Salt Lake City | Transit and Airport Developments

[TonyAnderson]

New Trax light-rail cars being tested:

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

New TRAX cars in UTA livery:

They will match the design of current buses and commuter rail:

UTA Bus


FrontRunner commuter rail

DennyMont, flickr.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

New TRAX light-rail car makes inaugural trip
June 18th, 2010 @ 6:38pm
By Marc Giauque

WEST JORDAN -- Dozens of people lined up at the Park and Ride lot at 5400 West in West Jordan Friday morning to be the first to ride a brand new TRAX train.

The new light-rail train car looks sleeker, has a low-floor entryway to make it easier to board, and a number of other safety features.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11228451

New TRAX cars help give disabled riders greater independence

By Laura Hancock
Deseret News
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010 11:20 p.m. MDT

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...ependence.html

WEST JORDAN — The Utah Transit Authority has purchased 77 new, low-to-the-ground TRAX cars that allow people who use wheelchairs and walkers to board without a separate platform or a driver's help...


Kristin Murphy, Deseret News


UTA's new TRAX cars now have low floor entryways for disabled access. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

...

[Busy Bee]

^That LRV's a mormon. You know how you can sometimes just tell?

[BrennanW]

While, yes, the paint scheme is conservative, I really like it- The LRV's look really great, can't wait until the Mid-Jordan line opens!

[TonyAnderson]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

^That LRV's a mormon. You know how you can sometimes just tell?

Lol, what?? It's the same model cars they use for San Diego's rail, and numerous others around the country. Unless you meant the color scheme. Though I don't see how America's color scheme make something look mormon.

[Busy Bee]

Deargod, some of you people have NO sense of humor. It's painful sometimes!

[rail car designer]

in general, what is the opinion of these new cars?

[Sekkle]

this reminds me... sorry I never posted this, but I forgot... I was in Los Angeles in late december and took this pic. I saw several of these cars on Metrolink trains. I don't know if they were testing them or what, but anyway....



they were running these alongside the standard bi-level bombardier metrolink passenger cars on several trains.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Originally Posted by Sekkle

this reminds me... sorry I never posted this, but I forgot... I was in Los Angeles in late december and took this pic. I saw several of these cars on Metrolink trains. I don't know if they were testing them or what, but anyway....



they were running these alongside the standard bi-level bombardier metrolink passenger cars on several trains.

There NJT cars , were selling and leasing our fleet off to Several agencies as we replace our aging fleet.

[TonyAnderson]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Deargod, some of you people have NO sense of humor. It's painful sometimes!

No you're right, the joke was hilarious. How about those Subway cars in NYC, sure look like Jews to me. And those new Phoenix light rail cars? Mexicans.

Ok I'll give you a few seconds....a few more....ok stop laughing hysterically now, moving on...

[TonyAnderson]

UTA proposing new developments near train stations
August 1st, 2010 @ 3:22pm


http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11814110

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Transit Authority is using its recently granted authority to spur development around train stations to increase ridership.

The agency is proposing a large residential and retail hub in West Jordan and a community college expansion near apartments in South Salt Lake.

The idea is to move people closer to the stations so they might use public transportation more often.

It envisions 1,400 residential units with retail stores, offices and 849 parking garage stalls around the 3500 West, 9000 South station in West Jordan, along the Mid-Jordan TRAX line currently under construction. The other project calls for 88 apartments and a Salt Lake Community College office and classroom building at the existing Meadowbrook Station at 3900 South in South Salt Lake.

Construction for parking at the West Jordan site will start this fall, and building construction will start in the spring, said Kathy Olson, UTA's transit-oriented development officer. Construction at Meadowbrook will begin in the spring. The college expects to move into its leased building by the fall 2011 semester.

[TonyAnderson]

UTA making steady progress on new TRAX lines
September 16th, 2010 @ 5:53pm By John Daley

WASATCH FRONT -- The Utah Transit Authority says work on five new TRAX rail lines is steadily progressing. Riders are expected to be able to hop on light rail on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley by next fall.

All five lines are expected to be done by 2015, which will add 70 miles to UTA's existing 64-mile rail network.

In the not-too-distant future, commuters on TRAX will have a lot more rail to ride.

UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said, "I don't think people realize how much it's going to transform our ability to get around the Wasatch Front using public transportation."

As part of UTA's efforts to build 70 miles of rail lines in seven years, two new lines are nearing completion.

The line to West Valley City and another called Mid-Jordan, which heads southwest to the Daybreak community, should open by this time next year.

"It'll go all the way out to Daybreak in South Jordan. There's a huge community out there. A lot of development that's taking place," Carpenter said.

Another line will help facilitate growth at the University of Utah downtown.

"The University of Utah is building a new hospital. They'll be able ride the train from one hospital to the other hospital if they wanted to," Carpenter said.

UTA says the down economy means less revenue for UTA, but it had budgeted for the new lines for years.

"The sales tax revenues are down over our original projections. They are starting to recover now, we've had a couple of good months," Carpenter said. "Things are looking better but not as good as we thought they would be."

UTA says work on the lines is on budget and ahead of schedule.

The Draper line is expected to open in 2013. The FrontRunner commuter rail line between Provo and Salt Lake City is about 35 percent complete and should open in 2014.

Also, the TRAX line to Salt Lake International Airport is about 20 percent complete and is expected to be up and running by 2013. UTA says crews are making progress on the viaduct at North Temple and that it should be open for cars, bikes and pedestrians next fall.

All five lines are expected to be done by 2015, which will add 70 miles to UTA's existing 64-mile rail network.

