Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[TANGELD_SLC]

Guess who wants cable-less streetcars?

OH OH OH I DO! ME! ME! PICK ME!

PICK ALL UTAH CITIES WORTH THEIR SALT!

[i-215]

I remember almost riding Denver's faux-street car (actually a funny looking bus) along the 16th Street Mall.

I only rode Portland's streetcar once. Kind of "meh." I guess I'd have to see what SLC has in mind before I'd get excited about it.

To me it's grade-separated rail, or nothin'. :-)

[Future Mayor]

I for one would love to see a network of street cars through-out the city. I would love to see them around 21st S like has been proposed, maybe one up 900 E and 500 E, that would allow 7th to be kept for cars. Maybe one along 100 S and maybe 700 S or 900 S as well.

[cololi]

Mayor Becker said in his state of the city speech that more info on a street car network would be released later this year, including sugarhouse and downtown.

[scottharding]

I'm with you, Future Mayor. I love the notion of street cars for Salt Lake. Especially for Sugarhouse. I'd love to see Sugarhouse connected to downtown via 7th East. I think it would do wonders for the city proper as a whole.

[i-215]

But if Congress passes Obama's plan, Utah won't likely receive anywhere near $12 billion, said Ahmed Jaber, the Utah Department of Transportation's systems, planning and program director.

"We're looking roughly at $225 million," Jaber told the Utah Transportation Commission on Wednesday morning.

I WANT MY VOTE BACK!

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705277558,00.html

Gee, I wonder if a certain state's "color" (red v. blue) in November has anything to do with this. "Stimulate the economy with shovel-ready projects, my butt!" Lousy D.C. hacks! That's less than 2% of what we asked for. Instead it'll go to more Democratic congressional districts like Chicago. Heaven knows there's sooooooo much better at managing money than Utah.

[shakman]

I am sure there are other reasons. Ever been to Appalachia (sp)?

A good number of East Coast city's have issues with there infrastructure. I would not be surprised if DC got a good amount change.

Although, I am sorry that you guys out there got the short end. But remember, this is just an estimate. Hopefully you guys will get more.

[wrendog]

^^^ I assumed he meant Red vs Blue when he was talking about color. If not, then yeah, very inappropriate.

[Makid]

There should be advantages for Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County then as they did vote blue instead of red.

[shakman]

Originally Posted by wrendog

^^^ I assumed he meant Red vs Blue when he was talking about color. If not, then yeah, very inappropriate.

I figured since it was in quotes. Hence why I edited what I said.

[cololi]

Originally Posted by i-215

But if Congress passes Obama's plan, Utah won't likely receive anywhere near $12 billion, said Ahmed Jaber, the Utah Department of Transportation's systems, planning and program director.

"We're looking roughly at $225 million," Jaber told the Utah Transportation Commission on Wednesday morning.

I WANT MY VOTE BACK!

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705277558,00.html

Gee, I wonder if a certain state's "color" in November has anything to do with this. "Stimulate the economy with shovel-ready projects, my butt!" Lousy D.C. hacks! That's less than 2% of what we asked for. Instead it'll go to more Democratic congressional districts like Chicago. Heaven knows there's sooooooo much better at managing money than Utah.

We may be the most ready to go, but the money should be spent where it is going to have the best chance of meeting it's objective: create jobs where they are the most needed. That figure also includes the amount going to the state and not local govts. About 25% of the total stimulus would be going to local govt. SLC alone put about 800 million worth of projects on the list.

Most Utahn's should actually be opposed to the whole concept. Afterall, all of this classifies as pork. And aren't conservatives the ones who are throwing around pork spending as an inappropriate use of funds? Why doesn't the federal govt. find some ideas that do not cost tax payers money, like requiring an automatic drop of 2% on all first mortgages of primary residences. talk about saving people money and penalizing the industry that f*$cked up the economy to begin with. There you go. Cost to me, my kids, and their kids: Zero dollars. Amount in my pocketbook: about $200 a month.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by wrendog

^^^ I assumed he meant Red vs Blue when he was talking about color. If not, then yeah, very inappropriate.

