Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[T-Stan]

I am sure they could find some space, but the North Temple corridor would allow for a few stops, including the Fairpark, that would allow greater numbers of riders, not just an express line to the Airport and back.

North Temple is pretty much the only option when you look at it that way

[wrendog]

speaking of the airport, what is happening with SLC expansion? haven't heard anything for a long long time.. The whole rebuild of the airport is neccessary to get SLC into the aviation future..


any word?

[Makid]

I did manage to find this regarding the 20 year master plan. I am going to keep looking for a construction update, EIS or something to show that work is going to happen soon.

http://www.slcairport.com/pdf/planni...rmasterpln.htm

[Makid]

If anyone has any interest, here is the UTA schedule and outline for the 4 trax lines and commuter rail extension.

http://www.rideuta.com/utaInfo/busin...ting030607.pdf

Some good information in it though.

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by i-215

^^^^^

They're gonna run it down NORTH TEMPLE?? Ugh! There goes my downtown access. Right now I take 201 to 215, get off at Redwood and bip down North Temple. It's fantastic. I can get from Magna to downtown in 13 minutes!

If they run light rail down it, they'll probably lower the speed limit to something like 30, and that ruins it for me.

Are there any east-west rail lines in the area they could run it on instead? It seems like there should be.

Why don't you use I-80?

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by wrendog

speaking of the airport, what is happening with SLC expansion? haven't heard anything for a long long time.. The whole rebuild of the airport is neccessary to get SLC into the aviation future..


any word?

I work at the airport and so far nothing much is going on other then the new roads going in and out of the airport. There's new long term parking lots now on the south end of the airport with new overpasses. Word is they are going to tear down the Rent-a-cars lots ( Alamo Hertz ect. ) And build new lots down South by the new overpass. Then tear the old car lots down to start with the expansion of the airport. But like I said nothing has happen yet. But since I'm there everyday I'll let you guys know of any new info.
Also about the Trax I'm all for it. But I think it sucks that we all have to wait till 2013-2014 or later for it to open. That's a long ways away.

[pdxman]

Ooo lots of things to talk about in the SLC transit thread, how fun!

Arkhitektor, those flashing yellow arrows are great. They use them on a busy stretch of the BHH in portland they are very nice to have. How many times have you sat at a red turn arrow and saw gap in the traffic where you could've turned? The flashing yellow arrow allows you to make that turn.

The airport does need a major overhaul, its definitely one of my least favorite airports. Very small, cramped concourses and low ceilings. They need to blow the ceilings off and let some light in! I still can't believe SLC had the olympics with that airport and for it being a hub one would think it would be alot bigger and nicer.

2014 is not bad for four new lines. Ptown is getting 1 maybe 2 by 2014. Patience! Trax will be a great system when its finished. And you'll have commuter rail to boot! SLC is going to be a great example of the total transportation package in the near future. So many good things going on!

[i-215]

Beaverton Hillsdale Highway???

I remember them, then! I think they have one next to Target, just east of 217.

They function the same as what we have now, a cluser of five lights that give you a regular green, but a dedicated arrow from the other half of the cluster when trafffic dictates.

I think the flashing yellow will function the same, but drivers need to learn the new nomenclature of it.

[pdxman]

I believe they now have them on almost all of the intersections on the BHH. I love em, they help with the traffic flow.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by i-215

Beaverton Hillsdale Highway???

I remember them, then! I think they have one next to Target, just east of 217.

They function the same as what we have now, a cluser of five lights that give you a regular green, but a dedicated arrow from the other half of the cluster when trafffic dictates.

I think the flashing yellow will function the same, but drivers need to learn the new nomenclature of it.

They seem like a great idea, and I'm excited to see how they work, I'm just interested to see how people will react to them. Are they accompanied by some sort of signage explaining that you can turn left on flashing yellow?
Also, what is the difference between this and a regular "left turn yield on green" signal?

