Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[Urban_logic]

I would totally agree to have a TRAX line go up Foothill! I do realize that there will be opposition from locals, but that didn't stop TRAX the first time and doesn't seem to be stopping the Mountain View Corridor freeway in norther Utah County. Oposition couldn't even stop Legacy, though it did stall it for a decade or so. Where there's a will, there's a way, right? Obviously compromises will need to be met and plans will change, but it will probably be built eventually in one shape or another. When gas here reaches the point it is currently in Europe, these opposing locals will be clammering for a light rail line.

As far as light rail is concearned, we currently have a line just to the east of I-15, spanning roughly the center of the valley (Sandy Line) that will soon go from Down Town all the way to Draper. We then have a northern East-West route going from Down Town to the U of U, which will soon link to another line that will continue roughly the same route to the Airport. Then there's the West Valley line that will take people from S. Salt Lake out to 27th West in West Valley, neighbored parallel to the south by the Mid-Jordan Line that will service West Jordan, South Jordan, and Day Break. My ideal plan for TRAX to reach at some point (hopefully between 2015-2025) would be to have two additional lines added to those already proposed/under construction. First, I would love to see a line that would follow Foothill southward to where it will connect with the Draper Extension. I also see sense in sending a second additional TRAX line down Bangeter, connecting the Airport Line to the Draper Line around the west side. Bangeter already has plenty of fenced-off empty space beside it along many parts to accomidate the grade necessary for light rail. With this plan, we would have 5 in-bound/out-bound routes (6 if you count Draper, but I just think of it as an extention of the Sandy Line) and 2 belt routes that service the West Side and the East Side.

I also love the idea of a Front Runner route to Park City! Though it would take some work and money, it would be somewhat feasible to insert the grade necessary to accomidate this line down I-80 (Either in the center, as is common in Bay Area commuter train routes, along either side, or split so that Park City-bound tains are on the south side of the freeway and SLC-bound trains are on the north side). It could then connect to the exsisting railway that the Provo FrontRunner line will follow and end at SL Central. I think it would also be a great idea to continue this line from SL Central westward on toward Tooele.

Here's a rough map (I inserted my renderings of the Park City FrontRunner, Tooele FrontRunner, Foothill TRAX, and Bangeter TRAX - plus I had to add the Provo FrontRunner because the map is out-dated):