E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=12455377

[delts145]

Draper TRAX wins environmental OK

By Lee Davidson
The Salt Lake Tribune

The proposed Draper TRAX line has crossed the finish line of its environmental review process, and now will move on to the daunting challenge of obtaining federal funding.

The Federal Transit Administration signed a record of decision this week that accepts the final environmental impact statement for the proposed line.

“This is the culmination of years and years and years of work,” Utah Transit Authority General Manager Michael Allegra told the UTA Board on Wednesday.

The agency’s attention now shifts from environmental issues to funding and financing, he said. “Our applications are prepared and are ready to go in for final design and ultimately a full-funding grant agreement” that would determine how much federal money it will receive.

The line would expand TRAX southward along UTA’s railroad right of way from the Sandy Civic Center station. The line would end either at the Draper Towne Center at 12400 South, at a minimum, or at 14600 South if the entire line is built as proposed.

The minimum route would feature three stations, and the full line would have five.

Several park-and-ride lots would also be built.

Originally Posted by SLCdude

That's good news!

Excuse me for not knowing much about how rail works, but will the Draper line be an extension of the Sandy line or will there be a Sandy AND a Draper line?

Originally Posted by Makid

It will be an extension of the Sandy line.

I hope that they are able to do a full build for the line.

..

[delts145]

2011 completion date for West Valley, Mid-Jordan TRAX lines announced

By Steve Fidel
Deseret News


Workers put the finishing touches on a huge maintenance facility to service TRAX trains in South Salt Lake Thursday. (Brian Nicholson, Deseret News)

SOUTH SALT LAKE — The Utah Transit Authority announced on Thursday that the West Valley and Mid-Jordan TRAX lines are scheduled to be operational on Aug. 7, 2011.

The news came as UTA marked the halfway point in light- and heavy-rail expansion, which will add 70 miles of rail to the existing 64-mile rail network. The $2.5 billion FrontLines 2015 program will include four TRAX lines and a 45-mile commuter-rail extension.

"We're going to open them both up at the same time," UTA General Manager Mike Allegra said of the two west-side TRAX expansion lines. "We're going to kick off a very state-of-the-art public involvement process to engage the entire west-side community to restructure the routes of the entire west side."

The rest of the expansion will include an TRAX line to the Salt Lake International Airport and Draper extension on the southern end of the main north-south TRAX line, and a 44-mile extension of the FrontRunner line to Provo.


Workers put the finishing touches on a huge maintenance facility to service TRAX trains in South Salt Lake Thursday. (Brian Nicholson, Deseret News)

"There isn't any other transit authority in the United States that is doing something this size and is on schedule and under budget like we are here in Utah," said Greg Hughes, UTA board chairman and state legislator.

"We have created more than 2,700 direct jobs and 2,600 indirect jobs — more than 5,000 jobs to help out in our tough economic times," Hughes said of the construction project. "If our economy cooperates and revenues arrive, we could be as much as two years ahead of schedule" when the project is complete.

UTA expects the current daily ridership, of 50,000, to double by the time the expansion is complete.

Thursday's announcement was made in a new $51 million maintenance facility at 2264 S. 900 West in South Salt Lake that used to be an expansive ZCMI warehouse. The facility is uniquely equipped to maintain new light-rail cars that will have their mechanical systems overhead, allowing the passenger area to be positioned closer to the ground. Mechanics will use a series of overhead catwalks to access rail cars' mechanical systems.

Converting an existing building "saved taxpayers half of what a maintenance facility like this would cost," Allegra said.

The maintenance facility will employ about 200 people and can store and maintain as many as 100 light-rail cars.

If the weather cooperates, the UTA says the Draper and Airport lines could be open by 2013, and the FrontRunner expansion the year after that.


Attendees applaud as it is announced that two new TRAX lines will open in August, 2011, during a press conference at a huge new maintenance facility to service TRAX trains in South Salt Lake Thursday. (Brian Nicholson, Deseret News)
.

[northbay]

^ wow! plus adaptive reuse of a building? way to go utah!

[s.p.hansen]

UTA's new (recycled ZCMI warehouse) TRAX service station in South Salt Lake.
Location: 2264 South 900 West South Salt Lake

This station is 3 TIMES LARGER than the currently operating TRAX service station in Midvale (which will continue to serve TRAX even after the new South Salt Lake service station is completely up and running).

I had a chance to go to the special event held at this new facility yesterday where the announcement was made that UTA Frontlines 2015 is 50% complete, ahead of schedule and under budget.

The big news wasn't so much Frontlines 2015 as it was the announcement that both the West Valley TRAX Line and the Mid-Jordan TRAX Line will be open and ready for the public on August 7, 2011!

Here are some images of the new and massive UTA South Salt Lake TRAX service station from my Google Android Phone:

The TRAX line enters the station from the east side. Before it reaches the station the line travels westward under I-15 and over a newly built bridge that allows it to traverse a massive bundle of heavy rail lines in South Salt Lake.

[s.p.hansen]

The North End of the Station.



These pier like platforms are a feature that is unique to this station required for the 77 new TRAX S70 train cars from Siemens Corp because all of the electronic equipment is located on the top of the trains.



The South End of the station.





The South End of the station (exterior).

[delts145]

Great Pics S.P., Thanks for the posting.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

What is that? A ceiling fan?

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

What is that? A ceiling fan?

When I toured this new maintenance station to be, I counted 5 of these giant fans! They are building the structure with LEED specs in mind. The Big D construction headquarters in Salt Lake City, which was also a reuse (the historic Fuller Paint Building), also incorporated similar large ceiling fans in their now LEED Gold medal structure.