Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[stayinginformed]

I don't care what color they end up using as long as it goes from the Airport to the Hospital, then I will be able to go straight to work and back home without having to transfer.

[jubguy3]

Originally Posted by stayinginformed

I don't care what color they end up using as long as it goes from the Airport to the Hospital, then I will be able to go straight to work and back home without having to transfer.

Mike Allegra initially cited the line as running only to stadium. Despite this shortfall, it may leave a convincing argument to extend the train up foothill drive or otherwise south from stadium (even though uta is being kinda touchy on any rail expansion )

EDIT: I have found the article!
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/57444383-90/university-airport-downtown-trax.html.csp

[Jerm]

Uh how bout pink oh I mean salmon? Or maybe dark brown or even dark grey.
Who gives a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 what color the line is? I mean really?

[jedikermit]

Clear. I want the Clear Line. Maybe Transparent.

[stayinginformed]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

Mike Allegra initially cited the line as running only to stadium. Despite this shortfall, it may leave a convincing argument to extend the train up foothill drive or otherwise south from stadium (even though uta is being kinda touchy on any rail expansion )

EDIT: I have found the article!
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/57444383-90/university-airport-downtown-trax.html.csp

I know, which is why I continue to hope that they will see the light. Half the people on the train going to the university during rush hour in the morning and afternoon get off after the stadium stop.

[stayinginformed]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Clear. I want the Clear Line. Maybe Transparent.

Maybe it is already there, and we just don't know it.

[brankrom]

Wow. I was initially opposed to calling it the black line, but then someone pointed out that it could be a late night/early morning/overnight airport option. Black line works for me, though I don't know I've ever seen one before on a transit map.

There is no way in hell the east side would approve true rapid transit through their bucolic environs. They did however fight the cancellation of the 223 a heavily used but limited service bus that only runs every 90 minutes on a circuitous slog from the UofU to Cottonwood. Yalecrest gets 30 minute service on 1500 East 90 minute service on 1900 E and 15 minute service on 2100 East. SLC has a goal of increasing frequencies on all lines to 15 minutes within city limits but I don't know if that will ever happen. Yalecrest had streetcar service on 1500 east for 20 years when the subdivision was initially built. I've wondered if Yalecrest would go for a restoration of streetcar service using historic rolling stock as a way to maintain the historic character of the neighborhood (I recognize this is a zero% possibility). The 1500 E corridor is pretty dense (as single family housing goes).

Foothill is a mess, one of the worst designed corridors in SLC. I rode my bike from my house yesterday (I live in northern Yalecrest 900 S 1500 E) to pick up my kids at school (2500 E 1800 S) and had to make a stop at Foothill village on my way. Foothill is a nightmare, zero walkability on a racetrack of a road. Sidewalks are littered with weeds and glass, are in disrepair and is a pedestrian no-mans land. Why UTA even has bus stops along Foothill is beyond me, there are only crosswalks every half mile for a 2 mile stretch. Further, the road fails every day at 3 pm from Sunnyside to 1700 when the U lets out.

Best thing that could happen to Foothill would be a mass transit option (even BRT) with dedicated ROW to slow down the speeds during off peak time and give people options getting downtown and to the U from the east side.

[asies1981]

Just some thoughts I've had recently. I think we have seen the most rail expansion that we will get over the next few decades. The Draper line will probably expand further along the route that is already owned by UTA. The streetcar in Sugarhouse will be expanded (the city has already applied for federal funds to expand the line to the 11th east 21rst South intersection). And I believe we will see the downtown streetcar come to fruition. Streetcars and light rail work great to spur development, but I think BRT's work better in areas that are already developed yet are under-served by public transit. I have seen firsthand BRT's work great in Mexico City, Capetown South Africa and Brazil. I think Foothill blv. is ready for a road diet which should include bike lanes and a dedicated lane BRT. 7th East and 900 South are also two routes that would be great for true BRT routes. Imagine connecting 9th and 9th to at least 9th and 2nd West Trax station by an exclusive lane BRT which will also be connected with the proposed downtown streetcar. You would have a the 9th and West Temple area become another transit hub for the city which would bring a lot more development for that corridor. Streetcars are great, but so are BRT's and BRTs are cheaper to build and therefore we could have more routes for the same price for a streetcar line.

Another idea I've had for a long time is turning all those landscaped medians found on roads like 600 East and turning them into bike lanes/trails. How cool would that be and it wouldn't be that expensive plus it would be less grass to landscape.

