Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[stayinginformed]

I hope that when the Airport line opens in the future it will become an east west line that goes from the airport to the University--rather than going straight to the inter-modal hub.

[arkhitektor]

I seem to recall reading a while back that the Airport line will continue from the existing Sandy line. I think that was part of UTA's quickly reversed decision to stop Sandy trains at the Arena station a few years ago and only run university trains all the way to central station.

From what I've been able to gather- I think that the system, when completed, will look like this:



That only leaves one line going to the 'central' station, though. If the timing of trains between the Ballpark and Arena stations allows three lines to share the same track, I'd like to see the WVC line continue to the intermodal hub as well.

[Future Mayor]

I think I read that three lines will share the tracks from Central Pointe on, meaning a train will pass Central Point to Arena about every 3-4 minutes, and that the WVC line will continue all the way to Central Station. If that isn't the case than the money spent on Central Station, having opted to run the airport line on 400 W instead of 600 W and only the Sandy line running to Central Station, is a HUGE waste of money. Central Station needs to have more than one line running to it.

[SLCdude]

I love your rail maps, Arkhitektor! How do you make them? Adobe Illustrator?

I doubt the West Valley line will end at Central Pointe as well. 5 stations seems a little short to me. I truly hope the University line either ends at the airport or the intermodal hub because I believe it is very important for U of U students to have easy access to FrontRunner. Maybe they'll even make that rumored transit loop by continuing the University line along 400 S straight to the hub.

I also think it would be cool if the lines are named after colors (Blue Line, Yellow Line, etc.).

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by SLCdude

I truly hope the University line either ends at the airport or the intermodal hub because I believe it is very important for U of U students to have easy access to FrontRunner.

I guess it all depends on where the majority of FrontRunner riding students are coming from, North or South. Central Station FrontRunner may have more university riders than the N. Temple Frontrunner. Either way if you come in from the north on FrontRunner to go to the U, it's just a transfer up the viaduct to the airport line and a transfer to the University line at the Arena Station.

[arkhitektor]

Extending the WVC Line to Central Station:

[UTPlanner]

The maps do definitely look impressive but unfortunately no trains will run from the University to Central Station starting in August. If you want to go downtown from the University you will have to transfer at the Courthouse Station.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

The maps do definitely look impressive but unfortunately no trains will run from the University to Central Station starting in August. If you want to go downtown from the University you will have to transfer at the Courthouse Station.

Have they made that their official decision then? I saw that it was part of their August 2011 service realignment proposal but had hoped that they would find a way to keep trains from the University running downtown. I assume that the decision is based more on saving money than a need to reduce track congestion.

There are a lot of U of U students that ride FrontRunner into the city, I guess they will just have to take the #200 Bus instead?
I used to live around the 900 E. TRAX stop and had a lot of neighbors that worked downtown and rode TRAX, I guess people like that, as well as downtown visitors wanting to travel between Trolley Square, the library and downtown will have to find other ways to get around.

It just seems like such a bad idea - maybe it will be short lived, it's not like UTA hasn't quickly reversed previous 'realignments' after public outcry about losing TRAX service before (I'm thinking of the decision to terminate the Sandy line at the Arena station that only lasted a few months)

[s.p.hansen]

As always arkhitektor I love your transit maps!

I've been under the impression for a while that the Airport TRAX line and the University Line will become one in the same once the Airport extension is added.

This would mean that by 2013 one could ride FrontRunner south of Ogden and get off at the Viaduct TRAX/FrontRunner station in SLC to transfer to a direct University TRAX line. SLCdude brought up the idea of making this the first late night Utah light rail line and I think that makes a lot of sense since the Airport operates late into the night and University students are nocturnal (it could be the nightlife TRAX line).

[farmerboy]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

As always arkhitektor I love your transit maps!

I've been under the impression for a while that the Airport TRAX line and the University Line will become one in the same once the Airport extension is added.

This would mean that by 2013 one could ride FrontRunner south of Ogden and get off at the Viaduct TRAX/FrontRunner station in SLC to transfer to a direct University TRAX line. SLCdude brought up the idea of making this the first late night Utah light rail line and I think that makes a lot of sense since the Airport operates late into the night and University students are nocturnal (it could be the nightlife TRAX line).

Love this idea!!!

[arkhitektor]

So, after August 7th, this is what the UTA rail service will look like:



Under every plausible scenario, it seems like Salt Lake Central will become less of a 'central station' and more of a Greyhound bus station with an adjacent rail stop.

[Future Mayor]

I'm still pissed about the Airport line decision to use 400 W and the viaduct rather than directly up 600 W to N. Temple. Are there some houses there that might be effected? YES, there are 11 houses there who complained they didn't want their neighborhood to be ruined by a traxx viaduct.

YOU'RE 11 HOUSES, stuck between a major arterial (N. Temple) including a viaduct, a bunch of vacant land to the east along with 4 sets of railroad tracks, 4 tracks on the south side and two huge apartment buildings across the street on the west. That doesn't really scream, lovely quiet neighborhood to me.

The city F'ed up on this decision. Central Station, unless street car and a trax loop happen, is a huge waste of money.

[SLCdude]

Keep in mind that the central station also connects TRAX and FrontRunner to Amtrak and Greyhound. It's not used much yet, but as the city grows I bet it might actually become a busy hub, especially if the streetcar line and TRAX loop are built.


Here's UTA's official map, but I like Arkhitektor's better:

http://www.rideuta.com/uploads/traxmap2010.pdf

[farmerboy]

I would imagine the central hub being used extensively by commuters on frontrunner from everywhere south to downtown. It will likely be a major hub in very long range plans when things like High Speed Rail etc. are implemented for inter-regional travel. But this will likely be 30+ years down the road.

Isn't in the long range plan to run the University Line all the way down 4th south to the Central Station? This could help activate that Station.

[farmerboy]

Originally Posted by SLCdude

Keep in mind that the central station also connects TRAX and FrontRunner to Amtrak and Greyhound. It's not used much yet, but as the city grows I bet it might actually become a busy hub, especially if the streetcar line and TRAX loop are built.


Here's UTA's official map, but I like Arkhitektor's better:

http://www.rideuta.com/uploads/traxmap2010.pdf

Also prefer Arkhitektor's.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by farmerboy

I would imagine the central hub being used extensively by commuters on frontrunner from everywhere south to downtown. It will likely be a major hub in very long range plans when things like High Speed Rail etc. are implemented for inter-regional travel. But this will likely be 30+ years down the road.

Isn't in the long range plan to run the University Line all the way down 4th south to the Central Station? This could help activate that Station.

If there is no University - Downtown TRAX connection, I would imagine most people coming in on FrontRunner South would just connect to TRAX at Murray Central instead and bypass downtown altogether.

I think FutureMayor is right, the decision not to build a 600 W. direct connection from the airport was the beginning of the end for Central Station.

And thanks for the flattering comments about my map. I'm no graphic designer, but I like transit maps and the current UTA rail system map drives me crazy. It shows every single turn and curve that the lines make and just ends up looking cluttered.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

I'm no graphic designer, but I like transit maps and the current UTA rail system map drives me crazy. It shows every single turn and curve that the lines make and just ends up looking cluttered.

As the system gets larger, the maps will have to be much less defines, like yours, and I am all for that.

[arkhitektor]

Here's a slightly better version:

[jmonkey]

Does anyone think that the West Valley line will have a future expansion? It just seems to stop short to me, when there are still big areas of population in WVC, Taylorsville, and Kearns. Would there be a route for a line like that?

[Makid]

The West Valley line will eventually extend down 3500 South to 5600 West in the next phase. Phase 3 has it extending to 8500 West in about 50 years or so.

The intersection of 3500 S and 5600 West will be a nice area for some TOD's there once the Airport line is extended down 5600 West towards Daybreak. That is in the plans for towards the end of the 30 year plan.