Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban_logic
...I personaly think that the best route would be to just go straight up 6th West to North Temple, turn west onto North Temple, then shoot straight to the airport. That seems the most logical to me.
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I agree, however, the neighborhoods on the west side of the City feel like building a TRAX viaduct on 600 West would create yet another physical barrier between the west side of the city and Downtown.
Currently, there is not enough money to both rebuild the viaduct, and inlay the TRAX tracks in cement all along North Temple. Perhaps Rose Park and other west side communities should choose between rebuilding the North Temple viaduct which would accommodate TRAX, or building a new, cheaper TRAX viaduct on 600 West and using the leftover funds to pay for both the inlay of the TRAX tracks, and the "boulevard" amenities/upgrades along North Temple.
I once thought the views from the North Temple viaduct would give transit riders and visitors a sense of arrival into downtown, However, now these views have been blocked by current development at the Gateway. I now think the Airport TRAX line should run down 600 West, and should be seen as a connector between the west side community and Downtown, rather than a divider. This alignment will also insure the vitality of Salt Lake Central Station.
Furthermore, the implementation of the Airport TRAX line will reduce North Temple from six lanes to four lanes, thus there is potential of also reducing the number of lanes on the viaduct from six to four, freeing up more space on the current viaduct for bicycle lanes. And, by not running on 400 West, the Airport Line will not interfere with the future Salt Lake-Davis County TRAX line and cause transit congestion.
Eventually, I would like the North Temple viaduct shortened, but I don't think it should ever accommodate TRAX.
Just some doodling:
