Salt Lake Transit News Thread - Page 455

RC14 · #**9081** Posted **Dec 28, 2024, 2:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paniolo Man

The future Frontrunner station will be located south of this site at a UTA owned property west of Box Elder High School.

Why is it that we can't use our historic train stations as train stations?

bob rulz · #**9082** Posted **Mar 5, 2025, 6:02 AM**

Transit ridership in Utah is making good recoveries. Q4 2024 year-over-year numbers for TRAX are up over 26%, FrontRunner is up 10.5%, and bus ridership is up almost 10%. Overall UTA ridership is up 15.45% from last year.

https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uplo...rship-APTA.pdf

i-215 · #**9083** Posted **Mar 5, 2025, 7:48 AM**

I was curious what trouble UTA will find themselves if (sigh).... say, a crazy car maker were to illegally take a hatchet to FTA operational grants:

Looks like it's 11% federal aid. Not enough to tank the UTA, but certainly enough to throw some routes into a death spiral. Utah would be wise to identify new local tax sources to make up the differences if and when this happens.

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Capital investment in new projects would be pretty screwed, though:

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Source: https://www.rideuta.com/-/media/File...y_24_09_12.pdf

ucsbgaucho · #**9084** Posted **Apr 25, 2025, 4:40 PM**

https://ksltv.com/local-news/downtow...-lines/767111/

Economic impact reveals $12 billion benefit to move downtown train lines below ground
Possible money made in an ambitious plan to move key train lines below ground in downtown Salt Lake City is emerging in a new study. The economic study by Utah State University reveals the move could generate as much as $12.3 billion.

The money comes from moving more than four miles of railroad lines over a full city block and having them run below ground, making it easier to connect with public transit downtown, and redeveloping 50 to 70 acres in the heart of Salt Lake City, currently taken up by the tracks.

Those benefits of moving the tracks, coming out in the new economic impact study done by Utah State University’s Huntsman School of Business, were released this week. The plan moves the existing lines near I-15 eastward to realign trains with the original route through Salt Lake’s Rio Grande station, making it again the hub for rail connection downtown.

This time, trains would be 38 feet below street level in what’s called a “train box” — kind of like a train slot canyon — that allows for development above it.

“That generates hundreds of millions in dollars in new tax revenue annually,” said volunteer Christian Lenhart with Via Rio Grande.

Christian Lenhart, part of the grassroots group Via Rio Grande, pushing the plan, said the lines got moved for the Olympics back in 2002, and they’re targeting Utah’s next Olympics in 2034 to bring them back.

“It’d be really nice if the 2002 Olympics that took the tracks away from the Rio Grande Depot and took them here, that the 2034 Olympics would be a way to spur, to move the tracks back,” Lenhart said.

Right now, the biggest challenge for the proposal is support for its expensive price tag, last projected at $3 to $5 billion. Lenhart said the feedback they receive from state lawmakers and others is that they love the idea, but can’t swallow the cost.

The group is hoping their new numbers, putting the economic benefit generating over $12 billion, will clear roadblocks they’ve had in the past.

KSL TV reached out to several stakeholders with Salt Lake City and Union Pacific for their reaction, but hadn’t immediately heard back.

ucsbgaucho · #**9085** Posted **May 15, 2025, 4:40 PM**

Additional $300 million allocated to bury 300W for Delta Center pedestrian plaza

Utah taxpayers have committed another $300 million to the downtown Salt Lake City sports district, this time to bury part of 300 West, east of the Delta Center, to create a pedestrian plaza between the arena and property the Smith Entertainment Group recently acquired from Salt Lake County.

Money for the road project comes on top of $900 million in sales tax revenue already being channeled into SEG’s sports, entertainment, culture and convention district.

Lawmakers added this major street construction on line number 3,644 of a massive 126-page transportation bill on the third-to-last night of the 2025 legislative session.

Despite the project’s size, it went almost entirely unmentioned and unnoticed, aside from a passing reference to money being pegged for U.S. Highway 89 improvements in a “county of the first class.”

Highway 89, which includes 300 West, stretches across Utah, but Salt Lake County is the state’s only first-class county.

House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said she wasn’t aware of the $300 million for 300 West until The Salt Lake Tribune asked her about it.

“If we talk about transparency, we weren’t transparent here, as a body,” she said. “If you can imagine the frustration for me, can you imagine the frustration for taxpayers?”

Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville and the sponsor of the transportation bill, said lawmakers had been discussing the project for about a year and that the Utah Department of Transportation had the money available in a fund that mainly contains federal highway funds and gas tax revenue.

“It was decided at the very end [of the session] saying, ‘OK, in order to meet all the needs of all the stakeholders, let’s go through and appropriate money that’s been sitting on the shelf and put it in there so we keep 300 West open, we go through and enhance the pedestrian and traffic and the experience of people in that area,” Harper said. “I didn’t perceive it to be something big, because we talked about it for over a year, and then we just made the decision right at the end.”

