Quote:
Originally Posted by stayinginformed
Hatman, this proposal looks great. One point on the 600 West viaduct. Back when UTA wanted to put TRAX along 600 West to the airport, there was community push back to creating a viaduct along 600 West, and they eventually added TRAX to the North Temple viaduct instead of creating a new viaduct. I would recommend taking the railroad tracks underground all the way over to 900 or 1000 West as then they do not block off traffic (which they do all the time when the trains are switching tracks). I know this would cause significant cost, but it would also reconnect the Euclid neighborhood which has for too long been bifurcated by the railroad line there.
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Putting the railroad tracks underground at 600 West would be difficult, mainly because I have shown the future UTA Tooele line going underneath the tracks there. It's also important to consider that the Union Pacific tracks that run east-west through 600 West are one of UP's principle mainlines, whereas the tracks that run north-south past central station are a secondary line. Union Pacific will be far less willing to modify their mainline, compared to the north-south line.
As for the past proposal for the viaduct - boy are we lucky! If they had gone with a 600 West viaduct instead of North Temple, this whole Rio Grande proposal would be a much harder sell.
I wonder how much has changed in the years since the planning for the airport line was done. There is a big difference between a light rail viaduct and a road-only viaduct. The North Temple viaduct is 125 feet wide. compare that to 600 West, which is only 75 feet wide (measuring the pavement - 105' sidewalk to sidewalk).
Imagine a viaduct that is about 50' wide (2x12' car lanes, 2x5' bike lanes, 2x6' sidewalks, + parapets). That would leave space below for 2 lanes to remain at grade. The road would not need to be widened, and nobody's property would be taken. I think that is different enough that perhaps the opposition won't be as strong this time.
But I'll definitely still look at putting all the railroad tracks underground through the downtown area.