Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[msbutah]

UTA stopped by my office with some "new line schwag"
I'm way too excited.

[jedikermit]

Nice. Why didn't they bring any to me? I ride Trax. Sometimes.

That was nice of them, though. Jerks.

[SLCdude]

New TRAX lines begin tomorrow!

I rode the train to the RSL game tonight. The schedules (pictured above) have been updated and the in-train maps have as well. They have even updated the destination signs on each side of the platform and added red, blue, and green circles next to where the end of the line is posted.

I will be riding trains tomorrow and taking pictures.

[SLC Projects]

Today is opening day of the new trax lines. Something i now have to get use to is having to wait all the time at the crossing on redwood road.

[SLCdude]

UTA has been doing pre-revenue service (meaning there has been a test train every 15 minutes) on the new lines for a couple of weeks now. If you have been crossing the tracks on Redwood Road lately, I don't think you should notice a difference.

[farmerboy]

Just rode the University Line up this morning to discover that as you move up the S-Curve on the new trains they play the Utah Fight Song. Kind of cool.

[H4vok]

I rode Trax on the new Red line from South Jordan Pkwy. to the Courthouse transfer station. It took 20 min to Fashion, 30 min to Central Pointe and 38 min to the Courthouse. Everything went really smooth. FYI - They paved the road just in time to link it up to the South Jordan Pkwy. Trax Park and Ride lot

[John Martin]

Originally Posted by farmerboy

Just rode the University Line up this morning to discover that as you move up the S-Curve on the new trains they play the Utah Fight Song. Kind of cool.

Great. I have that to look forward to/get sick of quickly.

[SLCdude]

The Utah Fight Song was also played when I rode on the S-curve. It was a pleasant surprise but I hope it is something they only do when there is a football game on campus.

There are new displays at the West Valley and Mid-Jordan stations but none on the older lines yet. I noticed for the first time that there are displays on the ceiling of the new trains that scroll the name of the next station etc.

All was smooth until a signal near Ballpark Station (1300 S) malfunctioned. Trains could not move past a certain intersection and trains were almost bumper-to-bumper at Courthouse station. At one point I saw three Northbound trains within about a block of one another. The operators seemed calm and confident though, and figured something out.

I only took two photos:

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by farmerboy

Just rode the University Line up this morning to discover that as you move up the S-Curve on the new trains they play the Utah Fight Song. Kind of cool.

Yuck. Hopefully that's not a permanent addition.

[John Martin]

I drove along Main Street today and Courthouse station was packed. I'm not sure I want to see what it looks like on the 22nd.

[gusam26]

I was going north on the green line from central point. The train did not move for about 15 minutes,then everyone was asked to get off because the train was now out of service. I notice there was a trained stopped in front of us and another one stopped behind.We then got back on the same train we were asked to get off.This went on for almost 40 min. Not sure what happened but my first experience with the new lines was not a good one.

[SLCdude]

From what I heard a signal was malfunctioning. I had just gotten off a train at Central Pointe before it went forward a little ways and stopped. I can't help but wonder what first time riders who were caught up in that mess are thinking.

[gusam26]

I Notice people with the outdoor retailers badges. I Wonder what their thinking too.

[ski_steve]

I took the train from the U to Daybreak. At the Daybreak Parkway station music comes on when a train arrives. Its a chorus saying "this is the train to glory." It was kinda cool.

The Utah Man song up to the U was awesome! I hope it stays there every time. Its pretty cool they all have their own music. I wonder what the West Valley line might have?

Most people commented at the Daybreak stations about how it was in the middle of no where. It would be cool if they build a community that is really tied in to the stations. So much potential.

[CountyLemonade]

At first, I shuddered to think of all U of U-bound people suddenly getting off the train at the Courthouse station and transferring to the red line. But I thought about it... people can directly get on red line trains from the old Salt Lake-Sandy line stations from 6400 South to 500 South. If people are smart about it and don't board blue line trains when they're really bound for the U*, then we should be alright. There'll be an initial period of confusion (followed by unnecessary frustration toward the UTA), but people just have to realize that it's just something we have to get used to - but, of course, there will be those people that will be unwilling to accept the change. Can't wait to ride the train tomorrow.

*Barring that they're getting on one of the stations serviced only by the blue line (or green line, for that matter).

[s.p.hansen]

I rode the Red line out from the courthouse station all the way to Daybreak. The new trains are so much better (smooth as creamy penut butter and as quiet as a bird of prey). I talked to one of the UTA helpers about how fast the trains go on the Red line once you get past the TRAX maintenance station and he told me that without the curves and slowdowns for the stops the trains go 63-65 MPH depending on the level of incline. After riding said train I believe that to be the truth! This trip out to Daybreak was my first and it was pretty reaffirming of my opinion that it is in the middle of nowhere; we saw an antelope out the side window of the train. As this part of the SLC valley fills in, it seems pretty inevitable that the Red line is going to be a very crowded transit line, because even though there will be an improved Bangerter HWY and the MTN View Corridor / FRY, nothing will amount to something as efficient in moving the people in that part of the valley from West to East.

The Green line is really scenic in some parts as well. I'm not a fan of West Valley and so I don't ever go out that way, but I know what traffic can be like out there during rush hour and the light rail is going to be great if you want to get to the Maverick Center from SLC or from West Valley to downtown.

I've ridden the old SLC Central to Sandy line many times and after today's experience of riding the segment of the line where the Red, Green and Blue overlap, it took on a more urban feel than it had before. This is the real deal now. I've dreamed about it for so long and have thought about it often and now having ridden this large segment of the Frontlines 2015 project I'm seeing urban potential with TODs and such that I could have scarcely imagined having seen all of this on maps and Google Earth. This is a great time to be alive and living between Provo and Ogden!

[scottharding]

Sweet! Now let's get the airport line and the Sugarhouse line! I think we're coming into the golden age of SLC.
Now that the courthouse station is the major transfer point for the system, does anything think this can help spur some development on the massive "Earl Holding Parking Lot?"

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by scottharding

Sweet! Now let's get the airport line and the Sugarhouse line! I think we're coming into the golden age of SLC.
Now that the courthouse station is the major transfer point for the system, does anything think this can help spur some development on the massive "Earl Holding Parking Lot?"

would be nice but has he even shown any signs of anything on those parking lots. I know he has stated he has ideas of things he wants to build there but hasn't shared what those plans are.

[stayinginformed]

Didn't Holding transfer ownership of that parking block to the LDS Church? Maybe once CCC is done, they will do something with it. Then again, maybe they do not want anything that will pull people away from CCC.