[brankrom]

Originally Posted by asies1981

Just some thoughts I've had recently. I think we have seen the most rail expansion that we will get over the next few decades. The Draper line will probably expand further along the route that is already owned by UTA. The streetcar in Sugarhouse will be expanded (the city has already applied for federal funds to expand the line to the 11th east 21rst South intersection). And I believe we will see the downtown streetcar come to fruition. Streetcars and light rail work great to spur development, but I think BRT's work better in areas that are already developed yet are under-served by public transit. I have seen firsthand BRT's work great in Mexico City, Capetown South Africa and Brazil. I think Foothill blv. is ready for a road diet which should include bike lanes and a dedicated lane BRT. 7th East and 900 South are also two routes that would be great for true BRT routes. Imagine connecting 9th and 9th to at least 9th and 2nd West Trax station by an exclusive lane BRT which will also be connected with the proposed downtown streetcar. You would have a the 9th and West Temple area become another transit hub for the city which would bring a lot more development for that corridor. Streetcars are great, but so are BRT's and BRTs are cheaper to build and therefore we could have more routes for the same price for a streetcar line.

Another idea I've had for a long time is turning all those landscaped medians found on roads like 600 East and turning them into bike lanes/trails. How cool would that be and it wouldn't be that expensive plus it would be less grass to landscape.

I think the eventual goal of the S line is to continue to north to 1700 S and 1100 east and then head west to 900 East and eventually connect near to 400 S Trax. I've also heard proposals for a 900 S. Streetcar running from Glendale to 9th and 9th which has awesome redevelopment potential.

So what could conceivably happen (not pie in the sky crazy).



**disclaimer line colors were shown are arbitrary colors selected to show high contrast overview.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Stenar

They have one blackout game per season. It's to get fans extra psyched for a difficult opponent.

Yes I am aware that they have one black out game per season, because I've been to it for the past 6 seasons. However, during last season and most seasons prior to, one game they'll have a black face masks, another one with the black helmets, another they'll wear black pants, and if recall correctly during a couple of games some of the field paint was black, things like outlines around letters etc. Every uniform in 2013 had some black on it, the red uniforms, the white uniforms and of course the black uniforms. So while it's not official color it is very much apart of the football color scheme, well beyond the black out game.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by asies1981

Just some thoughts I've had recently. I think we have seen the most rail expansion that we will get over the next few decades. The Draper line will probably expand further along the route that is already owned by UTA. The streetcar in Sugarhouse will be expanded (the city has already applied for federal funds to expand the line to the 11th east 21rst South intersection). And I believe we will see the downtown streetcar come to fruition. Streetcars and light rail work great to spur development, but I think BRT's work better in areas that are already developed yet are under-served by public transit. I have seen firsthand BRT's work great in Mexico City, Capetown South Africa and Brazil. I think Foothill blv. is ready for a road diet which should include bike lanes and a dedicated lane BRT. 7th East and 900 South are also two routes that would be great for true BRT routes. Imagine connecting 9th and 9th to at least 9th and 2nd West Trax station by an exclusive lane BRT which will also be connected with the proposed downtown streetcar. You would have a the 9th and West Temple area become another transit hub for the city which would bring a lot more development for that corridor. Streetcars are great, but so are BRT's and BRTs are cheaper to build and therefore we could have more routes for the same price for a streetcar line.

Another idea I've had for a long time is turning all those landscaped medians found on roads like 600 East and turning them into bike lanes/trails. How cool would that be and it wouldn't be that expensive plus it would be less grass to landscape.

I would love to see a true BRT along 700 East, particularly between 4th S. and 21st. For me, 700 E. screams for transit orientated, attractive vertical housing, as much or more than State St. This is the way that Central L.A. as progressed to over the past few years. A lot of Vertical residential/commercial along major corridors with an effective form of mass transit. Attractive and or historic single family, such as what we find to the East of 700 is being left in tact as much as possible.

[brankrom]

Originally Posted by delts145

For me, 700 E. screams for transit orientated, attractive vertical housing.

BRT is a great option for all race track thoroughfares IMO but 700 E (like foothill) needs major traffic calming. 700 E faces the same issues as foothill with a 2 mile stretch of road with only 2 crosswalks. Vertical housing in that kind of environment with limited pedestrian access won't work until the fundamental flaws with the road and pedestrian access are resolved. But BRT absolutely should be incorporated into a 700 E rebuild (which is about due).

