Salt Lake City's New Streetcar Contd...
http://www.shstreetcar.com/
New streetcar offers different transit experience
- The S-Line train will travel at just 15 mph, surrounded by a park built in a historic rail corridor.
By Lee Davidson, The Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/57213783-90/lake-salt-stop-streetcar.html.csp
VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAs1ZgdJIkg
Unlike fast TRAX and even more rapid FrontRunner trains, the new Sugar House Streetcar cruises leisurely at about 15 mph — and reaches a maximum of only 25 mph.
While fences and barbed wire keep pedestrians away from TRAX and FrontRunner tracks for safety, the new streetcar is in the middle of what essentially will become a long park. It is an historic rail corridor with new bike and walking trails near tracks, along with sculptures, greenery and even bocce ball courts.
"It’s pretty exciting that an old rail corridor is going to carry a streetcar plus all these amenities," said Jim Webb, project manager for the Utah Transit Authority. "It’s more like a linear park next to a streetcar. It’s something akin to the River Walk in San Antonio. It’s a boat you ride there. This is a train."
UTA officials showed off the new streetcar — officially called the S-Line — to the news media on Wednesday before its grand opening ceremonies on Thursday, and its opening to the public on Saturday, when anyone who brings a can of food for the needy will be given free fare...
"In the same way that the Riverwalk transformed downtown San Antonio, and the 16th Street Mall has revitalized downtown Denver, building on the assets of Sugar House and South Salt Lake will make this streetcar district one of the premier urban neighborhoods in the region." Soren Simonsen, Salt Lake City Councilman
http://www.shstreetcar.com
Greenway and Trail >
In addition to construction of the streetcar line itself, the partners behind the project completed a public involvement process in March 2012 that found the community overwhelmingly supports the creation of a greenway---to include plazas, the Parley's Trail, and extensive landscaping---along the streetcar corridor from 500 East to McClelland Street.
The Salt Lake City Council recently approved a budget amendment to fund the creation of the greenway, and the streetcar team is moving forward with plans for the linear "park."
- See more at:
http://www.shstreetcar.com/greenway.htm#sthash.9ZCdrGYb.dpuf
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