at now so that we can program it and build it in the years to come,” Gulden said.

The study is looking at two main routes, on Highland Drive and 1300 East extending from 2100 South in Sugar House to 4500 South in Holladay.

“We really want the public to help us decide which one of these options the public would prefer, which one of these options would be the most fitting for the communities,” Gulden said.

If you live in one of these cities, you can help choose the option you think is best by visiting the local link study website which will be posted through April 22. Here’s where you can make your voice heard.