There was a time when the mere mention of "TRAX" left some downtown retailers grinding their teeth in rage. They were especially steamed during the seemingly endless construction when they saw torn-up streets devoid of workers for weeks on end and looked over their dwindling profit sheets.
Things bottomed out so badly for some Main Street firms that a group of owners filed suit against Salt Lake City and the Utah Transit Authority to get compensation for their financial losses. The case was dismissed in 3rd District Court. "Essentially, the city and UTA wore them down by making them post bonds and making it clear that litigation would be protracted and expensive," said Bruce Baird, the group's attorney. "Businesses being so damaged by light rail lacked the will to go forward."
UTA and the city must have learned something during that time. The new TRAX line being built on 400 South has created plenty of construction-related traffic congestion but permits auto access to every business there.
Back on Main Street, the actual launch of the light-rail line a year ago this Tuesday produced a wait-and-see attitude in some merchants, while others warmed immediately to the new transit system.
Now after a full year of service, TRAX has supporters among retailers, including some who have statistics that show the economic benefits of light rail.
"I can tell you our mall foot traffic is up about 16 percent this year. In terms of sales, they are up in the mall," said Tami Ivy, marketing director for Crossroads Plaza.
"We do a big shopper intercept survey about every two to four years, and one of the questions we asked was, 'What mode of transportation did you take to the mall?' Fifteen percent of our shoppers said they took TRAX to the mall.
"I thought this was a pretty significant number considering that TRAX has only been here a year. This survey was actually done in August, so it was less than a year," Ivy said.
Fred Boutwell, general manager of the Market Street Grill and Oyster Bar, 48 W. Market, also is pleased with the light-rail system, which he said is bringing in new customers.
"I think TRAX has opened up the other end of the valley to us and made it a lot more convenient for them to get to us. As we know in Utah, we don't like to walk a lot, and parking is very difficult. The meters (near the restaurant) are only good for an hour. The parking lot across the street costs $5 for half a day. TRAX is two bucks, and it's an adventure," Boutwell said.
He also suggests that riding TRAX is such a different experience from riding a bus that many people think of it more favorably.
Most of the restaurant's customers still drive there or are visitors to local hotels and conventions, but Boutwell said TRAX-generated business has "exceeded our expectations."
"Anything that brings people downtown is good for all of us. It's a new market out there that we can actually go after," Boutwell said.
Bob Farrington, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, said the impact of TRAX has been "very positive" for downtown retailers. "The fact that ridership is highest on Saturday indicates that it's not just commuters using it. People are coming in for shopping and entertainment," he said.
TRAX transports between 19,000 and 20,000 riders on weekdays and typically about 24,000 on Saturdays, according to Dennis McElroy, UTA's government relations specialist.
UTA officials didn't count Friday, Nov. 24, and Saturday, Nov. 25, but McElroy said the trains were packed. "We were maximum load capacity from 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday," he said.
"They came for the lights, the entertainment, shopping and, of course, there was a Jazz game. Welcome to the wide world of being stuffed into a light-rail vehicle. There were a few occasions in which people were left at TRAX stations because there was no room. They had to wait for the next train. They're running every 15 minutes, so it wasn't a long wait," McElroy said.
UTA will learn more about how TRAX has been faring once it completes a 22-question passenger survey that has been under way for three weeks and will finish in another week. After the data from six counties and 66 municipalities is compiled and analyzed, it will be released about the end of January. McElroy said it is geared to "understand ridership characteristics" for bus, TRAX, Flextrans and Rideshare participants.
As for TRAX, "we can only tell you what the retailers are telling us: People are riding TRAX," McElroy said.
Shoppers aren't just going south-to-north, either, McElroy said. Some people are taking TRAX south to the station at 10000 South and then taking a bus to South Towne Mall.
"We don't have exact numbers," said Don Pott, South Towne's general manager. "There aren't a lot of customers who do that, but there are some."
He and other retailers, as well as government officials in the southern part of the valley, are lobbying UTA for more direct shuttle service in the area linking the TRAX line to the many stores and office buildings there.
Pott said he believes the need for public transit will increase considerably with the December opening of the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy and the upcoming opening of two new restaurants in Jordan Commons.
"We do think we are going to start attracting a lot of people coming this way as well as going north," Pott said.
McElroy said UTA officials have discussed the possibility of shuttle service with mall representatives. "The dilemma has been the lack of funds at UTA to do that. With the sales tax revenue measure passing three weeks ago, once we start getting the money in, we can take a look at things like that," McElroy said.
However, McElroy cautioned that sales tax collections won't start until January, UTA won't get any of the money until the end of the first quarter of the coming year, and "projections are one thing, reality is another."
Even though the south end of the valley undoubtedly has public transportation needs, UTA officials also must weigh what will benefit the entire system. "Where can we spend our dollar the best? This is one way the survey can help us," McElroy said.
E-mail: lindat@desnews.com