Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[arkhitektor]

The "Salt Lake County: If I ran UDOT" thread was getting long and since it had basically turned into a transit news thread, I thought I'd create a more appropriately titled thread to replace it. If any of you moderators don't agree, feel free to lock or delete this one.

[arkhitektor]

It looks like it only took UTA one day to agree to change the name of the Intermodal Hub: (From the Deseret News)
----------------------------------------------------------
Rail stops to sport city names

UTA board says it should make system easy to navigate

By Joseph M. Dougherty
Deseret Morning News
Pleasant View, Ogden, Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Farmington and Woods Cross.
It's just a list of cities, but those are the official names of the FrontRunner commuter rail stops currently being built from Weber County through Davis County and into Salt Lake City.
The Utah Transit Authority's board of trustees selected those names according to UTA policy, which directs that stops not be named after people or businesses.
And the names should make it easy for people to navigate the system, the policy states.
UTA's board also selected name for TRAX stops in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake Central Station is the name of the intermodal hub, where TRAX comes together with FrontRunner and UTA's bus lines.
Andrea Packer, UTA spokeswoman, said the TRAX line is currently being extended from the EnergySolutions Arena south and west toward 200 South and 600 West, where Salt Lake Central Station is located.
Another stop will be named for the Clark Planetarium, which board members don't consider a traditional business.
But the board opted not to name the TRAX stop on Rio Grande Street, located about 200 South and 500 West.
Members of Salt Lake City's Greek community proposed the name Old Greektown for that stop because of the area's Greek heritage.
"I think this would be a wonderful opportunity to to honor our early pioneers," said Constantine Skedros, a historian for the Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Salt Lake.
Salt Lake City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton spoke to the board and asked that the board hold off on naming that stop because other ethnic groups in Salt Lake City, like Italians and Hispanics, would like that stop to reflect their heritage, as well.
The board plans to consider proposals during its March 14 meeting.
That stop isn't being built during this phase of construction, said UTA general manager John Inglish.
The 44-mile Weber County-to-Salt Lake City commuter rail line, according to UTA's Web site, is expected to open in spring 2008. Each station will have an 850-foot platform.
E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com



----------------------------------------------------

So my question is this:

If there are going to be stations in Pleasant View, Ogden, Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Farmington and Woods Cross, why does the "Station List" on the graphic also include Kaysville, Centerville, Bountiful and N. Temple??

I know that they are preserving space to build a future N. Temple station like they did with TRAX at 900S., but what about Kaysville, Centerville and Bountiful? Will there eventually be stations there as well?

[wrendog]

hmm.. that's a good question. well, at 50 cents per station, the less the better, right?

if there are too many stations, not only will it be more expensive to ride, but it will take longer too.

[urbanboy]

So my question is this:

If there are going to be stations in Pleasant View, Ogden, Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Farmington and Woods Cross, why does the "Station List" on the graphic also include Kaysville, Centerville, Bountiful and N. Temple??

I know that they are preserving space to build a future N. Temple station like they did with TRAX at 900S., but what about Kaysville, Centerville and Bountiful? Will there eventually be stations there as well?

I think the cities are numbered just to show where their placement is in relation to the other cities that will have stops (indicated by an orange diamond).

[wrendog]

but the graphic says "station name" above the city names.. maybe it's just an oops

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by wrendog

but the graphic says "station name" above the city names.. maybe it's just an oops

Interesting...I don't know

[Orpheum]

Originally Posted by wrendog

but the graphic says "station name" above the city names.. maybe it's just an oops

maybe you guys should turn down the geek dial just a couple levels.. really.. who cares? love you.

[i-215]

But aren't we all geeks? I mean, really. Who posts on Skyscraper message boards, anyway?

[Cirrus]

We're all impressed with how cool you must be. Just wait for the ladies to see your comment. They'll be flocking to you in no time.

Now stop trolling and leave us alone if you're not interested in the topic being discussed.

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by Orpheum

maybe you guys should turn down the geek dial just a couple levels.. really.. who cares? love you.

that's a good point. I shouldn't care what stations are included in the local commuter rail line. Thanks for keeping us on track (pun not intended.. unless it was funny, then it was intended)

[urbanboy]

We're all impressed with how cool you must be. Just wait for the ladies

or gentlemen

to see your comment. They'll be flocking to you in no time.

[delts145]

Bus routes blasted

UTA holds meetings on the changes to address the public's concerns

By Nicole Warburton
Deseret Morning News
Almost three weeks after announcing a redesign of its Salt Lake County bus routes, the Utah Transit Authority has received nearly 2,000 comments about the changes.


Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News
UTA officials meet with bus riders to inform them about changes to the current Salt Lake County UTA bus routes during a public meeting Tuesday in West Jordan. This is the largest change to the bus system since 1970, when it was created.

