Regional transit study presents two competing Red Line extension routes and BRT options

Wasatch Front Regional Council consultant Ted Knowlton updated Riverton City Council on Sept. 16 about the near-complete "transit fresh look" study, which focuses on regional connections in southwest Salt Lake County and narrows a Red Line extension to two main corridor options.

Knowlton said the study differs from typical technical-first analyses by asking, "what do we want to achieve, the vision — and then what is necessary to make that vision a reality?" He told the council the partnership has narrowed the Red Line-extension choices to: (1) an eastbound alignment along Bangerter Highway (with bus rapid transit on Porter Rockwell Boulevard) or (2) a southbound rail alignment along Porter Rockwell Boulevard with bus rapid transit along Bangor/Bangerter. The partnership is also exploring bus rapid transit improvements on Redwood Road and higher-frequency enhanced bus service on 126 South.

Why it matters: the alignment choice will shape right-of-way needs, forecasted ridership, capital costs and implementation timelines for decades. Knowlton said the partnership wants to agree on a shared vision before pursuing costly next steps and that the study emphasizes regional connectivity rather than local circulator bus service.

Key details: the partnership includes all Southwest Valley cities (Riverton among them), state legislators and transportation agencies and is coordinating closely with Utah Transit Authority. Knowlton said staff will bring refined travel-time and ridership forecasting and higher-fidelity cost estimates for the two Red Line options to a Salt Lake County meeting on Sept. 29 and then to the broader partnership about a month later. He said the cost work currently being developed focuses on the Red Line-extension options because producing even preliminary cost estimates for rail is planning-intensive and expensive.

Timing: Knowlton said a tracks extension would be a multi-year effort and cautioned that 10 years to complete construction is an optimistic estimate, noting significant phasing and funding hurdles. He said smaller steps or phased improvements could happen sooner if partners agree.

Local perspective: Council Member Michael Perucci and others said Riverton favors getting light-rail to Mountain View Village as a shared milestone because the location draws retail customers and employees. Perucci also asked whether Porter Rockwell alignment might be infeasible where it would cross a pipeline; Knowlton said feasibility and permitting questions — including expensive engineering to cross utilities — are exactly the things the next analytical phase will address. Council Member Jason McKay asked about track placement relative to Bangerter; Knowlton said conceptual cross sections (preliminary alignment options such as center-running versus side-running tracks) will be included in the Sept. 29 materials but will remain conceptual until any federally required alternatives analysis is launched.

What comes next: the partnership will receive the consultant's refined ridership, travel-time and cost estimates in late September; partners will need to decide whether to coalesce around one vision for the Red Line extension and related BRT/enhanced-bus corridors. Knowlton urged Riverton’s representatives on the partnership (Mayor Staggs, Council Member Perucci, City Manager Hicks and CED Director Jason Lethbridge) to convey council preferences to the regional table.

Ending: Council members and Utah Transit Authority staff said they welcome the cost and timeline figures and will share them with council members once distributed. No formal action or funding decision was taken at the meeting; the presentation was an informational update and an invitation for Riverton representatives to weigh in as the partnership narrows options.