Salt Lake County Council supports Rio Grande Plan
Aug 7, 2024, 6:00 PM | Updated: Aug 8, 2024, 11:09 am
A Frontrunner train moves into Salt Lake Central Station. Rio Grande plan to revitalize train station. (Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council has offered its support to a plan that would revitalize the Rio Grande train station.
The plan is still in the idea phase. But, it got the majority of the council’s support in a vote Tuesday night.
Citizen-led engineering group Via Rio Grande pitched the plan. The group, made up of six citizens, says the ultimate goal is to restore the Rio Grande station into a vibrant transit hub, bringing patrons closer to downtown.
The 114-year-old depot used to be a commerce and travel hub. However, these engineers say the current stop, Salt Lake Central, is too far away from the city’s amenities.
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“It’s rare that citizen-led proposals come to the council so well researched and detailed, particularly transportation projects which are usually government led,” said Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw.
The support comes at the same time as plans to revitalize downtown and prepare for the 2034 Olympic Games unfold.
Via Rio Grande will host a public event on September 12 to allow the public to learn more about the plan.
