To change the subject, how about that S-line streetcar?
Sethbrown4
uploaded some renderings to the Sugarhouse thread of the proposed apartments at the current terminus of the streetcar route, and the site plans offer some idea as to what is officially planned for the next extension:
As you can see, the new development will leave space on the south side for the streetcar extension, as well as for the continuation of the S-Line pedestrian trail. That's great. We all expected that. But then the eastbound/northbound track of the extension still makes that stupid little detour down to Simpson Avenue before turning north on highland drive.
I cannot describe how much this mostly insignificant detail irritates me, but it grates on me like nails on a chalkboard. As if the S-Line wasn't slow enough already on its own dedicated alignment, now they want to put it in mixed traffic and then have it detour around the block, traveling two sides of a triangle when it clearly should just travel one. I mean, why not just close the current Sugarmont Drive to traffic between McClelland St. and Highland Ave.? Close it off and use it as more dedicated ROW for the S-Line, both streetcar and pedestrian trail. Then, for consistency's sake, rename Simpson Avenue as Sugarmont Drive, so that the two become one continuous street. I mean, Simpson avenue is the much more utilized and much safer intersection, why not consolidate all the car traffic onto that street and give all of Sugarmont St along that block to the streetcar?
Current:
Reroute Sugarmont Drive to Simpson Avenue:
In the current design iteration, the designers are having the streetcar conform to car-oriented traffic patterns, and that clearly compromises the effectiveness of rail-based public transportation. If you're going to build a streetcar, at least
try to design an effective stand-alone system.
And then, beside extending the streetcar to the Sugarhouse Plaza, there are the issues of double-tracking the thing for its entire length, increasing frequency to at least every 15 minutes (10 is better!), and then connecting the S-Line to the TRAX network so that streetcars can travel directly to downtown (no transfers!).... Is this asking too much?
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