Salt Lake Transit News Thread - Page 263

Hatman · #**5241** Posted **Sep 24, 2013, 7:04 PM**

Funding is the issue. I know that test are still underway on TRAX so that they CAN have the new line going by December if the money comes, but until that is announced we really can't know what will happen.
I hope they go for the bigger downtown loop on 400 west and 700 south. This new line will make the 400 south connection pretty useless.

Hatman · #**5242** Posted **Sep 27, 2013, 10:02 AM**

Forget the 400 S alignment, and think bigger than these current streetcar plans. This is what I want:

I hope that image expands...

Redevelop those two blocks south of 400 S with mid-block access, including the trax lines. (Does anyone know what is planned currently for those two blocks?)
With the loop complete, Trax routes can be set up as follows:

This way there is no Trax terminus downtown. Northbound blue line trains go around the loop counter clockwise then return southbound. Future Davis county trains make the loop clockwise, so that both blue and Davis trains go down main street first then pass by the hub. Also, by moving the green line from main street to the hub, there is a perfectly even distribution of trains around the whole loop.
Thoughts?

DMTower · #**5243** Posted **Sep 30, 2013, 4:34 PM**

I can't expand them... can you relink somehow?

Hatman · #**5244** Posted **Oct 2, 2013, 7:31 AM**

Let's try this again.
Here's what I want to see get done downtown:

Using the existing alignments plus this:

I want to see Trax avoid 400 South entirely - that is a very busy street and would suffer necessarily if lanes were taken out. Instead I want to see those two blocks directly south redeveloped (Does anyone know what they are zoned/planned for now?) with a Trax/pedestrian mid-block crossing. From there the alignment is obvious.

This will build a solid downtown loop that is easy to navigate, spurs development, reestablishes the Intermodal Hub as SLC's main station (When are we ever going to see an iconic train station built on the site?), and - most importantly - directs train movements through downtown without congestion.

This is what I want to see! Don't let streetcar plans sideline plans for a Trax Loop!

scottharding · #**5245** Posted **Oct 2, 2013, 3:32 PM**

I like that! It's smart and doable! The only thing I would personally alter is I wouldn't have the Davis line circle downtown. I'd just have have it go straight to the hub. Either that or nix the downtown circular line. I think that many lines circling downtown would be excessive. That's just my opinion of course, and otherwise, I think your plan is perfect.

DMTower · #**5246** Posted **Oct 2, 2013, 4:03 PM**

I disagree that extending Trax along 400s would create too much congestion. 400s east of Main is doing just fine sharing the road with Trax. Why would west of Main be any different? I use that piece of road everyday for my commute home and it's really not that busy. Also, adding Trax to the south side of Pioneer Park would help to further increase pedestrian activity on the block making it a more intimate and charming place. It would also stimulate development on that side of the park and help with the crime problem as more people enter the area. It would also be a huge benefit to the Twilight Concert Series. There is no reason there couldn't be an extension of the loop later at 700s.

SLCdude · #**5247** Posted **Oct 2, 2013, 4:30 PM**

Great concept! My only concern is that having clockwise/counter-clockwise only routes will confuse a lot of people. I find myself helping out lost convention-goers enough as is.

Let's all take a moment to appreciate the fact that Salt Lake City is the only major city in the US with wide enough streets to handle 3+ lines (both ways) of 4-car light rail trains on street level.

CountyLemonade · #**5248** Posted **Oct 3, 2013, 11:49 PM**

http://www.slcgov.com/mayor-announce-major-air-quality-initiative

Huh. I wonder.

airhero · #**5249** Posted **Oct 4, 2013, 6:15 AM**

How appropriate to have a major air quality initiative announcement in a parking lot.

stayinginformed · #**5250** Posted **Oct 4, 2013, 4:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

http://www.slcgov.com/mayor-announce-major-air-quality-initiative

Huh. I wonder.

$30 monthly UTA pass for Salt Lake City residents. I wonder if this will include FrontRunner--probably not.

Future Mayor · #**5251** Posted **Oct 4, 2013, 5:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by stayinginformed

$30 monthly UTA pass for Salt Lake City residents. I wonder if this will include FrontRunner--probably not.

Probably not, but $30 is a really good deal. A monthly, non-FrontRunner pass is normally $83.75. I'm glad the city worked with UTA to get this done, and to encourage more people to take transit. It may encourage more people to live near or at least closer to transit in order to save money every month.

CountyLemonade · #**5252** Posted **Oct 4, 2013, 8:32 PM**

Good news: FrontRunner is included in this $30 pass. Wow.

SLCdude · #**5253** Posted **Oct 4, 2013, 9:06 PM**

They're probably able to include FrontRunner for SLC residents because the vast majority of FrontRunner riders don't live within the city's limits. It is used to commute for work here a lot more than to commute outwards.

slc801 · #**5254** Posted **Oct 4, 2013, 11:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

Good news: FrontRunner is included in this $30 pass. Wow.

Thats a steal! An annual pass with frontrunner would be $2,376. Even if it didn't include frontrunner it would still be a third of the price of an annual pass for TRAX and the bus ($1005). At first I thought that it couldn't include frontrunner because that is too good of an offer, but I'm happy it does. I use TRAX every day because of the air quality issue, but it costs about the same to do that as it does to drive. This will finally make it FAR cheaper to take public transit.

I hope that this is able to attract new riders. I know for me and other transit riders this is exciting, but we are already willing to pay the cost of a monthly pass. I hope it can prove to be a tipping point for those people that don't see public transit as economical and finally allow it to be cheaper, and far cheaper, than driving a car. One source I saw stated that Salt Lake is originally going to offer 6,000 passes and potentially increase it if demand calls for it. I hope that other cities follow suit and offer similar passes in the future.

CountyLemonade · #**5255** Posted **Oct 5, 2013, 2:21 AM**

Salt Lake City is truly innovating in this agreement with UTA. I think the next natural step would be to achieve the same deal for residents of unincorporated Salt Lake County or West Valley, as that would reach the greatest number of residents.

ajiuO · #**5256** Posted **Oct 5, 2013, 8:45 AM**

I would pay 30 a month for that.. Bring it on!!

StevenF · #**5257** Posted **Oct 5, 2013, 1:40 PM**

Now that Frontrunner, Line to UofU, Airport and soon to be street car line to Sugar House are in Salt Lake this offer will effect quite a few people. Add in an extension to the S line and a couple more street car lines and $30 a month to ditch a car will be extremely enticing to many residents. I only wish I lived closer to a Trax line to use it more.

TonyAnderson · #**5258** Posted **Oct 7, 2013, 3:05 AM**

That's an amazing deal. It's nice to see the major cities of Utah coming up with their own incentives to fight off the 'perks' of the suburbs (this initiative, Google Fiber, etc.) I think it's just the beginning...

SLC Projects · #**5259** Posted **Oct 7, 2013, 4:35 AM**

Even I have to say that's a great deal. Keep Trax open til 4 in the morning and I'm in.

brankrom · #**5260** Posted **Oct 8, 2013, 3:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyAnderson

That's an amazing deal. It's nice to see the major cities of Utah coming up with their own incentives to fight off the 'perks' of the suburbs (this initiative, Google Fiber, etc.) I think it's just the beginning...

Google Fiber? Please say you have a rumor about GF coming to SLC?