Salt Lake Transit News Thread - Page 453

bob rulz · #**9041** Posted **Apr 13, 2024, 3:58 AM**

Why would they build a TRAX line from Provo to Snowbasin?

kickback256 · #**9042** Posted **Apr 15, 2024, 1:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob rulz

Why would they build a TRAX line from Provo to Snowbasin?

Provo to Snowbasin is completely unfeasible and unrealistic. Hoping somebody just got their place names wrong.

Nebula3lem123 · #**9043** Posted **Apr 15, 2024, 4:28 PM**

I would imagine its some sort of transit from Ogden to Snowbasin, which imo would be a much better use of a gondola than LCC since the current drive requires going around the back of the mountain.

bob rulz · #**9044** Posted **Apr 17, 2024, 8:13 AM**

TRAX from Ogden to Snowbasin, or Provo to Sundance, would also be ludicrous. Some kind of express bus service would make much more sense.

Paniolo Man · #**9045** Posted **Apr 27, 2024, 3:30 PM**

For a lack of other transit news, here's the site of the Willard Frontrunner station:

Atlas · #**9046** Posted **May 30, 2024, 4:01 AM**

If the Rio Grande Plan happens, it will probably the biggest thing to ever come out of this website haha.

Stay tuned, folks. Lots happening behind the scenes!

i-215 · #**9047** Posted **May 30, 2024, 7:49 AM**

I hope the plan is successful. Every time I scroll around on Google Maps looking at the way the railroad track aligns, it just makes far too much sense. Especially in an area of downtown that is quickly becoming premium property.

Other secondary projects include:

Making it possible to build freeway undercrossings/tunnels at 700S, 300 S, and 100 S to connect both sides of the neighborhoods together.

Connect South Temple from 600 W to 500 W

---

Had SLC advocates been smart, they would have foisted the Rio Grande Plan (and subsequent street re-connections) onto the I-15 widening project, rather than just opposing the project cart blanche.

Atlas · #**9048** Posted **May 30, 2024, 1:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by i-215

Had SLC advocates been smart, they would have foisted the Rio Grande Plan (and subsequent street re-connections) onto the I-15 widening project, rather than just opposing the project cart blanche.

It's not been easy getting UDOT to take it seriously, so I'm afraid it's not that simple. They lean on the WFRC and the legislature for direction, so getting something as big as the RGP into an existing project was never going to happen. And we haven't been outright opposed to the I-15 expansion, but it's a nice point of comparison in terms of cost/benefit. If the state is willing to burn $2-4+ billion on expanding an existing asset, why can't it spend a similar amount (or less, with federal support) to do something with far more public benefit and value capture potential?

As far as other projects go, someone recently proposed the idea of a westward TRAX extension from Murray Central along 5400S for the Olympics. I love that idea: direct rail connections to Taylorsville High, Midvalley Performing Arts Center, Kearns High, the Olympic Oval, and ultimately the former USANA amphitheater. It could then run in the median of the Mountain View Corridor (stopping near Hunter High) up to West Valley and turn east on 3500 S, then meet up with Green. Call it the "Green Loop" lol.

ucsbgaucho · #**9049** Posted **May 30, 2024, 3:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlas

If the Rio Grande Plan happens, it will probably the biggest thing to ever come out of this website haha.

Stay tuned, folks. Lots happening behind the scenes!

What are the odds an influx of federal funding for infrastructure in advance of the Olympics would push this over the finish line? Feels like the lawmakers in favor should be starting to set up mechanisms to lobby for those earmarks that will be coming our way, and with the Olympics announcement later this summer and 10 years of planning and construction time, seems like a totally doable scenario.

ucsbgaucho · #**9050** Posted **May 30, 2024, 8:00 PM**

Major downtown highway could get tunnel treatment as part of new sports district plan
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics...=snd-autopilot
By Robert Gehrke
| May 30, 2024, 12:00 p.m.
| Updated: 2:00 p.m.

A vision of Ryan Smith and his Smith Entertainment Group’s new downtown sports and entertainment district includes tall, gleaming buildings, lining a long promenade leading right to the front door of the Delta Center, the home of the Jazz and Utah’s new professional hockey team.

