from http://www.sltrib.com/06282001/utah/109360.htm

    A pair of bridges at the mouth of Parleys Canyon connect long-separated links of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. A series of city and county projects, meanwhile, are bringing the plan for a single, unified Jordan River Parkway closer to reality.
    Now, there is a movement afoot to connect the shoreline trail and the parkway through a third trail, running eight miles from the mouth of Parleys Canyon west to the Jordan River. Backers of the proposed Parleys Creek Corridor Trail say it can be done mostly by using existing parks and rights of way.
    "It's a trail that will truly link many of the [natural] gems in the Salt Lake Valley," said Parleys trail spokesman Juan Arce-Larreta, who presented the plan this week to the Salt Lake County Council.
    The Parleys Corridor Trail has been in the master plans of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County for years. But it was not until last year that a group began seriously exploring ways to connect the patchwork of parks and rail spurs into a pathway that could accommodate walkers, joggers, skaters and bicyclists.
    Under the proposal, the new trail would tie into the Bonneville Shoreline Trail via "Parleys Crossing," an already-planned tunnel under Interstate 215. The trail then would follow the south side of the Interstate 80 right of way through Parleys Historic Nature Park and Tanner Park to 2300 East.
    There, the trail would pass under I-80 to the north side right of way and Sugar House Park. A proposed tunnel linking the park and Hidden Hollow would extend the trail into the Sugar House business district. There, it would proceed via already-existing sidewalks to a little-used Union Pacific Railroad right of way to Fairmont Park. Trail proponents say the corridor then could stretch west with a "rails-and-trails" development that would pass under I-15 and connect with the Jordan River Parkway. The rail spur is scheduled to be part of a proposed extension of TRAX light rail into Sugar House.
    While pitching the trail's attributes to the council, Arce-Larreta acknowledged that some significant hurdles remain. Backers would need cooperation from the Salt Lake Country Club to run the trail along I-80 near Sugar House Park. And there are some South Salt Lake businesses that still use the rail spur.
    "We're trying to address those concerns," Arce-Larreta said. "We want to meet with everyone along the route and let them know we're not trying to cram something down their throats."
    The cost of developing the trail corridor is unknown at this point, but backers hope to pay for it through a combination of private donations and funding from Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake and Salt Lake County. Trail planners project a 10-20 year development period as the Parleys Corridor is integrated with an I-80 overhaul, construction of the TRAX spur to Sugar House and other street improvements.
   Trail supporters got a mostly positive response from the County Council, which passed a resolution backing the proposal.
    "It's not a commitment to spend funds," Councilman Russell Skousen said. "It means we keep an open mind."
    David Marshall, the county's chief administrative officer, also was cautious, noting that the trail proposal would be competing with other projects for county funds.
    Parleys Corridor proponents previously have met with several community councils and last week briefed the Salt Lake City Council.
    jbaird@sltrib.com