[pdxman]

^^^There's really not much of a difference except that in addition to it having the flashing yellow arrow, it operates as a usual left turn arrow signal. so in case traffic starts to build up because no one is getting through it can go to a green arrow and those turning left can turn without yielding. Its a multi purpose signal of sorts.
As to signage i guess udot or whoever could put signs up but they ran a few stories on the news and paper here and people eventually picked up what was going on...or the person behind them let em know with a honk

[i-215]

I agree. They pretty much function the same, but gives the light a little more flexability, and I think they are MORE intuitive than the cluster we have now, but they look kind of stupid when you first see one.

I remember crusing down Beaverton Hillsdale Highway and thinking, "oh great a power outage," and then when I realized that it was just the turn arrow, and it was yellow, I laughed. I thought the light was broken, or in some kind of weird "test mode."

I agree, with Utards like me, they're gonna have to put up some signs.

[delts145]

Transportation
Foothill Drive study aims to prevent future congestion
Looking ahead
By Heather May
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 03/15/2007 03:19:34 PM MDT


Northbound traffic along Foothill Parkway snakes into the distance during the early morning commute, much of it heading to the University of Utah. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune )

One of the main funnels of students and faculty to the University of Utah will be studied for a future overhaul.
Foothill Drive - which carries around 40,000 vehicles a day - eventually could get more Utah Transit Authority bus service or even a rail line and some extra traffic lanes.
The transportation-planning Wasatch Front Regional Council is spearheading the effort. It will be hiring a consultant by the end of March. It will take another year to see results from the $200,000 study.
Even then, Doug Hattery, the council's deputy director, cautions real improvements will take time.
"With all the projects we've got and UTA's got going on transit, it's probably 10 years or so before we see major improvements along Foothill."
The impetus is projected growth at the U., its medical center and research park. Area neighborhoods are calling for more transit so that as the campus grows, traffic doesn't.
"Foothill definitely carries its share of traffic," said Kevin Young, a transportation engineer for Salt Lake City, which is helping fund the study.
Young said residents have complained about traffic going through their neighborhoods. "It's sort of the portion of I-215 that was never built. It ends there at I-80."
WFRC has designated Foothill Drive as eventually including bus-rapid transit, which is described by UTA as "light rail on rubber tires." It would provide prioritized bus service in specified lanes. Hattery said actual TRAX light rail hasn't been ruled out either.
The Utah Department of Transportation also is interested in widening Foothill Drive. Most of the road has six lanes, but it drops to four from 2300 East south to the entrance to the freeways. That creates a bottleneck.
The U. also has a stake in the study and has helped fund it.
"We, along with other organizations, contribute to the traffic that occurs up that corridor," said Mike Perez, the school's associate vice president for facilities management. "As a vibrant campus, [we] anticipate there will continue to be growth here, which is healthy for the city of Salt Lake. It's trying to be smarter about this growth and manage it in ways that will mitigate traffic congestion."
The public will be invited to get involved. Besides crafting transit recommendations, the chosen consultant will be charged with gathering input through planned open houses and a yet-to-be-created Web site.

[delts145]

Ready to rumble
Murray braces for traffic increases thanks to new hospital

Joe Baird
The Salt Lake Tribune



The new IHC medical center will open this fall resulting in increased traffic in surrounding areas of Murray. Various new ways of combatting the influx of cars have been implemented. (Ryan Galbraith/The Salt Lake Tribune )