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by brankrom

BRT is a great option for all race track thoroughfares IMO but 700 E (like foothill) needs major traffic calming. 700 E faces the same issues as foothill with a 2 mile stretch of road with only 2 crosswalks. Vertical housing in that kind of environment with limited pedestrian access won't work until the fundamental flaws with the road and pedestrian access are resolved. But BRT absolutely should be incorporated into a 700 E rebuild (which is about due).

It's amazing how even small things can go a long way to calm traffic. I'm not saying it's even close to enough but the median planter between 900 and 1300 S have done a decent job at calming traffic a bit in that corridor.

I do like the idea of BRT on 7th E, particularly from the S. Line to S. Temple to start. I think there are a few areas with some redevelopment potential, manly at intersections and specifically at 21st and 7th. Maybe some upzoning at each intersection. I guess you could even potentially build BRT all the way out to Sandy along 7th, Van Winkle, and Highland. There are areas with Major redevelopment potential along that entire corridor, the Golds Gym on VanWinkle is a perfect example.

[i-215]

I don't care what color we pick for the lines. Let's just not turn into Los Angeles, okay guys?

[jubguy3]

Ok, so what I've seen so far from you guys is-

• Foothill and 7th road diet
• Foothill and 7th BRT
• 13 / highland brt
• Glendale streetcar
• SH streetcar extention
• More frequency on east side

And what's disgusting is that UTA would like to do brt on, you guessed it, 126th south. Not 7th or foothill, maybe highland / 13th (no guideways north of 21st though?), streetcar through developed but also ripe for development neighborhoods, but draper. WAY TO COMBAT SPRAWL AND CREATE CITY CENTER ORIENTED NEIGHBORHOODS!

EDIT: added picture in question

Also "bus plus" is a sad excuse for rapid transit

[jubguy3]

Something else- I'd like to see Salt Lake Central get some canopy and walkway upgrades to feel more like denver union station. It's just so damn nice! UTA cheaped out on salt lake central and that makes me sad. With its expectation to a. Become more of a transit hub (with phase one 56th max, south Davis, state brt, 4th south trax extension and it's current status as a bus and FR hub) and b. Be the center of west side downtown development, it needs an upgrade. The intermodal hub building is ugly and so is everything around it--- why not build a large, unique unifying canopy to actually protect from 🞵🞵🞵 🞵🞵🞵🞵 snow (I'm looking at you 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 trax and fr shelters) and add a feeling of importance and class to an otherwise sad, tan, weedy and blighted area? It could get a warehouse to make it feel like a station station, not a here is some tactile strip station. Or it could get an enclosure for the buses with ventilation and high quality materials as well as something to enclose the sitting trax vehicles.

[Comrade]

Catawba Line.

[Hatman]

Red: I feel my soul on fire!
Black: My world if she's not there!
Red: The color of desire!
Black: The color of despair!

Red: the blood of angry men!
Black: the dark of ages past!
Red: a world about to dawn!
Black: the night that ends at last!

This is why we need the two lines to the university to be Red and Black.
(Sorry, I couldn't help myself)

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

Something else- I'd like to see Salt Lake Central get some canopy and walkway upgrades to feel more like denver union station. It's just so damn nice! UTA cheaped out on salt lake central and that makes me sad. With its expectation to a. Become more of a transit hub (with phase one 56th max, south Davis, state brt, 4th south trax extension and it's current status as a bus and FR hub) and b. Be the center of west side downtown development, it needs an upgrade. The intermodal hub building is ugly and so is everything around it--- why not build a large, unique unifying canopy to actually protect from 🞵🞵🞵 🞵🞵🞵🞵 snow (I'm looking at you 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 trax and fr shelters) and add a feeling of importance and class to an otherwise sad, tan, weedy and blighted area? It could get a warehouse to make it feel like a station station, not a here is some tactile strip station. Or it could get an enclosure for the buses with ventilation and high quality materials as well as something to enclose the sitting trax vehicles.

Hey, we agree on something. I too think they need to install at least a series of canopies at SL Central. Maybe not over everything at the current time, but at least create some canopied walkways between the main building, the bus drop off, the Trax platform and the FR platforms. The current, what seem to be 3 foot wide by 5 foot long shelters for FR are ridiculous, (yes I realize that they are bigger than that, they just seem overly small.

I'm not even saying cover all the outdoor areas, but at least provide some areas with some protection from the rain/snow and the blazing sun.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Clear. I want the Clear Line. Maybe Transparent.

That's funny, jedikermit! Aa long as passengers and employees have clothes on