When former Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini attended the groundbreaking for the north-south TRAX line years ago, a nearby group of protesters chanted angrily, much to the consternation of a federal transportation official who had expected more community support.
"One protester even held up a sign that said, 'Light rail kills babies!' " Corradini recalled.
Things were vastly different on Saturday when the new east-west TRAX line officially opened with a gala "community celebration" that included free train rides and a celebration breakfast for 350 people at the Rice/Eccles Stadium.
"This is thrilling," Corradini said. "Everyone's attitude has changed. This makes all the hurdles we had to jump over worthwhile."
Critics were numerous and vocal when the Utah Transit Authority first proposed light rail and called for a referendum in 1992 for a half-cent sales tax increase to fund the system. The referendum was defeated.
Critics insisted no one would ride the line, it would creep at a snail's pace, be too expensive and wouldn't solve traffic congestion. Supporters, on the other hand, said the line would remove many cars from congested streets, produce cleaner air, save fuel and offer a transportation alternative for many valley residents.
UTA eventually did build the first, north-south, line, and it proved more successful than anticipated, according to UTA General Manager John Inglish.
He attributes the early opposition in part to efforts by the Libertarian Party, which campaigned nationwide against mass transit. When the 1992 referendum was defeated, it was because the public was confused because it had heard so much misinformation about light rail, Inglish said.
"Once people saw what it was, those old images disappeared," Inglish said. "It's changed attitudes 180 degrees."
Inglish said now there is support for a vastly larger commuter rail system that would benefit Weber and Davis counties, and many other outlying communities.
For his purposes, he's happy the 2.3-mile TRAX project linking the University of Utah and downtown Salt Lake City is finished and "now we can get on to the next one."
Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson said this light rail spur is just part of what will be a more comprehensive mass transit system that will benefit the entire valley. It will make it possible for residents to no longer be dependent on cars, begin the process of cleaning up the air, and help build a stronger community, he said.
"This truly provides us the opportunity to lead out for the rest of the country," Anderson said.
Following the breakfast, the 350 attendees were invited to ride the first trains. Rides were free to the public, and stations along the route provided booths offering such things as free food, music, memorabilia and business promotions.
Once again, there were two "protesters" at Saturday's event — but this time they were only kidding.
The two were actors who have appeared in a serious of humor TV commercials counting down the days until the new TRAX spur opened. Just after the first train car burst through a banner (in lieu of a ribbon cutting), the pair grabbed a microphone from Anderson who was addressing a crowd of people waiting to ride and jokingly insisted that they deserved to be first since they had "waited" so long.
"They were aching to be first on the light rail," Anderson said.
E-mail: lindat@desnews.com