About 65 percent of the comments have criticized the redesign and about 35 percent have praised it. UTA spokesman Justin Jones said the total number of comments has exceeded the norm for public hearings and were received before any official public hearing on the redesign.
UTA held its first public meeting on the changes Tuesday in West Jordan. About 45 people attended, including Rawlins Young, who serves on a Salt Lake City transit committee.
Young said that he isn't a fan of UTA's proposed redesign because it serves the bus company, not the bus rider.
"It's not a good idea because it doesn't provide any efficiencies to the rider," he said. "It provides efficiencies to the bus company."
UTA's proposed redesign will take effect in August. The plan calls for elimination and consolidation of some routes, so that the system would have 54 routes rather than 117. Instead of serving neighborhoods as it currently does, UTA would move its buses to larger arterial roads.
More frequent service would be added, and routes restructured to cut down on the time to transfer between buses. In addition, all routes would be renumbered, and night routes would have the same number as their daytime counterparts.
UTA currently has no system to number its bus routes. With the redesign, a bus that runs down 300 South, would become Route 3, or Route 300.
"More people will find this system easier to use" Jones said. "There will be more frequent service and greater reliability."
Over the past 10 years, Jones said that UTA's bus ridership in Salt Lake County has declined by 16 percent. UTA is hopeful that the redesign will improve that ridership. Similar redesigns in Weber and Utah counties have yielded ridership increases of 20 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
Some of the comments that UTA received prior to Tuesday's meeting called for more service at different times. Others were pleased that UTA would not run buses through the neighborhoods.
"A bus that doesn't stop every 50 feet would be nice," one person wrote. "Maybe every 0.25 mile at the most. I love that it doesn't lollygag through the neighborhoods and just gets straight to TRAX or connecting buses on the way."
But low-income advocates and disabled people have spoken out against some aspects of the redesign. Bill Tibbitts, with the Crossroads Urban Center in Salt Lake City, said his group plans to give UTA several comments about its redesign.
For more information about the changes, log on to: www.rideuta.com. Public meetings will be held throughout the month.

[delts145]

More closures on Orem roads



Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News

Crews lay gas pipes along 800 North in Orem as part of ongoing road construction. Portions of State Street near 800 North will be closed from Saturday until March 31. The west half of State Street at 800 North will be closed through March 18. One southbound lane and two northbound lanes will be kept open. The east half of State Street at 800 North will be closed March 19 through March 31. Two lanes in each direction on State Street will remain open. Motorists should expect heavy delays, especially during rush hour. For more road construction information, visit www.udot.utah.gov/orem800north.

[delts145]

Hub rail portion to be Salt Lake Central Station

By Patty Henetz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 03/07/2007 12:26:51 AM MST


With TRAX and commuter rail due in downtown next year, it's time to give the rail arrival platform its name: Salt Lake Central Station.
Utah Transit Authority officials believe the new moniker is a good fit for the convergence of FrontRunner commuter rail, TRAX, Amtrak, Greyhound cross-country coaches and UTA buses, all connecting more than 2 million people in the new heart of the capital city.
But despite the best efforts of the Salt Lake Chamber, which lobbied hard to get the new name, the building, which encompasses the rail platform, will still be known as the Intermodal Hub, a bureaucratic handle if ever there was one, said chamber spokeswoman Natalie Gochnour.
The chamber, which inaugurated its Downtown Rising campaign on May 31, has been "visioning" the central city. "Time and time and time again the name of the Intermodal Hub came up as an impediment to the vision we have for the city," Gochnour said.
A mini-poll of chamber members showed that only 2 percent wanted to keep calling the station the Intermodal Hub, she said. Salt Lake Central Station got 45 percent of the responders and 43 percent liked The Hub. No one thought Salt Lake Train Station had any magic.
What's in a name, then? If the platform is called Salt Lake Central Station, will the official Intermodal Hub designation be a useful alternative?
Gochnour's doubtful. "People don't know what it means," she said. "It's wonky."
City planners and residents have great hopes for what they already are calling the Depot District. A $45 million TRAX line now under construction around the Gateway will connect the current north-south line terminus at the Arena Station with the transit hub at 300 South 600 West. The project could be completed as early as spring 2008, about the same time Front Runner commuter rail service begins between Ogden and Salt Lake City.
City Councilman Van Turner has said he envisions thousands of people passing through the station. The activity will spur development of the Depot District, projected to be the state's most urban neighborhood. It was once the city's red light district. The 19-block transit-oriented area between North Temple and 400 South, from 400 West to Interstate 15 could house up to 20,000 people who would live in rowhouses, townhomes and apartments next to - or atop - neighborhood shops and offices. Parks, galleries, clubs, grocery stores, coffeehouses, restaurants and other retail would be part of the lively urban mix, all served by transit.
The UTA board likes that vision for the area surrounding Salt Lake Central, but they also had a practical concern. "We need to begin ordering signage," Jones said.
One of the new signs will label the new Planetarium Station TRAX stop on 400 West. A stop at 200 S. 500 West will be built when development and user traffic warrant. So far, suggestions for the 500 West stop are Rio Grande and Old Greektown, Jones said.

