Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[delts145]

Northern Metro (North Legacy Transportation Corridor.)

UDOT unveils big Weber County road project

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/241511/


Weber County Resource Assessment

A freeway along the west side of Weber County still is decades away. Planners first anticipate building a five-lane street with traffic signals, Neff said.

There would be enough room for a freeway as northern Utah grows, he added.



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[Future Mayor]

UTA poised to build light-rail line to South Jordan
The $452 million project is the first transit link between east, west sides

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7318856

"The federal approval and a possible opener by 2010 or 2011..."

This is great news, that is a fantastic estimated completion date.

[jedikermit]

I'm excited about the Mid-Jordan TRAX expansion...we really need that, the airport, and the WVC line in place to really see what TRAX can do.

Of course, it'll help if there's a downtown to BE a destination...more office buildings, unique shopping opportunities, theatres, etc...

As it stands, after I've driven in my car to the nearest TRAX station, it's more cost and time effective to drive the rest of the way to Downtown, the U of U, or wherever I'm heading. Because I'm stuck out here in West Jordan.

[delts145]

S.L. County pledges revenues for rails

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7327625

Math error? So what. The Salt Lake County Council still likes rails.
Councilmen, on a 7-2 vote, pledged to give the Utah Transit Authority an estimated $2.5 billion in sales-tax revenue to build two west-side TRAX spurs and a heavy-rail commuter line


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[delts145]

Rocky favors 400 W. as airport route


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7327619

Anderson's administration also is proposing upgrades to North Temple - lighting, landscaping and bicycle amenities - to transform the boulevard into a welcoming entrance into the city.


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[RC14]

^
Great, it's about time.

[pdxman]

Originally Posted by delts145

S.L. County pledges revenues for rails

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7327625

Math error? So what. The Salt Lake County Council still likes rails.
Councilmen, on a 7-2 vote, pledged to give the Utah Transit Authority an estimated $2.5 billion in sales-tax revenue to build two west-side TRAX spurs and a heavy-rail commuter line


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Eat that salt lake council! haha yes...i was very pleased to read this. I just hope those bozos don't override this

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by pdxman

Eat that salt lake council! haha yes...i was very pleased to read this. I just hope those bozos don't override this

Why do you say "eat that salt lake council"? It wasn't the City Council that questioned the recomendations, it was Sentor Valendouche from Orem that called for the new vote.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Why do you say "eat that salt lake council"? It wasn't the City Council that questioned the recomendations, it was Sentor Valendouche from Orem that called for the new vote.

Math error? So what. The Salt Lake County Council still likes rails.
Councilmen, on a 7-2 vote, pledged to give the Utah Transit Authority an estimated $2.5 billion in sales-tax revenue to build two west-side TRAX spurs and a heavy-rail commuter line - FrontRunner - from Salt Lake City to the Utah County line. But only if the Salt Lake Council of Governments doesn't derail those projects later this week.
The council's nod - more a message than a policy - comes as the COG reconsiders its transportation priorities in light of a stinging legislative audit that found the group had given rails an unfair advantage over roads because of a calculation error.

I think he was referring to the Salt Lake Council of Governements. Its the COG that still might try and put the brakes on the rail expansions

[Future Mayor]

That makes more sense, but I got the feeling from the article that the results aren't going to change. I think it was a smart move for the county, which is also a voting member of the COG to make their vote know before hand. While they will have to vote in the COG meeting, them saying before hand that they are for it basically is saying, we(the county) are the ones that collect the money and that's what we think should be done with it.

I would be shocked if the COG overturned their previous decision, and extremly pissed off.

[Makid]

Well, the vote is supposed to be tonight. So we should all know by tomorrow what the decision was. I don't expect anything to change.

I wonder if they would consider taking money away from the I-80 reconstruction project and put it to the Airport line. Anyone else think that it would be almost fair to do that to the legislature?

It would be basically stating...You were right, we messed up. We put a road project on the list. Thanks for showing us the error of our ways.

I personally think that the list they came out with and are going to be revoting on tonight is perfect for the valley.

[Makid]

It looks like the vote has been postponed at least a couple of weeks.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...223901,00.html

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Makid

I wonder if they would consider taking money away from the I-80 reconstruction project and put it to the Airport line. Anyone else think that it would be almost fair to do that to the legislature?.

Technically that would be "fair," but in the world of politics, there is no such thing as fairness, not does 2 + 2 ever equal 4. It's a delicate balance between the will of the majority, and the protection of the minority.

That being said, if they diverted I-80 money delaying an in-progress project causing 10 years of traffic delays, you'd see heads roll on Capital Hill. Especially since some of the most politically powerful people drive that stretch of freeway every day. As opposed to an unbuilt TRAX line that nobody is going to miss if it's delayed because they aren't accustomed to using it (since it's unbuilt).

In the end (for better or worse) most people want roads, and so a road project can get sway much easier than a rail project - even if it means "re-allocating" the money in a controversial way.

[RC14]

I say this on KSL today:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=2075508
Construction on the Intermodal Hub extension has moved to the center of the street, up tell now most of the work has been on utilities, but now all they need to do is finish rails and stations. which the artical says should happen realy quickly. I have also noticed that alot of the rails along 400w are already in place and construction has started on the planitarium station.

The artical also says the West Jordon line is moving towrd the construction stage.

[delts145]

Trains are going faster in Salt Lake

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...224718,00.html

Union Pacific Railroad has increased the speed limit, starting Friday, for trains traveling through several rail crossings in Salt Lake City from 10 mph to 40 mph...

..."The Grant Tower realignment will enable Union Pacific trains to pass through downtown Salt Lake City at 40 mph, rather than 10 mph...


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[delts145]

Metro - Park City

Bonanza conundrum continues, Roundabouts, widened road and radical idea to dig a new street offered as ideas

http://www.parkrecord.com/todaysheadlines/ci_7419316

The road has perplexed the local government for several years, but complaints have been especially intense in 2007, when there have been few periods when the road was not backed up during rush hour.

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[delts145]

Rail-line funding still a question?

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...227471,00.html

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[Future Mayor]

West-siders worried about blight celebrate route decision
Planning commissioners say 'concerned citizens' led them to their choice to go against UTA's plan

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7467528

[delts145]

This is great news. North Temple is going to become one very exciting corridor in the near future. I think this is going to enhance that whole northwest district of the city

The commission did not stop with granting neighbors' wish to push the rails farther east before linking with the existing light rail on 400 West. It unanimously recommended tearing down and rebuilding the North Temple bridge when light rail goes in, beautifying what neighbors say is an eyesore and no longer needs to be so large now that some freight tracks have been diverted.

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[strippadam]

I was reading over UTA's proposal for light rail as part of the Mountain View Corridor Freeway and i must say that i am very upset about it. It mentioned that the preferred route for trax would be down 5600 West down the middle of the road and not along the side of the freeway at approximately 5800 West. As someone who lives down town (state & south Temple) my biggest complaint with TRAX is how incredibly slow it has to move along streets. I understand that at parts it is built along residential developments. However do i have to stop at every light or almost every light. It makes it pointless to save time by taking TRAX when i can drive just the same and end up closer to my destination at most times. This doesn't mean that i don't care for the environment, after all i am still riding the train. However on new and future expansions i.e.. the airport line and this only proposed west side belt line i feel that making the train reach faster speeds will increase rider ship as well as serve a better faster purpose. 5800 W and 5600 W are close enough that i feel it would still allow for riders to shop at these locations and for the train to not just be for commuting purposes which is why they want it down 5600 W to begin with.