Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[Makid]

Ogden is wanting to with their Streetcar.

Provo I think has it in the long range plan. They are also working on BRT currently.

So both Ogden and Provo are working on their transit expansions plans.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

CNG buses are definitely making a comeback in the city. Twenty-four will enter service this year. Something like 101 CNG buses are to be ordered over a span of three years. UTA is really putting stock in the improved technology.

Mayor, do you remember on which route you saw the CNG bus running?

This is an article that appeared on Feb. 14. This was exactly around the week we were discussing CNG on this thread.
Apparantly, CNG technology wasn't handleing the high mountain altitudes effectively back in the 90's, so the State gave up on it. Now, the technology has advanced to the point that it has become enthusiastly embraced by both the U. of U. and Ut. State, and it would seem UTA is also getting on board.

Utah Considers Compressed Natural Gas Buses for State-wide Fleet

http://investments-and-acquisitions.com/...-natural-gas-buses-for-state-wide-fleet/

The natural gas surplus in Utah, and the high levels of air pollution, make the state a prime candidate for natural gas burning vehicles. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) had the same idea back in the 1990s, when they put a fleet of natural gas buses in place to help cut back on emissions due to public transportation. Unfortunately, the environmentally responsible buses weren’t rugged enough to stand up to the high altitude and mountainous terrain. The UTA pulled the plug on the efforts in favor of pursuing clean diesel or hybrid alternatives.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) technology has advanced significantly since the 90’s, and several UTA board members are ready to give the locally produced fuel another try. They’ve secured two buses from Los Angeles and Phoenix to run and evaluate for performance. The test will continue for the next two weeks. If these new buses have enough pickup to maintain speed along Utah’s steep roads, the UTA will integrate similar buses into their fleet. The bus replacement would happen gradually over four years.

CNG buses would lower NOx emissions and also reduce the cost of public transportation for the residents of Utah. The standard $2 fares were increased to $2.25 at the start of August to help cover the cost of fuel. Diesel prices have skyrocketed recently, exceeding $3 per gallon. The natural gas sold in Utah sells for just $1.52 per gallon equivalent. Given the money that could be saved, UTA Chairman Greg Hughes remarks, “I just don’t see a downside.”

Before the CNG buses can be put into place, they have to pass the ongoing performance test. They are currently operating along two different routes – 3900 South and Highland Drive/1300 East. Members of the Utah Clean Cities Coalition are working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to collect the necessary data. Geographical information collected by the bus systems in Utah is being uploaded to a DOE lab in Denver that specializes in alternative fuels. There, a team of researchers are duplicating the performance tests indoors where emissions can be closely monitored and sampled. The DOE will then generate a report, detailing exactly how clean these CNG buses are in practice.

Clean Energy officials applaud the UTA for its efforts not only with CNG vehicles, but also with the diesel-electric hybrid buses that they have already begun using. Utah is quickly becoming the role model for clean fleets of public transportation vehicles.


article on U. of U. and Ut. State CNG buses...

Thomas Built CNG Buses Ace it at Utah Universities

http://www.thomasbus.com/about-us/news/bus-report/2012_summer/cng-buses-at-universities.asp

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[UTAZLoVer]

I just have to question the age of this article, since UTA fares haven't been $2.00 since pre-2011, and fares actually increased from $2.25 to $2.35 last April.....perhaps its an older article that was more recently posted somewhere. On the up side of that, maybe their test run with CNG is done at this point and we can hope it went well.

Originally Posted by delts145

This is an article that appeared on Feb. 14. This was exactly around the week we were discussing CNG on this thread.
Apparantly, CNG technology wasn't handleing the high mountain altitudes effectively back in the 90's, so the State gave up on it. Now, the technology has advanced to the point that it has become enthusiastly embraced by both the U. of U. and Ut. State, and it would seem UTA is also getting on board.

Utah Considers Compressed Natural Gas Buses for State-wide Fleet

http://investments-and-acquisitions.com/...-natural-gas-buses-for-state-wide-fleet/

The natural gas surplus in Utah, and the high levels of air pollution, make the state a prime candidate for natural gas burning vehicles. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) had the same idea back in the 1990s, when they put a fleet of natural gas buses in place to help cut back on emissions due to public transportation. Unfortunately, the environmentally responsible buses weren’t rugged enough to stand up to the high altitude and mountainous terrain. The UTA pulled the plug on the efforts in favor of pursuing clean diesel or hybrid alternatives.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) technology has advanced significantly since the 90’s, and several UTA board members are ready to give the locally produced fuel another try. They’ve secured two buses from Los Angeles and Phoenix to run and evaluate for performance. The test will continue for the next two weeks. If these new buses have enough pickup to maintain speed along Utah’s steep roads, the UTA will integrate similar buses into their fleet. The bus replacement would happen gradually over four years.

CNG buses would lower NOx emissions and also reduce the cost of public transportation for the residents of Utah. The standard $2 fares were increased to $2.25 at the start of August to help cover the cost of fuel. Diesel prices have skyrocketed recently, exceeding $3 per gallon. The natural gas sold in Utah sells for just $1.52 per gallon equivalent. Given the money that could be saved, UTA Chairman Greg Hughes remarks, “I just don’t see a downside.”

Before the CNG buses can be put into place, they have to pass the ongoing performance test. They are currently operating along two different routes – 3900 South and Highland Drive/1300 East. Members of the Utah Clean Cities Coalition are working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to collect the necessary data. Geographical information collected by the bus systems in Utah is being uploaded to a DOE lab in Denver that specializes in alternative fuels. There, a team of researchers are duplicating the performance tests indoors where emissions can be closely monitored and sampled. The DOE will then generate a report, detailing exactly how clean these CNG buses are in practice.

