Getting around.

• Position: Live

Because of Utah's commitment to improving available transportation to residents and visitors, major improvements are moving forward on the state's highway and transit systems.

For most of its history, Utah has been an important stop on the trail for travelers, earning the title "Crossroads of the West." The transcontinental railroad, Pony Express, stagecoach and Lincoln Highway all crossed through the Salt Lake area in their time. Today the region benefits from the intersection of two major interstate freeways--Interstate 80 and Interstate 15--a major railroad hub and an international airport.

Utah is also undergoing major changes in commuter transportation. Infrastructure is a big deal for Salt Lake Valley as it is a crucial piece of a prosperous economy.

FrontRunner, high-speed commuter rails, run from northern Utah to Provo, and the TRAX light rail system has extended its reach by heading further west and even connecting the Salt Lake International Airport with downtown Salt Lake City.

Both light rail and commuter rail feed into Salt Lake Central Station, just west of Salt Lake City near The Gateway shopping center. Salt Lake Central Station serves as the junction for bus, train, light rail and commuter rail traffic.

MASS TRANSIT

Public transit has become a way of life in Utah and more Utahns than ever are using it to get to work, school, special events and other daily activities. More than 44 million trips are taken annually in the 1,600-square-mile service area Utah Transit Authority (UTA) covers.

2014 was the first full year running the recently finished TRAX and FrontRunner expansion project, which has helped boost to UTA's rail system's to record-breaking ridership levels. Through great collaboration with municipalities, chambers of commerce and the public, UTA built more than 70 miles of rail in a five-year period.

UTA provides public transit to the 80 percent of the state's population that lives along the Wasatch Front.

Services provided include buses, paratransit, TRAX light rail, FrontRunner commuter rail and streetcar in addition to vanpool and carpooling services.

FrontRunner provides high-speed rail service from Pleasant View in the north to Provo in the south with key connections to bus and TRAX routes throughout the service area. TRAX provides connections across the Salt Lake Valley to places such as the Salt Lake International Airport, University of Utah, Draper, South Jordan, West Valley and many points in between.

AIR...