SLC West-East Connections Study

Responsive Margin

Introduction

Salt Lake City’s Westside neighborhoods are physically separated from eastern parts of the city, including downtown, by Interstate 15 and several major railroad tracks including the Union Pacific Railroad and FrontRunner commuter rail. These barriers present a daily challenge for people who need to cross to the east side. Westside residents are affected every day by parked trains, which cause delays, longer travel times, and safety concerns for all users. The interstate crossings that connect the city are limited to just a few major streets.

In recent years, Salt Lake City has taken steps to begin addressing the divide, as well as implementing several other Westside projects. These include the 300 North pedestrian bridge and reconstruction, 400 South Safety and Transit Improvements, the 9-Line extension, several Neighborhood Byways and traffic calming projects, and more. Additional projects are planned for construction in 2026, including 600/700 North reconstruction and the 400 South Viaduct Trail. Together, these efforts can improve access across the divide. At the same time, a more holistic approach is needed to create a unified plan for reconnecting the Westside to better meet community needs.

West-East Connections Study

Salt Lake City (SLC) began a transportation study, funded by the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, to identify and prioritize solutions that improve west-east connectivity across the divide. The two-year planning effort will:

Analyze transportation needs across all modes—driving, walking, biking, and transit.
Engage directly with residents and stakeholders to define the problem and co-create solutions.
Recommend infrastructure improvements that reflect community priorities and lived experiences.

The study area is illustrated on the map below. The study area is roughly bounded by I-215, 2100 N, 2100 S, and 300 W. I-15 and the railroad run through the study area as illustrated in the photo below.

Map of Salt Lake City showing focus neighborhoods for a study on west-east connections. Highlighted neighborhoods include Rose Park, Jordan Meadows, Westpointe, Fairpark, Poplar Grove, Glendale, Marmalade, Granary, and Ballpark. The map identifies physical barriers to west-east travel: Interstate 15 (I-15), railroad lines, and UTA FrontRunner. UTA TRAX lines are also marked. The Salt Lake City International Airport and Downtown Salt Lake City are labeled for reference. A legend explains the map's symbols, and a scale bar shows distances in miles.

Community-Centered Approach

The SLC West-East Connections Study will take a community-centered approach, ensuring that those most affected by the divide define the challenges and help shape the solutions. Study success depends on the ongoing engagement and collaboration between the city, community and partner agencies.

A Community Advisory Board is helping guide the team throughout the process. Opportunities for community engagement are planned throughout the process to develop a unified plan by the end of 2026.

Project Status

A community meeting held in May 2025 was attended by over 100 people. We also completed a community survey which received over 1,000 responses. The graphic below summarizes some of what we heard from the community.

View the infographic full size.

Infographic titled “SLC West ↔ East Connections Study: What We Heard.” It reports findings from a survey conducted May 2–June 20, 2025. A banner highlights that 1,051 participants responded, with most westside residents from Rose Park, Poplar Grove, and Glendale. Three circular graphics show that 71 percent say their travel is delayed multiple times per day, daily, or weekly; 50 percent of the time people use overpasses to avoid delays, even if it means driving farther; and 48 percent of westside residents say they cannot access the goods and services they need in their neighborhood. At the bottom, icons of groceries, dining, and healthcare appear with a note that participants want better options in these areas.

Infographic showing survey results from the SLC West ↔ East Connections Study. A section header says participants want better grocery, dining, and healthcare options, with icons of food, shopping, and healthcare. A highlighted quote reads, “Choices are far more desirable on the other side of the tracks. It’s almost like we’re stuck with what’s offered on the west and south sides. Much like a ‘take it or leave it’ situation. While we can find what we need, why should our neighborhood have to settle for less-than-appealing options.” Below, a section titled Goals: Improved Travel Time & Fewer Delays shows that 92 percent say they drive, but 190 participants said they feel they have to drive instead of biking or walking to avoid delays. Meanwhile, 338 participants expressed desire for more extensive, frequent, and free transit options on the westside. Another quote reads, “I do not bike in this area because of the lack of safe crossings over I-15 and the railroad tracks where I need them to be.”

We have been gathering existing data and asked the community to weigh in about the impact of the West-East divide. The following reports summarize what we have learned so far in the study.

Next steps

We’ll dive into the existing conditions analysis during the last part of 2025.
We’ll report on the first phase of the WEConnect Study in October and announce some engagement opportunities.
You’ll help us imagine solutions for connecting Salt Lake City as we prepare for the “Develop Ideas” stage of the study in 2026.

More information

Reconnecting Communities grant

Salt Lake City received a grant from the USDOT as part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. Funding will be used to prepare a plan that analyzes needs and recommends potential solutions to improve transportation infrastructure surrounding the west-east divide.

Funding partners and local match commitments

Agency partners, including the Utah Transit Authority, the Salt Lake City CRA, and the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, will focus on the technical and infrastructure needs and potential solutions.

Read the full grant application narrative.

How did we get here?

Historical overview

The east-west division began in 1870, the year the Transcontinental Railroads famously joined in Utah. This was only 27 years after Europeans first settled in the area and well before the modern City Government. The railroad was celebrated, but it also divided the city. Homesteads and farms built west of the rails became less desirable as industrial uses dominated along the railroad and the nearby Jordan River was used as a dumping ground.

In the following decades, the arrival of the freeways made the division worse and brought unsafe conditions and pollution to the west side. Large bridges were built to carry cars over the rail lines with high-speed interchanges to help vehicles get on and off the freeways. Later, freeway widening expanded the infrastructure barriers.

Now, finally, is the time to begin to come to terms with this divide. Reconnecting Communities is a robust community-centric planning effort to envision solutions for east-west crossings focused on a 6.1 mile highly urbanized corridor.

Related plans and studies

Connect SLC – Transportation Master Plan update (2024)
Ballpark Station Area Plan (2022)
Westside Transportation Equity Study (2021)
Regional Transportation Plan (2019)
9 Line Trail Extension Study (2018)
Salt Lake County Active Transportation Implementation Plan (2017)
Salt Lake City Transit Master Plan (2017)
Wasatch Front Central Corridor Study (2017)
Utah Freight Plan Summary (2017)
Salt Lake City Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan (2015)
Westside Master Plan (2014)
Salt Lake City Transportation Master Plan (1996)

Letters of support and comments from the general public

Letters of support

The SLC West-East Connections Study has broad support from government agencies, community councils, freight operators and business advocacy groups. This study will build on this support to bring together groups who are actively working to improve life in Salt Lake City.

“I want to express our support of Salt Lake City’s initiative to address east-west connections across the Interstate 15 (I-15) and north-south rail corridors, particularly for people walking, biking, and taking transit.” – Salt Lake City Council