UTA outlines Frontrunner 2X plan to double peak service; project cost about $3.2 billion

Janelle Robertson, UTA project manager, told the American Fork City Council and Planning Commission that the Frontrunner 2X project is intended to boost system capacity by increasing double tracking and train frequency. "The total project cost is approximately $3.2 billion," Robertson said, adding that the figure includes a 40% contingency required by the Federal Transit Administration.

Robertson said the program would nearly double peak service to 15-minute intervals and increase off-peak service to about 30-minute intervals. The project includes 11 double-tracking segments, one proposed new station at Bluffdale (Point of the Mountain) and a realignment near Warm Springs Yard designed to increase operating speeds in that area. She estimated that higher frequency could yield a roughly 53% increase in ridership and noted Frontrunner currently serves an 83-mile corridor with 16 stations and averaged about 14,500 riders per day in 2024.

The presentation made clear that much of the project’s funding plan depends on a Federal Transit Administration core capacity grant supplemented by state funding; Robertson said about $840 million in state funds has been allocated, which is why UDOT is managing construction. She said the project is anticipated to begin construction next year and to enter revenue service in 2030, though precise schedules depend on permitting and funding milestones.

City officials raised local access and parking concerns tied to the American Fork Station; Robertson said station relocations would depend on available funding and are not covered by the current federal grant. The meeting closed with staff noting that environmental documents and project materials will be posted on the project website for public review.