Ogden, UT — City to Study Downtown Streetcar

Rail Transit Online, September 2008

The city council and city administration on Sept. 2 approved a joint resolution to financially support an alternative analysis study of a streetcar line linking downtown with Weber State University and McKay-Dee Hospital. Ogden and the Utah Transit Authority will each contribute $290,000 of the $750,000 cost. The university has been asked to provide $140,000 and the hospital's parent company, Intermountain Health Care, the remaining $30,000.

"We are very excited about the study, as are McKay-Dee Hospital and Weber State University," UTA spokeswoman Carrie Bohnsack-Ware told the Standard-Examiner. "The alternative analysis will determine how many streetcars we will need, where the stations will be and the area that we will cover." Added Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey, "We are glad to see it move forward."

Three corridors will be analyzed, two suggested by Godfrey and one by the council, all starting at an intermodal hub on 23rd Street. The mayor's primary recommendation would use Washington Boulevard, 36th Street and Harrison Boulevard to reach Weber State and the hospital. His second choice would also use Washington and Harrison but substitute 30th Street for 36th.

The council's proposal is similar to the mayor's first choice except 26th Street would be used instead of 36th. Still to be determined is the potential cost and a funding source. Transit officials hope to begin the alternative analysis in November with completion by next summer.