DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx and U.S. Senator Orin Hatch (R-Utah) attended the grand opening of the fifth and final rail line of Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) Frontlines 2015 Program, two years ahead of schedule and $300 million under budget.

Frontlines is composed of four TRAX light rail transit (LRT) extensions and the Frontrunner commuter rail line, totaling 70 miles of new rail lines. The newest LRT extension is the 3.8 mile Draper Hall line to Salt Lake City's southern suburb of Draper, population 42,000 (2012, Factfinder, Census.gov).
[Draper was preparing early for the new LRT line, as we noted here in 2008, "TOD Gets Green Light in Utah"].
Covering the August 16 grand opening ceremony for Deseret News was Jasen Lee.
The extension is the final project of UTA’s FrontLines 2015 rail program. Construction for the project began in 2008 and included five (sic) light rail lines: the $370 million West Valley extension (Green Line), the $535 million Mid-Jordan line (Red Line), the $350 million Airport line (Green Line) and the $143 million Draper TRAX extension on the Blue Line, along with the $850 million FrontRunner South commuter rail line from Salt Lake City to Provo.
"We're working with local communities to make sure that we are doing everything we can to streamline the process to help other communities achieve their transit projects not only on time, but also under budget," DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx told the crowd.
Coverage of the event can also be found on the US DOT website. They note that the "Federal Transit Administration (FTA) committed $116 million for the Draper extension through its New Starts Capital Investment Grant Program... FTA committed approximately $545 million in total to the Frontlines 2015 Program, which includes $90 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."
Local funds for Frontlines projects were provided by county sales taxes.
In November 2006, Utah County and Salt Lake County residents voted to increase their sales tax by one-quarter of a cent, enabling accelerated delivery of these projects. [June 2011, Metro Magazine]
FULL STORY: Draper TRAX extension embarks this weekend

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

Off-Peak is the New On-Peak
Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.

The New Colorado River Deal: An Explainer
According to one analyst, the agreement approved by the states doesn’t go nearly far enough to protect the river in the long term.

Research Indicates the Large Potential Benefits of Parking Cash-Out Laws
‘Free’ employee increases driving. Parking cash-out laws reward commuters who use climate-friendly modes, which increases fairness and reduces traffic problems.

Through the Eyes of a Journalist: Megan Kimble Reflects on Covering Food Systems, Zoning Changes, and Highway Projects in the Southwest
Kimble’s interest in topics related to urban planning spawned from research and writing about food systems in the borderlands of Arizona. She then moved to Austin in the midst of the city’s update of its Land Development Code.
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Code Studio
TAG Associates, Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Knox County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.