Clarified. Oops.

Still angry at Congress, though.

[TANGELD_SLC]

That's called faux bi-partisanship.

[shakman]

Originally Posted by i-215

Clarified. Oops.

Still angry at Congress, though.

I have learned not to fully rely on anything. I am a "do it yourself first person".

Do not rely on the Feds for funds. This is money the Feds had to borrow from somewhere else to begin with. Everything seems to revolve around funding from others. When the funding does not come, then there is blame game within. Therefore nothing is accomplished; no productivity and lack of creativity.

Utah should set an example and be the Nation's leader when it comes to transportation... and funding. Any State for that matter.

My signature below should sum it up.

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I for one would love to see a network of street cars through-out the city. I would love to see them around 21st S like has been proposed, maybe one up 900 E and 500 E, that would allow 7th to be kept for cars. Maybe one along 100 S and maybe 700 S or 900 S as well.

I think seventh would be our best bet for a street car heading from sugarhouse to dt, just because it's sooo wide that we could easily fit a street car on there.

[cololi]

Originally Posted by Justnslcsugarhood.

I think seventh would be our best bet for a street car heading from sugarhouse to dt, just because it's sooo wide that we could easily fit a street car on there.

Seventh is, and should be, a vehicle corridor. Putting any rail on seventh pushes vehicles onto parallel streets, like 900 E or 500 E. Street cars typically do not travel on roads where the speed limit is 40 mph because they normally share a lane with vehicle traffic. Some streets have to left for vehicles, not only for private vehicles but also service and delivery vehicles. I personally prefer a line on 1100 E because it could connect directly with the heart of sugarhouse and a 900 S line to downtown. This line makes rail transit accessible to far more people than a line on 700 East. I would prefer to see north south street cars on 900 W, 400 W, Main, 500 E, 1100 E/Highland Dr, and east west street cars on S Temple, 900 S and 2100 S. A university/reserach park circulator would also be fantastic. These routes would touch or be within 1,000 feet of virtually all major job centers, universities, shopping areas, and most high density housing complexes in the City.

[arkhitektor]

Here is my streetcar plan for Salt Lake:



The Yellow Line is a downtown circulator that loops around the city center and connects to TRAX/FrontRunner at Salt Lake Centeral Station.

The Green Line connects Sugarhouse to downtown.

The Purple Line is another circulator that links Sugarhouse to the TRAX Station at 2100 S.

Downtown Circulator:



9th East Connector:



Sugarhouse Loop:

[shakman]

Where does the "blue" terminate?

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by shakman

Where does the "blue" terminate?

The Blue Line terminates in Sandy.

The Red, Blue, Orange and Light Purple Lines on the map are existing TRAX Light Rail and FrontRunner commuter rail lines, as well as those currently under construction:

[i-215]

Originally Posted by shakman

I have learned not to fully rely on anything. I am a "do it yourself first person".

Do not rely on the Feds for funds. This is money the Feds had to borrow from somewhere else to begin with. Everything seems to revolve around funding from others. When the funding does not come, then there is blame game within. Therefore nothing is accomplished; no productivity and lack of creativity.

Utah should set an example and be the Nation's leader when it comes to transportation... and funding. Any State for that matter.

My signature below should sum it up.

Yeah. Well, Utah is planning to build these projects using local money, even if it means raising the fuel tax - which I heartily support (so long as we build actual projects with the money).

I just feel gypped. The east and California got a whole bunch of infrastructure because they grew at the right time. Now, other cities like Salt Lake, Phoenix, and Denver aren't getting the needed boost from the feds that most other cities got.

Compare Kansas City's freeway network to Salt Lake City sometime. While it is a nonsensical maze, it shows the money cloud smiled more favorable on one city than it did the other.

Thank heaven for Jon Huntsman. At least he seems to be doing a pretty good job about trying to fund this stuff.