Salt Lake Transit News Thread - Page 6

i-215 · #**101** Posted **May 18, 2007, 9:22 PM**

I've been asked twice since 1999 on TRAX....given I'm not a heavy rider...maybe 5-6 times a year.

However, I rode Portland's MAX at least 1-2 times a month, and I was never asked to show my fair. I was amazed how many people simply "walked on the train." And they didn't seem like the monthly-pass type.

i-215 · #**102** Posted **May 22, 2007, 7:30 PM**

Sorry to post the whole article, but I'm at work, and too lazy to summarize....

http://www.sltrib.com/westvalley/ci_5919118

UTA is performing an experiment in West Valley City to move people more quickly Bus rapid transit

By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune

Transit planners are using West Valley City as a laboratory for a new way to move people across the valley.
By the spring of next year, special buses will have the ability to change traffic lights, similar to light rail, as they motor down 3500 South and, in some areas, will have their own dedicated lanes.
The Utah Transit Authority calls its experiment "bus rapid transit," and they herald it as a way to connect West Valley commuters to the expanding light-rail system.
The 10-mile line will stretch from Magna to the Millcreek TRAX Station at 3300 South and will include 12 major stops.
"Obviously we need more east-west transit," said Chad Saley, UTA spokesman. "This area seemed to have the ridership and a good population base to pull from."
The project will cost $6.7 million to put in place, which will include the purchase of new buses and the construction of platforms, similar to light-rail stops.
This addition is just part of the metamorphosis of one of West Valley's major east-west thoroughfares.
The Utah Department of Transportation will also add an additional traffic lane on 3500 South from 2700 West to 3600 West. That project will result in the destruction of 16 businesses and two homes. The buyouts are starting now.
UDOT says it will finish the road expansion by fall 2009.
"This is one of the main streets for West Valley City," said UDOT spokesman Nile Easton. "Widening it out is just addressing the congestion out there."
In the widened section of 3500 South, the bus rapid transit lines will run in the center of the street, but west of 3600 West and east of 2700 West the buses will go to the outside lanes and mingle with regular traffic. Buses are expected to hit a stop every 15 minutes.
Transit planners consider much of this bus rapid transit line a temporary fix, with a light-rail spur headed for West Valley City Hall by 2012.
The special bus route will continue from City Hall out to Magna.
But if this line is successful, UTA plans to create similar bus rapid transit lines in the Provo area, south Davis County and Ogden.

wrendog · #**103** Posted **May 23, 2007, 8:05 PM**

Good news for Wrendog!

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5967932?source=rss

i-215 · #**104** Posted **May 23, 2007, 8:13 PM**

Bad news for the freeway.

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/222529/4/

wrendog · #**105** Posted **May 23, 2007, 8:42 PM**

Freaking idiot Lehites!

This is the best option! north of town and very minimal house relocations! AARRGGH. What do they want?

i-215 · #**106** Posted **May 23, 2007, 9:12 PM**

I think they want the small town of 20-30 years ago. There's this notion that if they don't build the freeway, "maybe everyone will go away and it will all go back to being the way it was." I'm sure the COST people will use that arguement.

What Lehi doesn't understand is that having two freeways is an enviable situation for a suburban community. It keeps people moving, as opposed to the Lehi of today which moves people at about 19 MPH.

When's the last time West Valley City complained about having two freeways, an expressway, and a third proposed freeway? If anything they're glad.

And 20 years from now, how different will Lehi be from West Valley? It's not like they're trying a new urbanism experiment there or anything.

i-215 · #**107** Posted **May 23, 2007, 9:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrendog

Good news for Wrendog!

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5967932?source=rss

Oh, and I meant to say congrats! I am 99% sure your house is safe. UDOT does not want to tango with the Sierra Club again.

i-215 · #**108** Posted **May 28, 2007, 4:52 AM**

FYI... I'm do some afternoon news on Classical 89, so I interviewed a UDOT guy and the mayor of Lehi this week about 2100 North.

Basically the mayor is against 2100 North because:

1) "It would make a Spaghetti Bowl as bad as the one in Salt Lake."
2) "It will take out 21 homes, a church, some farms..."
3) "It divides the city even more."
4) "We have the frontage for a street, not a freeway."

In essence, he wants to see:

1) The arterials alternative: Streets at 1900 South, 2100 North, etc.
2) Conceeds that a freeway is needed, but it should be at 4800 North.
3) Mountain View Corridor should continue south to Nephi.
4) Freeway should be built east-west across Utah lake.

SLCforme · #**109** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 7:45 PM**

here is the salt lake transit thread.

I also think that I 215 should and will be widened to 4 lanes all the way up to the legacy interchange to handle the increased traffic.

Makid · #**110** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 8:21 PM**

On 215 right now it merges from 4 lanes down to 2 between 1300 South and the legacy constuction.