The nearly brand-new overpass, which sits just east of the interstate and connects two sections of 300 West between 5200 South and 6400 South, will provide one of primary access points into Intermountain Healthcare's new, sprawling medical center.
Murray city officials stress that the $18 million bridge, financed jointly by the federal government and the city, would have been built with or without the hospital. But it stands as the biggest symbol of the coming traffic impacts when the Intermountain campus officially opens this fall.
"It will be a lot of traffic," said Murray City Engineer Trae Stokes, "but IHC has created a lot of access points and a lot of facilities to handle [the traffic increase]. There are a lot of ways to get in and out of there.
"It's going to be busy but I don't think it will be overwhelming."
The city, Intermountain and the Utah Department of Transportation aren't taking any chances. UDOT is gearing to revamp the 5300 South and State Street intersection, installing new features such as double left-turn lanes and other improvements in a bid to keep the traffic flow going at what already may be the city's busiest crossroad.
Intermountain, meanwhile, is implementing plans to accommodate what is expected to be between 5,000 and 6,000 staff and visitors daily. Because the hospital campus will be a 24/7 facility, Intermountain spokesman Jess Gomez says there will always be some traffic going in and out. But he notes that there will also be mitigating factors that should reduce the overall flow of vehicles.
For starters, Intermountain officials expect that a significant number of staff and visitors will use the adjacent TRAX and (future) commuter rail stations when coming to the complex. To further encourage the rail option, Gomez says there are plans for a shuttle to delivery workers and visitors from the train platform to the different campus facilities.
But an even bigger factor, he adds, will be the hospital's shift change times - 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
"We think that will help," he said. "We'll have traffic around the clock, but we won't have a lot of people coming in or leaving the hospital when everybody else is going to work or coming home. There is some overlap in the morning, but our big shift change will not occur during the 5 p.m. drive period."
The big question, of course, is, what impact all the increased traffic will have on the surrounding areas.
The neighborhood just south of the medical center, next to Murray High School, has so far successfully fought a rezoning proposal that would allow for medical office buildings and other support facilities. As long as that holds, Stokes says those residents should be shielded from the increased traffic.
"There's no reason for anybody to go in there," he said.
Likewise, residents just east of State Street near 5300 South have made their feelings known about what they fear will be an increase in creeping commercial sprawl when the hospital officially opens (some portions of the medical center are already up and running).
"There has been some interest in rezoning there, but I don't think it will happen," said Ray Christensen, a senior city planner. "People living in that area don't want to see more encroachment from State."
As well as they believe they have the opening of the new medical center wired, Murray officials concede there will be adjustments to be made once the campus is fully operational.
"As an engineer, I'm pretty confident in our modeling, but some things will undoubtedly change," said Stokes. "You can't predict everything."

[SLC Projects]

"The neighborhood just south of the medical center, next to Murray High School, has so far successfully fought a rezoning proposal that would allow for medical office buildings and other support facilities. As long as that holds, Stokes says those residents should be shielded from the increased traffic."



Sounds like the three highrise office towers are still plan for the area.

[delts145]

Drove by the other day on State Steet to take a closer look at the Medical Tower. Frankly, I was very impressed by the look of the exterior treatment on the East side. It was finished off much more attractively than I would have thought from the I-15 view or the conceptuals. This whole area has really come a long way. I had to laugh at the way the Southern exposure bar was kind of holding on in the middle of all the demolition. It looks like it won't be long before it bites the dust.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by delts145

Drove by the other day on State Steet to take a closer look at the Medical Tower. Frankly, I was very impressed by the look of the exterior treatment on the East side. It was finished off much more attractively than I would have thought from the I-15 view or the conceptuals. This whole area has really come a long way. I had to laugh at the way the Southern exposure bar was kind of holding on in the middle of all the demolition. It looks like it won't be long before it bites the dust.

Now we are going to have to start a "Save the Southern exposure bar thread" LOL.

[SLCforme]

Hell yeah, save southern exposure!
JK, who cares, dive bars and strip clubs will always be able to find some rundown building to occupy.

On another note.
while riding the bus yesterday I noticed that UTA is proposing a slew of rate increases over the next few years. All user fees will increase, however my two major concerns are:
1: that the proposed fare for commuter rail really IS $2.50 plus an additional $.50 for each station you go through with a max fare of $5.50. this is freakin' rediculous. that's $11 a day! you can drive for much less than that. I'm sure they are offering a monthly pass but I can't remember what that cost.
2: It appears that they want to start charging students $40 a month for a transit pass! Right now all students (at the U anyway) get a pass that is automatically paid for out of thier fees. this is completely messed up. We're students, we don't have money!