Clean Energy officials applaud the UTA for its efforts not only with CNG vehicles, but also with the diesel-electric hybrid buses that they have already begun using. Utah is quickly becoming the role model for clean fleets of public transportation vehicles.


article on U. of U. and Ut. State CNG buses...

Thomas Built CNG Buses Ace it at Utah Universities

http://www.thomasbus.com/about-us/news/bus-report/2012_summer/cng-buses-at-universities.asp

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[Zmapper]

Are the CNG buses that UTA is testing from NABI or another vendor?

[CountyLemonade]

UTA tested CNG buses from Phoenix and Los Angeles about three years ago. So, yes, that article is quite old.

And yeah, their test had to have gone well. CNG buses are entering service soon.

[stayinginformed]

Only a few more weeks until TRAX opening. Here is the opening commercial.

• Video Link

[delts145]

A little blurb coinciding with some of our posts regarding CNG and cleaning up our transportation. While it's good news, it's also a meager amount of contribution, considering the vast billions that has been bungled on new tech. projects. Anyway, glad to see that CNG is proving to be an excellent bridge option.

Department of Environmental Quality awards grants for natural gas use

Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Natural gas usage will expand in Utah thanks to grants from the Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality.

The division has awarded $250,000 in grants from the Clean Fuels Grant and Loan Program to help three entities — Salt Lake City Corp., Utah Transit Authority and University of Utah — purchase natural gas equipment or expand natural gas refueling stations along the Wasatch Front.

Salt Lake City will use the grant to purchase four CNG vehicles for its fleet.

“The conversion of the city's fleet to CNG is proving to be very successful and well-received by the community," said Renee Zollinger, Salt Lake City's environmental manager. "The purchase of these vehicles will expand the breadth and diversity of alternative fuel vehicles used to deliver city services and help demonstrate that the technology is beneficial in a wide variety of applications.”

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[scottharding]

So UTA's final decision is to not run the airport line any earlier or later to meet the demands of those early and late flights. I understand their reasoning, but this is one reason that I'm glad UTA will soon be cutting back on construction and planning of new lines to focus more on the system already in place. I think once they do that, they'll find ways to make the system more efficient and better serve needs like this one, especially those weekend flights.

The system we currently have in place is wonderful, and extraordinary considering the size of our metro, but it really is not as good as it could be yet. The focus should soon move from expansion to improvement from within, and also spreading information and understand through the public to improve safety and usage.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56062948-90/trax-airport-service-uta.html.csp

[StevenF]

I agree on not doing anymore expansions except in 1 area and that is to add a line down 400 South connecting Central Station to the U.

[Makid]

I do agree that getting the downtown loop done should happen. Other than that, I don't see any need to expand Trax for another 5 to 10 years. That would ridership to expand and show the need for more TODs along the lines.

I do think it might be a good idea to get another 0.25% sales tax increase in the UTA zone to increase service frequency, morning and evening hours for all transit forms. I think this would go a long way to further reducing car miles traveled as well as increasing transit usage.

The major complaint of UTA is that the frequency and hours are just not there. Increasing these areas I think will cause more people to use the transit options we have as well as may show a need to expand service in some areas.

I do think that Salt Lake should still pursue street cars though. This will help people once they are downtown as well as to help spur development downtown.

[SLC Projects]

I can think of two. 1. Downtown Loop for sure, 2. Maybe having Trax line go from draper to Lehi where Adobe is. Then have a break for awhile.

[scottharding]

I agree with the downtown loop, but I think the number one priority now should be focusing on increasing efficiency, ridership, and operating hours.

[DMTower]

^^^ The downtown loop is needed to increase efficiency.

[Makid]

With a downtown loop, UTA could run a modified version of the airport line early morning and late into the evening, provide direct Hub to U transit without overloading the existing line as well as having a downtown circular train that just goes in a loop around downtown.

It is possible that the airport and the downtown loop could be made into 24 hour trains eventually too before other lines would need to have 24 hour service.

[SLCMoosy]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56068658-90/information-maps-google-uta.html.csp

Google chose UTA as their first transit system to provide live updates via Google Maps - awesome!

[vxla]

I was in SLC last weekend; here's a video of the TRAX test train on North Temple (just west of the viaduct) from Monday

• Video Link

[vxla]

I was in SLC last weekend; here's a video of the TRAX test train on North Temple (just west of the viaduct) from Monday

• Video Link

[Twothirty8]

thanks for sharing VXLA, I'm super excited to ride the new airport trax line.

I definitely think they need to keep creating TRAX lines, especially throughout downtown, the more lines we have, the more cars will be taken off the road, the more it will help our air quality. Plus who doesn't love rail? And, at the rate SLC is growing we need to continue to make new lines just to keep up. New lines just don't pop up overnight.

[StevenF]

Until some things are ironed out so scheduling and how often and how late they run are fixed I wouldn't want anymore lines added. Though the exception would be the downtown circular. Just building lines wouldn't be a good idea as you will find that some lines would be empty and no profitability on those. I also think for the Salt Lake Valley we have a pretty good rail set up that covers a high percentage of the Valley. Most people don't need to go more than 10-15 minutes to get to a station.

Where UTA could get a head start is getting right of ways selected and land purchased so it wont get developed. Have areas ready to build on when the need is there for it.

Now bus frequency would be a nice change to a 15-30 min schedule instead of 30-60 minute schedules UTA runs now. If the Schedules were like that I would take the bus more often. The 232 runs close to my home and during peak hours is only a 30 min bus and the rest of the time its an hour. I would love to see that go on more of a 15 min then I could take it to the West Valley TRAX station and use the train more often than I do. But it comes down to the fact I would rather drive my car the 10 min to the station than work my schedule around a 30-60 min bus route.

[John Martin]

I'll definitely be driving to work the first few days the extension opens.