Looking at the pictures, it looks like they will be adding 2 additional lanes and removing the merge down to 2. It will be a merge from 4 to 3 back to 4 for legacy with 2 lanes going to legacy and 2 lanes continuing on 215 to the I-15 merge.

I take 215 each day and can't wait until they increase the capacity to a full 4 lanes as opposed to the fake 4 lanes they currently are using.

SLC Projects · #**111** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 9:39 PM**

Will Legacy Parkway have traffic lights?

arkhitektor · #**112** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 9:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Will Legacy Parkway have traffic lights?

No. There will be interchanges at the Northern and Southern ends of the parkway (I-215 at the south end and I-15/U.S. 89 at the north) There will also be interchanges at 500 S. and Parrish Lane.

Unlike Bangerter Highway, Legacy will have no stoplights or at-grade crossings.

UDOT has a nifty interactive map if you're interested in exploring the new highway further:

http://www.udot.utah.gov/legacy/flas...active_map.php

i-215 · #**113** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 10:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Will Legacy Parkway have traffic lights?

Nope. It's gonna be a full-blown freeway!

It was orginally going to be six lanes (3 each way) with 65 MPH speed limit. Thanks to our "good friends" at a certain Washington state-based environmental awareness group.... it's going to be two lanes and a 55 MPH speed limit until 2020 when the agreement expires. At that point, UDOT can do whatever they want. If you look closely at the rendering of the main interchanges, you'll see at US-89 it starts off with 3 lanes and then narrows to 2. And each interchange the bridge is built wide enough for 3 lanes. And at the south terminous, I assume the third lane will become the future ramps that go counter what the current interchange does.

In other words UDOT will make it a 65 MPH 3-lane freeway ... they're designing it to be expandable in that way... thankfully the Sierra Club hasn't looked closely at it to make a stink.

SLCforme · #**114** Posted **Jun 12, 2007, 11:32 PM**

That's not how I understand the issue.

During original planning they considered making it 3 lanes but decided on two with a large enough median and shoulder and bridges that they could add a third lane at mimimal cost. (this was done with the southern end of Bangerter Highway and it is now 3 lanes). The Sierra Club wanted them to reduce the width of the right of way since it was only going to have 2 lanes to begin with anyway; and you're right about them agreeing not to expand to 3 lanes until 2020. The reason the Sierra Club asked that UDOT agree not to expand it until then is that they want to see if there is actually a need for another lane and thus a wider right of way with commuter rail and possibly light rail being put in in Davis and Weber counties.

The reduced speed limit and the re-design of the freeway are to give it a "parkway" feel; that is, trees and views of the wetlands and the salt lake with a "meandering" road and sound reducing asphalt. Now, probably 90% of commuters don't give a rats ass about driving to work on a "parkway", they just want to get to work; however it will be nice for those who want to go on a drive and look at the scenery.

And believe me, the Sierra Club has looked closely at the design of the new freeway, and while they may not love that it is still being built, they feel the changes have made it a viable compromise.

DevdogAZ · #**115** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 2:31 AM**

So if UDOT is building the Parkway wide enough to eventually expand it to 3 lanes, clearly they already have the necessary ROW locked up, so what is it that the Sierra Club thinks it has gained/protected? It sounds to me like all that has happened is that UDOT is hamstrung if the Parkway is as widely used as it sounds like it's going to be, because they won't be able to widen it until it needs to go to 4 lanes, at which time they'll have to widen all the bridges and overpasses anyway.

SLCforme · #**116** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 3:33 AM**

The ROW did get narrowed; it will only be expanded if the freeway gets expanded but that can't happen until 2020 at the earliest. The Sierra Club is hoping that commuter rail will take enough cars off the street that it will never have to be expanded and thus save some wetlands.

jedikermit · #**117** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 4:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLCforme

The Sierra Club is hoping that commuter rail will take enough cars off the street that it will never have to be expanded and thus save some wetlands.

...not at the ticket prices they're suggesting...

DevdogAZ · #**118** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 10:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLCforme

The ROW did get narrowed; it will only be expanded if the freeway gets expanded but that can't happen until 2020 at the earliest. The Sierra Club is hoping that commuter rail will take enough cars off the street that it will never have to be expanded and thus save some wetlands.

So they have wide enough ROW to future proof the bridges and overpasses, but then it narrows down between the exits to where it's only wide enough for two lanes? Sounds like another case of the Sierra Club cutting off their nose to spite their face.

SLCforme · #**119** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 11:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jedikermit

...not at the ticket prices they're suggesting...

can't say I disagree with that statement.

i-215 · #**120** Posted **Jun 13, 2007, 3:01 PM**

Here's a pic of what I was talking about. You can see that the median allows the ROW wide enough for three lanes if it was paved over (although I don't know how that will in sections where the grade isn't the same. But the overpasses and designed for three lanes, but the pavement is two lanes.