Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[i-215]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

I love the rio grand as the intermodal hub plan. Does this plan actually stand a chance?

I just don't see it happening in my lifetime. It's one of those ideas that has merit. And some version of it will get built -- in like 50+ years. And people will reference this plan and say, "The idea has been kickin' around for half a century, but never got built."

[Hatman]

Under normal circumstances, something like the Rio Grande Plan would take a decade or more of serious planning and coordination while all the financing is arranged. However, there is precedent for projects happening faster here in Salt Lake City.
Planning for the TRAX Blue Line had been discussed since the 1980's, and the ROW was purchased and preserved. But the financing was never properly settled until after SLC won the Olympics in June 1995. Construction started in April 1997 and opened in December 1999. It is hard to explain how insanely fast that turnaround was, from unfunded pie-in-the-ski dreams of trains in a city as small as 1990's SLC, to fully operational transit line in about 4 years.

As far as I can tell, SLC will most probably win the Olympics again in 2034. An announcement won't come for a few more years, but that gives us time to spread the word among the planning community so that when the money comes, the Rio Grande Plan will be at the top of the wish list.

The 2002 Olympics were the reason the Rio Grande Depot was discontinued as a train station; it would be poetic symmetry if the 2034 Olympics could return trains to the station again.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

I guess the main problem with this idea would be the city Creek aqueduct that runs under North Temple. There is no reason that it couldn’t be diverted down 400W and then up 1000N to the Jordan river. That would be a relatively small project in the grand scope of things…. And well worth it

There are plans to daylight City Creek alongside the Folsom Trail, so diverting it is probably a no-go.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by bob rulz

There are plans to daylight City Creek alongside the Folsom Trail, so diverting it is probably a no-go.

Why couldn't City Creek go ABOVE the Rio Grande tunnels, if it's being restored to ground level anyway??

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Hatman

Under normal circumstances, something like the Rio Grande Plan would take a decade or more of serious planning and coordination while all the financing is arranged. However, there is precedent for projects happening faster here in Salt Lake City.

...

As far as I can tell, SLC will most probably win the Olympics again in 2034. An announcement won't come for a few more years, but that gives us time to spread the word among the planning community so that when the money comes, the Rio Grande Plan will be at the top of the wish list.

I've been thinking we need to emphasize to the legislature that the Rio Grande plan will open up land to development downtown. A large number of legislators are either developers or commercial realtors. Uniting the east and west sides of western downtown would open up more $$$ of developable land than the prison move.

[Paniolo Man]

No amenities or decent indoor waiting areas, Salt Lake Central sucks at 3am. We need RGP. This station is an embarrassment.

[Paniolo Man]

Utah RPA has submitted a comment on the corridor ID program.



Here is their map of routes they are submitting for consideration.

[Atlas]

The Crossroads of the West deserves a real train station.

[Old&New]

And Biden loves trains. Seems now would be a good time to seek federal help with funding as well.

[Paniolo Man]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I was unaware UTA was pursuing an extension of UVX to the Airport.

[Hatman]

Does the airport get enough traffic to justify UVX service? I understand the buses sometimes run as often as every 7 minutes, which is excellent, but would mean that the Provo airport has twice the transit service than SLC and the TRAX Green Line. From a routing perspective I really like it - a simple 6 mile extension to connect right into the heart of downtown, the university campuses, and FrontRunner connections. I just wonder if it ridership will really be able to justify that level of service - but I am willing to run the experiment!
The airport would need a UVX platform for sure, and the 'East Bay South' station would need a second platform as well... I wonder if they couldn't add the new BYU Creamery station in at the same time? I haven't heard much about that station in a long while...

Meanwhile, this is a recreation of the map that Amtrak presented at their annual board meeting, which is sort of an expansion wish-list. The one released earlier this year (or was it last year already?) showed no expansions at SLC; this new map, thanks to the letters of support from UDOT and from Idaho, includes a route from SLC to Boise, and another to Las Vegas/Los Angles. This is no guarantee that these services will come, but it is a start to that conversation:

[Makid]

An update from the Governor's budget:

https://www.ksl.com/article/50535599/uta...ats-in-coxs-record-284b-budget-proposal-

$350 million toward new transportation projects, including a pilot program that would remove Utah Transit Authority fares for one year.

$258 million toward redevelopment projects at the old Utah State Prison site, now known as The Point. This is broken down into three parts: $108 million in infrastructure investments, $100 million for future transit projects and $50 million for a space that will integrate higher education and the workforce. The state began demolishing the old prison last week.

Trains, trails and other transportation issues
Cox said that he is "open" to the idea of a fareless transit system following the success of "Free Fare February" earlier this year. Now, he's calling for money to help the state test it out for a year, arguing that it "will provide Utah families price relief to help offset the burden of gasoline prices, gasoline tax indexing and inflation." It may also solve some of the growing traffic congestion concerns across the Wasatch Front.

His request calls for $25 million to cover most of the cost of removing fares while asking UTA's current fare subsidy partners to cover the remaining $13.1 million needed to make the program work. He's also asking for $500,000 to study the impacts of the test, which will help decide if it's an endeavor worth keeping permanently.

As for other new transportation plans, another $100 million would be set aside for statewide trails, following Cox's call to build the network of trails back in October. His plan also calls for $50 million toward preserving space for new roads and highways, and another $50 million that would help pay for transportation, water and sewer infrastructure in currently undeveloped areas of the state.

I do think it is very likely that the pilot program will happen. I had heard 6 months but a full year would provide better data. Also, with the State providing the funding, it could allow UTA to increase transit coverage as UTA wouldn't have the expenses around fare collection.

[Paniolo Man]

These are a few things from various UTA planning documents I found interesting.

UTA takes interest in the CalTrain electrification project.




North Temple Transit Hub?


Bus replacement schedule (UTA Hates Hybrids)

[i-215]

I'm a bit troubled to see how many "electric" replaced by "electric" there are on that list. Are they anticipating a short lifespan?

[Paniolo Man]

Originally Posted by i-215

I'm a bit troubled to see how many "electric" replaced by "electric" there are on that list. Are they anticipating a short lifespan?

It looks like they anticipate a lifespan of 12 years for electric vs 14 for diesel. Shorter, but not by a massive amount.

[Hatman]

Join us on Thursday, January 26th, at 7:00pm in the SLC Main Library auditorium for our very first public event! It's sure to be awesome!
• Video Link

[Atlas]

You know I will be there!

Bury the rails!

[Paniolo Man]

UTA is planning on running 24 hour service between the Airport and 600 South from Tuesday Feb 14 through Tuesday Feb 21. I guess this is for an NBA event, though this could be a decent proof-of-concept for 24-hour airport to U Medical service.

[Paniolo Man]

January 11, 2023

Two Salt Lakers have a next-generation plan for transit that, just maybe, could save downtown
Grande Slam

By Benjamin Wood


A rendering of the fully-built Rio Grande Plan shows a bustling, mixed-use neighborhood steps away from an attractive, modern train station.

[Paniolo Man]

Every time I am at the 6th west crossing I see this happen. We aren't going to make people less stupid, burying the rails is the next best thing.