[SLC Projects]

This is was on the ksl site...



Continuous Flow Intersection to be Built on Bangerter Hwy
March 7th, 2007 @ 5:58pm

Whit Johnson Reporting

Eric Callister: "It would be nice to have something revolutionary to try and see how it works out because this has always been gridlock at rush hour."

The Department of Transportation is trying something new to break the Bangerter gridlock. Don't let it catch you by surprise. Most drivers have never seen an intersection like it. In fact, it's the first of it's kind in Utah and only the third in the U.S.


The intersection is Bangerter Highway and 3500 South. You can see UDOT has begun widening the area and redirecting traffic to make way for what they're calling a revolutionary idea.

It starts with a couple big machines and a few orange barrels. The intersection with a bad reputation is getting a new look.

Eric Callister, works close to intersection: "Congested...Always has been."

Lorrie Callaway, frequently uses intersection: "35th all the way down is always slow."

The Department of Transportation calls it one of the busiest intersections in Utah. Nearly a hundred-thousand cars drive through it per day. That gridlock has prompted a $4 million change.

UDOT Graphic: "You'll drive across the oncoming lanes into an all new lane."

It's called CFI or a Continuous Flow Intersection.


Nile Easton, UDOT spokesperson: "We're pretty confident were going to see some definite improvements particularly for that east west travel through this area."

This animation gives you a sense of how it works.

UDOT Graphic: "Because of the new separated right turn lanes you never have to stop unless pedestrians are present."

The idea came from Mexico, and it is designed to relieve traffic.

Nile Easton: "You just naturally drive through it and it doesn't feel that different. It definitely looks different on paper though."

And the different look is a concern for some drivers.

Lorrie Callaway: "When you get something new and people seem to have a hard time driving with each other anyways in congestion you wonder if we're all going to survive."

But others say the change is needed, and like it or not, pretty soon it will be set in stone.

Eric Callister: "And that's just something you've got to deal with in Utah."

Construction will continue through the summer and UDOT is expecting traffic to get worse during that time. For more information on the intersection and how it works, visit the interactive guide on the link to the right.





Here is a link that shows how it works.

http://www.udot.utah.gov/cfi/tutorial.php





I think it will be a mess. It's just more lights we are going to have to stop at. There will be more lights just to pass the 3500 intersection. I don't think it's a good idea cus now we are going to have to stop at TWO lights instead of ONE just to make a left hand turn.

[wrendog]

People can't even use a Round About properly, how do we expect them to use this intersection?

[i-215]

I've been following CFI at Bangerter. It was supposed to go down last summer, but they've been having trouble with getting a buyout from Les Schwab (part of the site) and Shag Rug La (entire bldg is being demolished right now).

It's a poor man's solution to a congested intersection. They figured a full freeway interchange would cost around $34 million or so (from what I remember hearing), but that the CFI can be done for a fraction of it.

I know, SLC Projects, it sounds counter-intuitive to have two lights instead of one, but it actually looks like it may work. The idea is that it gives you a longer left turn signal while nobody else has to wait for it.

I won't be sold on it until I drive on it, but I think it may have potential for other intersections like Univ Pkwy at State in Orem, and maybe all the Bangerter Hwy intersections.

Remember how goofy the SPUI exits on I-15 seemed when it first opened? Now, I can't imagine trying to use I-15 without 'em. I think CFI will be the same way.

[i-215]

The basic idea of CFI is.....


People on 3500 South have the green, you'd just be sitting in the left turn lane waiting for your turn, so why not let you cross Bangerter into a collector lane? It's red on Bangeter anyway, and nobody's going to be there except a few people turning right.



Then once you are in the collector road you can then freely turn left while Bangerter has the green. You'd still be waiting for the light regularly.



I think it'll work, but I must admit I'm worried about how people will figure it out. I hope it's pretty clearly laid out, like the SPUIs.

[pdxman]

Interesting way of doing an intersection...looks like things could get a little hairy when its busy, especially if theres peds using it too. They should shut it off to peds imo, build some ped bridges.

[SLC Projects]

I-215, I like your drawings.

Bangerter is a mistake to begin with. It should of been a freeway. But at least something is being done to it. But as much as it might cost I think building a overpass would of been the best way to go.