Missing from the near-futuristic cityscape is 300 West, also known as John Stockton Drive. The six-lane state highway that moves roughly 16,000 cars and trucks per day appears submerged underneath the promenade in renderings presented at a city council meeting earlier this month.

Smith’s group is at least considering burying the heavily-traffic route between North Temple and 100 South, and using the area above the tunnel to install the new pedestrian mall and entertainment district depicted in the rendering of the district.

Smith’s representatives have been careful to emphasize that they are preliminary proposals and not the final product. A spokesperson for SEG reiterated that point when asked to comment on plans for 300 West.

But sinking the state highway is more than a fleeting notion, as earlier this month SEG’s planners were gathering data on the feasibility of the concept.
...
“Every large city has to deal with this and there are less expensive ways to do it and more expensive ways to do it,” he said. “If the sky’s the limit and you don’t have a budget constraint, sure, put the heavy vehicles underground and remove that conflict.”

But in terms of opening up the west side of the city, he said a better proposal is the Rio Grande Plan’s vision of burying the railroad tracks that run west of downtown, creating better traffic flow and freeing up 75 acres of developable space.

“To me, those are much more impactful,” he said. “If you’re going to invest that kind of money, that’s where I’d put it.”

-----------

Interesting comment at the end there about the Rio Grande!

Nebula3lem123 · #**9051** Posted **Jun 1, 2024, 5:01 AM**

New image on UTA's frontrunner forward page gives a map of the planned doubletracking at certain phases

This map was created as a part of a pamphlet given to the legislature this past session, which includes the phasing roadmap we saw in september last year and some other tidbits. Source

Atlas · #**9052** Posted **Jul 29, 2024, 3:51 PM**

Some new eye candy from this new Rio Grande Plan document. Also a petition!

Atlas · #**9053** Posted **Aug 7, 2024, 5:07 AM**

Rio Grande Plan just got endorsed by the Salt Lake County Council!

mattreedah · #**9054** Posted **Aug 12, 2024, 5:32 PM**

The Sandy mayor stated today at the Utah Hockey Club groundbreaking they (the city) have the funding from the legislature to put in a pedestrian bridge connecting frontrunner to south town mall. This may be old news but I hadn’t heard it.

kickback256 · #**9055** Posted **Aug 13, 2024, 1:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattreedah

The Sandy mayor stated today at the Utah Hockey Club groundbreaking they (the city) have the funding from the legislature to put in a pedestrian bridge connecting frontrunner to south town mall. This may be old news but I hadn’t heard it.

I don’t think it’s old news as much as it is it quiet news. It’s slipped into H.B. 488, contingent upon SLC passing a 0.2% increase in sales/use tax. It’ll be fascinating to see how this turns out!

RC14 · #**9056** Posted **Aug 15, 2024, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

UTA reveals its alternative to the Rio Grande Plan for improving Salt Lake Central Station.

UTA reveals its alternative to the Rio Grande Plan for improving Salt Lake Central Station. https://www.cityweekly.net/utah/uta-reveals-its-alternative-to-the-rio-grande-plan-for-improving-salt-lake-central-station/Content?oid=21899444

bob rulz · #**9057** Posted **Aug 16, 2024, 10:13 PM**

I do like the idea of mass timber, if this is the direction this ends up going. But it's aggravating that UTA won't support the Rio Grande Plan when they would stand to benefit more than anybody from it.

RC14 · #**9058** Posted **Yesterday, 1:02 AM**

^
I feel like making sure commuters get where they are going in the most efficient way is a minor concern for UTA. The thought of Keeping our Central station on the outskirts of downtown and having at grade, freight rail lines dividing downtown 50-100 years from now, when we have the opportunity to fix it now, is infuriating. UTA is proposing to double down on bad planning.

Atlas · #**9059** Posted **Yesterday, 5:04 AM**

Nice that UTA came up with a design that will function perfectly well as a non descript office building even after the rails are moved to 500 W.

mattreedah · #**9060** Posted **Yesterday, 8:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlas

Nice that UTA came up with a design that will function perfectly well as a non descript office building even after the rails are moved to 500 W.

I think it looks rather nice. And really like it’s mass timber.