I'm not sure I am a fan of this Inglish fellow. Either that or else the state and county need to increase thier supsidies of UTA.

[delts145]

Open house on TRAX is 6 tonight

Draper residents' views sought on future transit-oriented city center

By Amelia Nielson-Stowell
Deseret Morning News
With a first court hearing on the horizon for a voter referendum over a TRAX line dispute, Draper is hosting an open house tonight to determine how residents would like their future transit-oriented city center to look.


Deseret Morning News Graphic

The city envisions a mixed-use development behind the Intermountain Farmers Association grain mill off Pioneer Road (12400 South). The development would be near the planned Draper Center Platform light-rail stop. As for the mixture of office, retail and residential space that will be included, the city wants to hear from residents.
"We know the intensity of the area is likely to change because of TRAX, so we're asking people how they want to guide that," said Grant Crowell, Draper's planning director.
The light-rail stop could open within the next few years, rather than the 2015 deadline originally scheduled. UTA spokesman Chad Saley said that after a series of studies and designs are completed, construction on the line could begin in February 2009. Draper has been told the line could be complete by December 2010.
"We're looking at a potential 2009 start date," Saley said. "It could mean a lot for Draper in kind of revitalizing that area."
The city has hired engineering company Parsons Brinckerhoff, which is known for transit-oriented developments, to consult on the project.
The development would be the first of its kind for the city. But some residents do not want to see a TRAX line curve past City Hall and into low-density neighborhoods. On Tuesday, various property owners and stakeholders of the site met to discuss the development.
The TRAX line would run on former Union Pacific Railroad tracks that were purchased as a right-of-way by UTA in 1993. Opponents of that line include many neighbors who live along the rail corridor. They had pushed for an alternative route on State Street.



But after a year of studies, the Draper City Council voted unanimously last November for the Union Pacific route.
A grassroots group, Citizens for Responsible Transportation, formed in opposition to that decision and filed for a voter referendum request late last year. The group collected hundreds of signatures in a petition drive but was initially 122 signatures short for getting an item on the ballot to allow voters to decide on the TRAX line location.
CRT, however, did not agree with that final count. In February, the group filed an appeal in 3rd District Court, accusing the city of wrongfully dismissing signatures.
The group has since filed two temporary restraining orders with the city. The first was denied by Judge Leon Dever on Feb. 20. The second will be discussed at a hearing scheduled for April 4.
CRT plans to rally tonight on the City Hall steps before the open house.
Draper City Attorney Doug Ahlstrom said Draper has followed the law. "We're not building TRAX. We have nothing to do with it. That's UTA's project, that's not Draper's," he said.
UTA, on the other hand, said the referendum doesn't affect the agency's plans because it's a referendum over the city's decision. Saley noted that although UTA owns the right-of-way, the agency wants the city's input on development.
"We want to do what Draper feels is best for Draper," Saley said. "We'll definitely work with the city, the mayor and the City Council, and if a referendum or whatever moves forward and we get new direction from the city, we'll certainly sit down and discuss it."
At tonight's meeting, drawings of various transit-oriented development concepts will be displayed. After a presentation, Draper and UTA officials will be available for questions. The open house is at the Draper City Hall, at 1020 East Pioneer Road (12400 South) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.


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Open house, a rally and hearing on TRAX

• Open house tonight at Draper City Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss transit-oriented development.

• Citizens for Responsible Transportation plans to rally tonight in front of City Hall at 6 p.m.

• The Draper City Council and planning commission hold a joint meeting on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss the development.

• On April 4, a 3rd District judge will hear arguments on a temporary restraining order that CRT filed against Draper.



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[i-215]

The irony is that with Drapers "hard to get" attitude they're getting all the attention for TRAX. It's become almost a "ah, c'mon pleeeease? Let us spend money building infastructure in your city pleeeease???"

Versus WVC out my way, "sure bring on the TRAX." And they're responding, "hold yer horses! We'll get there when we get there!."