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics...-are-pitching/

Paniolo Man · #**9086** Posted **May 25, 2025, 5:47 AM**

• Video Link

RC14 · #**9087** Posted **Jun 26, 2025, 1:32 AM**

Nearly $1B light-rail project proposed to connect Draper and Lehi
https://www.ksl.com/article/51335437...raper-and-lehi

Quote:

DRAPER — The Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Transit Authority are advancing a nearly $1-billion light rail project to address increasing congestion and rapid growth in the corridor between Draper and Lehi.

The proposed 10-mile transit system would connect southern Salt Lake County to northern Utah County and include a future stop at The Point, the large development planned at the former state prison site.

Officials have identified the Light Rail System as the locally preferred alternative in a new environmental assessment, the Point of the Mountain Transit Project NEPA Environmental Assessment, which is now open for public review and comment through July 10, 2025.

"This particular area of Utah is growing very quickly," said Josh Van Jura, UDOT's Trails and Transit director. "Between the 2010 and 2020 census, Utah was one of the fastest-growing states in the nation with over 18% population growth, and that's expected to continue."

Makid · #**9088** Posted **Jun 26, 2025, 3:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC14

Nearly $1B light-rail project proposed to connect Draper and Lehi
https://www.ksl.com/article/51335437...raper-and-lehi

Some additional information that I have heard regarding this:

There is rumored to have been some "greasing the wheels" happening by lobbyists from Utah to individuals within the Department of Transportation to have the Feds provide transportation grants for 3 transit projects: Tech-link (Orange Line), Lehi Trax (Blue Line extension), and FrontRunner (double tracking)

The thought is that the transit expansions would be an Olympics gift to the State allowing a bypass for much of the local funding requirements. This would speed up the current timeline for the projects substantially.

If the grants are successful, much (if not all) of the local (State) funding for FrontRunner double tracking would be used to fill the selective double tracking gaps to do a complete double tracking.

Sadly, I am not aware of any lobbying from the State for the Rio Grande project yet.

The overall thought is that a large grant may be possible for the projects as the request(s) come from a "Red State" and could be used as an "Ego Boost".

My overall hope is that the current administration fund the 3 transit projects above and the next administration funds the Rio Grande project. Both administrations could then claim their respective ego boosts for funding projects that would be "Gifts or Rewards" for hosting the Olympics.

Paniolo Man · #**9089** Posted **Jul 1, 2025, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Makid

Some additional information that I have heard regarding this:

There is rumored to have been some "greasing the wheels" happening by lobbyists from Utah to individuals within the Department of Transportation to have the Feds provide transportation grants for 3 transit projects: Tech-link (Orange Line), Lehi Trax (Blue Line extension), and FrontRunner (double tracking)

The thought is that the transit expansions would be an Olympics gift to the State allowing a bypass for much of the local funding requirements. This would speed up the current timeline for the projects substantially.

If the grants are successful, much (if not all) of the local (State) funding for FrontRunner double tracking would be used to fill the selective double tracking gaps to do a complete double tracking.

Sadly, I am not aware of any lobbying from the State for the Rio Grande project yet.

The overall thought is that a large grant may be possible for the projects as the request(s) come from a "Red State" and could be used as an "Ego Boost".

My overall hope is that the current administration fund the 3 transit projects above and the next administration funds the Rio Grande project. Both administrations could then claim their respective ego boosts for funding projects that would be "Gifts or Rewards" for hosting the Olympics.

I was directly told by congressional staff that Senator Curtis has been personally asking Secretary Duffy to get grants moving for Utah transit projects. This was a week before Curtis got Duffy on the Frontrunner. Supposedly UTA is expecting to get a much larger match approved for Frontrunner 2X.

MountainSkyline · #**9090** Posted **Jul 27, 2025, 12:17 AM**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxi4R7Chb_I

mattreedah · #**9091** Posted **Aug 10, 2025, 4:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paniolo Man

I was directly told by congressional staff that Senator Curtis has been personally asking Secretary Duffy to get grants moving for Utah transit projects. This was a week before Curtis got Duffy on the Frontrunner. Supposedly UTA is expecting to get a much larger match approved for Frontrunner 2X.

As someone who lives in Utah County and commutes for work in downtown SLC this would be a godsend.

Paniolo Man · #**9092** Posted **Aug 25, 2025, 6:10 PM**

UTA has increased the order for new Light Rail Vehicles to 40 to completely replace the fleet of SD100 and SD160 units.

Makid · #**9093** Posted **Aug 27, 2025, 7:03 PM**

This may be one of the best reasons for UDoT taking over even more of UTA than it does today:

Dozens of Provo residents face relocation as UDOT plans eminent domain for rail project

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-...r-rail-project

Quote:

PROVO, Utah — UDOT officials say they're planning to take five different Provo condominium and apartment buildings through eminent domain, in a move that could impact dozens of renters and homeowners.

