The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City marked the opening of its first streetcar line, the S-Line, with ceremonies Dec. 5 at the South Salt Lake City and Fairmont stations. The two-mile S-Line—the first segment of UTA’s planned Sugar House Streetcar—is the first modern streetcar in the UTA system, joining buses, TRAX light rail, and FrontRunner commuter rail.

FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff joined Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, South Salt Lake City Mayor Cherie Wood, UTA General Manager Michael Allegra, and UTA Board Chair Greg Hughes at the opening celebration, which included a streetcar ride with stops in both Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake City.

The S-Line connects riders with the Central Pointe TRAX Station at the west end and the Sugar House commercial business district at the east end, with a total of seven stops. The streetcar line also integrates bicycle and pedestrian trails.

The new service connects thousands of area residents with local employers, shops, and area attractions and is expected to spur millions of dollars in residential and retail development along the route. Funding for the $55 million project included a $26 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery discretionary grant; the balance of funding was provided locally.

More than $400 million in construction for new or redeveloped housing, retail, and office space is completed or under way in the Sugar House Business District, with millions of dollars more in development planned for the South Salt Lake City end. The project has created roughly 700 construction-related jobs. UTA and Salt Lake City are planning two extensions to the streetcar line.

“The new streetcar line is the latest addition to a 70-mile network of rail transit stretching from Salt Lake City to South Jordan and Draper,” Rogoff noted, “bringing millions of dollars in new investments, jobs, and opportunities to millions of area residents and businesses.” Ultimately, it will connect to more than 130 miles of existing and planned rail service across the Wasatch Front.

Speakers noted that the opening of the S-Line marks the completion of the major capital phases of UTA’s five-year expansion plan.

On Dec. 7, the public attended community celebrations at the Fairmont and 300 East streetcar stations.

Crowds await the arrival of UTA's S-Line streetcar on a snowy December morning.

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