Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[brankrom]

I was looking for some info for the new Hive Pass and found the following website: Its SLCs Green dashboard. Afew things I found were some of the City transportation goals:

http://dotnet0.slcgov.com/PublicServices...a4aaa5ed7d#sthash.XXNaY7iu.HHZfvJmv.dpbs

Cool stuff in the right hand nav bar.

Goals include: 2015 Daily Trax Service to 1 am
Year round transit connections to the canyons.
6,000 residents signed up for the Hive Pass.

2015: 400 S. Trax line from Intermodal hub to UofU

[CountyLemonade]

Sure wish Central Station or North Temple station looked like Union Station in Denver...


IMG_0351 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr

[brankrom]

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

Sure wish Central Station or North Temple station looked like Union Station in Denver...


IMG_0351 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr

I wish Central Station was a station too. The Amtrak "Amshack" for SLC is an embarrassment. Of course Amtrak anywhere outside of the NEC and California is a joke but Denver treats it like an asset unlike SLC that makes it an afterthought at best. Denver is a cool city lots of growth, more balanced politics and less political nut factor.

[Makid]

UTA and SLC wanted to move Amtrak from the shed to the hub and Amtrak balked about having to pay for some of the move, even though it was a minor amount. I do think that if Amtrak wanted to move to the hub, UTA and SLC would be willing to help cover the expense.

[brankrom]

Originally Posted by Makid

UTA and SLC wanted to move Amtrak from the shed to the hub and Amtrak balked about having to pay for some of the move, even though it was a minor amount. I do think that if Amtrak wanted to move to the hub, UTA and SLC would be willing to help cover the expense.

Still though, The Intermodal hub building is a minor step up from the shack when compared to Denver. It's a neat building and intriguing reuse but hardly something worthy of a capital city gateway, even if it is just Amtrak.

[Stenar]

It looks cool, but I don't get the point of it since it doesn't really protect anything from the weather. I'd like to see SLC build a canopy similar to this, but one without a big hole in it so that people are enclosed, maybe even with glass walls with several openings to try and keep people as warm as possible (with the ends open for trains). At least, that would keep the wind and rain off of people.

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

Sure wish Central Station or North Temple station looked like Union Station in Denver...


IMG_0351 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr

[Future Mayor]

I really wish the Mayor Corradini and The Boyer Company would have had a bit more foresight when the Gateway was planned. I've always wished that the tracks could have come into UP Depot underground, with FrontRunner, and Amtrak using an underground platform. Traxx would have been right out front on 400 W and S. Temple. I know the idea is sort of out there, but how about use a train station as a train station.

However that is not the case. I do hope that they will eventually but some sort of cover over the Front Runner platform and some of the area between Traxx and FrontRunner. I would of course want it to be something of at least some architectural interest.

I do applaud Denver on utilizing Union Station as the transit entry point into their downtown, and they included an architecturally interesting component to mix historic with modern.

One additional thing regarding Central Station. While it currently doesn't get as much use as it could, and I assume Front Runner Riders from the north transfer to Traxx at N. Temple, if/when a 400 S Traxx loop is built and as more office buildings are built further south in the CBD, I anticipate that Central Station will get a lot more use. I do love how that area surrounding Central Station is pretty much a humongous blank canvas.

[DMTower]

Originally Posted by Stenar

It looks cool, but I don't get the point of it since it doesn't really protect anything from the weather. I'd like to see SLC build a canopy similar to this, but one without a big hole in it so that people are enclosed, maybe even with glass walls with several openings to try and keep people as warm as possible (with the ends open for trains). At least, that would keep the wind and rain off of people.

I bet it was to preserve the views of the station. I like it.

[Hatman]

Some very small frontrunner news - they are testing the automatic audio and visual announcements again. This time it seems like everything is working - so far. now the operator doesn't need to make them from the cab anymore. It makes the whole thing seem much more professional.

And while I think Denver's new union station looks absolutely awesome, I agree with stenar that Salt Lake Central's future canopy should be designed without a great big hole in it. Keep the snow and rain off the platforms and passengers, and all.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by DMTower

I bet it was to preserve the views of the station. I like it.

I like Denver's design, based on DM's very astute comments. It keeps the view of Union Station in tact.

[CountyLemonade]

Originally Posted by Hatman

Some very small frontrunner news - they are testing the automatic audio and visual announcements again. This time it seems like everything is working - so far. now the operator doesn't need to make them from the cab anymore. It makes the whole thing seem much more professional.

Love these insights that you're able to get. Keep them coming.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I like Denver's design, based on DM's very astute comments. It keeps the view of Union Station in tact.

Sure, it's a nice design, it just doesn't seem to serve any purpose.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Stenar

Sure, it's a nice design, it just doesn't seem to serve any purpose.

Except to showcase Union Station, and keep it as relevant part of the city architecture.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Except to showcase Union Station, and keep it as relevant part of the city architecture.

Union Station has always been a relevant part of the city, at the end of 17th St, in part because it's always been in continuous use.

[DMTower]

It may not completely cover people from bad weather, but it will provide some shade during the summer. So in that way it's just as functional as the roof of the Real SL stadium.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Stenar

Union Station has always been a relevant part of the city, at the end of 17th St, in part because it's always been in continuous use.

That is the point. If the partial cover was a full cover, similar to the design they have, it would block the view of Union Station from 17th S. Thus why they left the middle part open.

[electricron]

It's designed to look pretty, it's not designed to be functional. Few passengers will be waiting for the trains on the platforms, they'll be in the mezzanine levels where it will be cool and dry, or warm and dry depending upon the season. Then they will rush to the escalators and elevators to get to the proper platform to board the train while alighting passengers are rushing to the opposite escalators and elevators to get to the mezzanine levels. The pretty cover will provide minimum protection while boarding and alighting the trains - but it'll be doing its main job of being pretty all the time.....
What All Aboard Florida is proposing to build in downtown Miami and at their other stations will be far more functional at providing protection to passengers. They realize it's the mezzanine level that's important.

[Stenar]

It doesn't look like it provides even minimum protection as the boarding platforms seem to be right under the hole. The steel canopies under the hole don't even have any cover. Will those eventually?

I'm all for pretty things, but this is an art piece pretending to be a station canopy.

Originally Posted by electricron

It's designed to look pretty, it's not designed to be functional. Few passengers will be waiting for the trains on the platforms, they'll be in the mezzanine levels where it will be cool and dry, or warm and dry depending upon the season. Then they will rush to the escalators and elevators to get to the proper platform to board the train while alighting passengers are rushing to the opposite escalators and elevators to get to the mezzanine levels. The pretty cover will provide minimum protection while boarding and alighting the trains - but it'll be doing its main job of being pretty all the time.....
What All Aboard Florida is proposing to build in downtown Miami and at their other stations will be far more functional at providing protection to passengers. They realize it's the mezzanine level that's important.

[UTvision]

This is still under construction. It looks like the white canopy covers the outer platforms, and on the left side, near the middle of the picture, they've added a glass roof extending from the white pergola. It probably will be covered from the weather, once its completed.

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

Sure wish Central Station or North Temple station looked like Union Station in Denver...


IMG_0351 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr

[i-215]

Originally Posted by brankrom

The Amtrak "Amshack" for SLC is an embarrassment.

Not just SLC, of course.



At least the SLC one is at the same place as the Frontrunner station, and not a block away like this one.