Last week, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) General Manager Mike Allegra announced the opening date for the Mid-Jordan and West Valley TRAX lines. Both lines are scheduled to open Aug. 7, 2011.

The Mid-Jordan TRAX line will connect the communities of Murray, Midvale, West Jordan and South Jordan with the existing Sandy/Salt Lake TRAX line at 6400 South. The West Valley TRAX line will extend from the existing 2100 South Station in South Salt Lake City to the West Valley City Intermodal Center, located by West Valley City Hall.

The opening of the new lines will substantially increase public transit service to the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Beginning in October, UTA will begin an extensive public education and outreach effort to engage the public in the process of integrating the new rail service into the existing bus system, including many opportunities to provide input both online and at public meetings.

UTA also announced that the FrontLines 2015 program, which includes the Mid-Jordan, West Valley, Airport and Draper TRAX lines, and the FrontRunner Provo to Salt Lake City line, is more than 50 percent complete. All five lines are expected to be complete and in service no later than 2015.