Surprises Salt Lake Salt Lake City is using light rail as a catalyst to revitalize its downtown. Much like Portland's MAX, Salt Lake City's TRAX system, which has achieved an impressive daily ridership of nearly 20,000 since it opened last December, has spawned transit-oriented development projects all around the city. Nowhere is this smart-growth approach more evident than with the Main Street revitalization project.
Plans are now in the works to expand it.
On Main Street, old buildings are being transformed to house new businesses. A parking lot is now a community center with an ice skating rink, amphitheater for concerts, and space for events and celebrations. Residents and visitors can enjoy pedestrian-friendly streets with attractive sidewalks, plants and street clocks. The area's central location next to the TRAX line gives residents more transportation choices. Main Street's successful revitalization will probably spark similar efforts in other parts of Salt Lake City and surrounding suburbs, as TRAX moves further out from the downtown.