The University light rail transit line - a 2.5-mile, $118 million first phase of an 11-mile corridor connecting the Salt Lake City International Airport to the University of Utah Health Sciences Center - was a project shepherded from concept to revenue service by Utah Transit Authority project manager Steve Greene, now principal of SG&A. WF&Co. provided public involvement and information services for the design-builder during construction.

In addition to linking the state’s two largest traffic generators, this line was planned to valuable transportation service for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, which were just 18 months away by the time funding was put in place in 2000. If accomplished, this would be the fastest implementation of a street-running light rail system in modern history.

The University LRT Project posed significant challenges. Not only would it have to be built in record time, it included rebuilding a six-lane roadway through a major retail business district and a historic, affluent neighborhood. Constraints on the project included maintaining at least two lanes of traffic in each direction at all times, maintaining pedestrian access at all times, and maintaining driveway access to the many businesses along the corridor. The only way to accomplish such a complicated construction process, without huge impacts to businesses and residents, was with a strong public involvement program.

The public relations program established on the project was unique in the industry. As a design-build project, the UTA required a baseline public relations effort including typical activities such as signing, newsletters, open houses, and a telephone hotline. The distinctive aspect was that UTA offered a financial incentive to the design/build team for public relations activities above and beyond the baseline requirements.

Incentive payments were awarded by a Community Coordination Team (CCT) consisting of 14 members, representing residents and businesses along the corridor, Salt Lake City government, the Utah Department of Transportation and the University of Utah. The CCT met monthly to discuss concerns with the project, and quarterly to award a portion of the incentive program. It was WF&Co.’s responsibility to develop programs that went “above and beyond” baseline expectations. At the end of the project, through innovative and effective methods, the design-build team received nearly 90% of available incentive dollars.

The end results? A system that became operational two full months before the Winter Games began, a community pleased with impacts that were minimized, and a public that rapidly embraced the system by far exceeding ridership expectations. Among many awards from various entities, the project received a Core Values Special Recognition Award from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) in 2002.