They confirmed it's part of the FrontRunner 2X project, where they're looking to put down double track in "strategic locations" to make the train line run more efficiently.

It looks like UDoT is actively acquiring properties for the expansion of FrontRunner. UDoT already has the ability to use eminent domain for their projects while UTA didn't. UTA always had to rely on the various Cities/Counties to act on their behest to allow given alignments to happen.

This does give me hope for when FrontRunner is fully double tracked. UDoT doesn't mess around with their highway projects and it is nice in many ways seeing this happen for a transit project.

bob rulz · #**9094** Posted **Aug 31, 2025, 6:54 PM**

I'm not really a fan of displacing residents, but I'd rather it happen for transit than freeway expansion.

Paniolo Man · #**9095** Posted **Sep 23, 2025, 5:52 PM**

Park City Council to review design elements of bus rapid transit project

KPCW | Parker Malatesta | September 22, 2025

MountainSkyline · #**9096** Posted **Oct 13, 2025, 11:27 PM**

Crews will begin work on the evening of Monday, Oct. 13. Each night through early November, US-189 will be reduced to one-way alternating traffic from10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekends. between Rainbow Bay Day Use Area and 3600 South

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Current Conditions
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To be built
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https://www2.udot.utah.gov/connect/2...rvoir-tonight/

Makid · #**9097** Posted **Feb 4, 2026, 7:43 PM**

Being it is Legislative season, there is already talk about messing with SLC and its bike and bus infrastructure.

Much of it can be found here: SB0242

This is a large bill but there is something beneficial that is hopefully going to last the session:

Quote:

(ii)If a county of the first class imposes a sales and use tax described in this section, beginning on the day three years after the date on which at least three counties described in Subsections (4) and (5) have imposed a tax under this section, or
beginning on July 1, 2030, whichever comes first, for revenue designated for public transit as described in Subsection (4)(a):, the revenue shall be transferred to the Transit Transportation Investment Fund created in Section 72-2-124.

Prior to this update the funding was slated to be split:

Quote:

(A)50% of the revenue from a sales and use tax imposed under this section in a county of the first class shall be transferred to the County of the First Class Highway Projects Fund created in Section 72-2-121; and
(B)50% of the revenue from a sales and use tax imposed under this section in a county of the first class shall be transferred to the Transit Transportation Investment Fund created in Subsection 72-2-124(9).

In reading this, we are nearing or at the cut over as no County along the Wasatch Front has raised the sales tax for transit in a few years. Now rather than a 50/50 split of the transit funding between transit and roads, the funding will go to the Transit fund only.

I think the hidden intent of this, plus the update for UDoT and its contractors to buy supplies tax free for Fixed guideway capital projects, is to provide more funding for FrontRunner double tracking sooner. This change may reduce the need to bond against future revenue to the transit fund after 2030 and could bond against existing revenue as needed to fund the project.

The Transit Transportation Investment Fund will also now be eligible to have the funds used for corridor preservation. I expect that this is for FrontRunner again regarding extension both north and south as well as for possible bypass tracks around some stations to provide faster service.

For information regarding the currently planned updates for SLC, they can be found under: Chapter 20. Local Highway Mobility Plans 72-20-101Effective 05/06/26. Definitions.
This starts at approximately row 3180

The biggest issues right now are:

Quote:

(v)includes plans and timelines for the city to mitigate the impacts of traffic calming
measures and highway reduction strategies previously implemented on:
(A)300 West from 400 South to 900 South;
(B)200 South from 300 West to 300 East; and
(C)400 South from West Temple to Interstate 15;

This appears to be the removal of bike lanes along 3rd West to 9th South and along 4th South. It also appears to be the removal of the bus only lanes along 2nd South.

The bike lane removal is likely in response to the removal of some on street parking. The bus lanes is regarding the reduction of travel lanes. I am still surprised that Main Street wasn't included in the list to restore vehicle travel lanes.

2nd South is a transit corridor and should stay with the reduced travel lanes. It has had no impact to vehicle capacity as it was already lighly used by vehicles. The bus lanes have sped up bus speeds though by 30% or so which is allowing the street to carry more people today than prior to the bus lanes being implemented.

Makid · #**9098** Posted **Feb 6, 2026, 10:08 PM**

Another day and another bill: https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bil...ic/SB0197.html

Looks like UTA is going from a board to a Transit Commission. There are a few changes from the current board.

One of the biggest changes is that the commission will need to look at increasing ridership as a priority.

Quote:

(3)The transit commission shall perform the following duties, which shall occur in a public
meeting described in Subsection (2):
(a)approve an annual budget, which shall emphasize fiscal responsibility, increasing
ridership, and maintaining a state of good repair;
(b)approve any interlocal agreement with a local jurisdiction;
(c)approve a strategic plan for development and operations proposed by the executive
director in accordance with Subsection 17B-2a-811.1(5)(b);
(d)vote on adoption of transit commission ordinances and bylaws; and
(e)review and recommend a proposal from the executive director for the issuance of a
bond.