WFRC outlines two competing Red Line-extension scenarios and asks Riverton to weigh in

Ted Nolton of the Wasatch Front Regional Council gave Riverton City Council a status update on the regional "Transit Fresh Look" study, saying the work is in its late stages and will soon yield travel-time, ridership and cost estimates for two primary Red Line-extension options. "This effort is nearing its conclusion," Nolton said, adding the study asks first what communities want to achieve and then what is needed to make that vision a reality.

Nolton described a fork in the road for the Red Line: one scenario routes tracks south along Porter Rockwell Boulevard with bus-rapid-transit (BRT) on Bangerter Highway; the other routes tracks along Bangerter/Bangor with BRT on Porter Rockwell and Mountain View Corridor. He said the partnership's next steps are more detailed travel-time and ridership forecasting and refined cost information focused on the two track options. "The meeting is on September 29," Nolton told the council; he said the Salt Lake County-focused meeting will provide conceptual cross-sections and cost comparisons to help partners choose a preferred vision.

Council members underscored local priorities. Council member Perucci said many partners favor getting tracks to Mountain View Village to serve a major retail and employment draw, while pointing out engineering constraints such as pipeline crossings and right-of-way impacts that could affect costs. Nolton warned that a full rail extension would be expensive and multi-decade in delivery if advanced, and said detailed federal alternatives analyses would be required should a route be chosen. Staff told the council the cost and time figures for the two Red Line options will be circulated in advance of the Sept. 29 meeting so Riverton representatives can weigh in.