Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by justiny

Makes me think where the city will be 100 years from now.

100 years from now, at our current rate of consumption, there won't be any fossil fuels left. So hopefully something that runs on solar/wind/hugs.

[DCRes]

Major construction on I-15 in south davis county is set to begin in a couple of months and should take about 18 months to complete. Bridges at 2600 S, 1500 S, 500 S, and maybe 400 N will be replaced. I know that the 500 S exit is set to become a Diverging Diamond, like the one in American Fork where Pioneer Crossing intercects I-15. They are doing something similar with 2600 S as well. I first heard that the HOV lane would be extended from where it currently ends (around the Highway 89 exit in North Salt Lake) down to 500 S, but now my source tells me it will be extended all the way up to Kaysville where the lane starts again. If this is the case then the HOV lane will run from Provo to Ogden.

[tygr]

Originally Posted by DCRes

If this is the case then the HOV lane will run from Provo to Ogden.

Correction: Spanish Fork to the Layton/Kaysville border.

[CountyLemonade]

Streetfilms did another video that focused on Salt Lake's bike-sharing system. This is so cool. Just look at the screenshot that is displayed before you hit play—bicycles, light rail, and automobiles coexisting in peace and harmony.

Video Link

[i-215]

Originally Posted by DCRes

Major construction on I-15 in south davis county is set to begin in a couple of months and should take about 18 months to complete. Bridges at 2600 S, 1500 S, 500 S, and maybe 400 N will be replaced. I know that the 500 S exit is set to become a Diverging Diamond, like the one in American Fork where Pioneer Crossing intercects I-15. They are doing something similar with 2600 S as well. I first heard that the HOV lane would be extended from where it currently ends (around the Highway 89 exit in North Salt Lake) down to 500 S, but now my source tells me it will be extended all the way up to Kaysville where the lane starts again. If this is the case then the HOV lane will run from Provo to Ogden.

I thought there was an agreement with the Legacy Parkway deal that I-15 couldn't be expanded in Davis County until 2020.

Not that I'm complaining. Here's the more lanes!

[Makid]

It isn't an expansion, it is the removal of the inside lane from general purpose to HOV. So in essence, it is a reduction of general purpose lanes in that section.

[i-215]

I am skeptical. Reducing general capacity is not UDOT's modus operandi (and I think it's illegal under state law).

Maybe they can "expand" adding a carpool lane so long as they don't increase the number of general purpose lanes?

Regardless, I guarantee that, like Legacy, those new bridges will be wide and ready for future expansion.

[jedikermit]

...it looks like there's a new Facebook Group, Utah Transit Riders Union: https://www.facebook.com/utahtransitriders ...it says "We are an advocacy group that strives to make Utah's transit reliable, accessible, comfortable, efficent, and affordable for all."

If you're into advocating for smarter, better transit, couldn't hurt to "Like" the page and share your ideas there.

[Makid]

I should probably clarify my earlier statement. The section between NSL and Kaysville has 4 general purpose lanes currently. When the HOV additions are complete, there will be 3 general purpose lanes and 1 HOV lane. This would be consistent with the area directly South and North of the zone.

Currently, the HOV lanes end and become the general purpose lanes in the section. The other general purpose lanes also remain. That is what was mean by removing a general purpose lane.

The construction project I think will just be to add a better center barrier and install the lane signage and striping.

[i-215]

Cool. That makes sense.

I think UDOT will have 4+ general purpose lanes, but that'll be post-2020 when the I-15 rebuild happens.

[Makid]

Some good news for those who go to Hill AFB:

http://www.standard.net/stories/2014...hill-commuters


Mitch Shaw, Standard-Examiner staff
Feb 4 2014 - 3:56pm

HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- While Hill Air Force Base and the Utah Transit Authority consider expanding transit on base, employees who work there will be able to use the service for pennies on the dollar.

During 2014, all federal employees can receive up to $130 every month to pay for travel between their homes and place of employment -- a benefit Hill and UTA officials say base employees should consider as transit to and on the base is expected to increase later this year.

The base and UTA are in negotiations to bring a new bus service to Hill that would operate Monday through Friday with two buses that originate from the Clearfield FrontRunner Station, 1250 S. State St.

UTA's premium monthly express pass, which includes use of FrontRunner and all subsequent connections, currently costs $198, which means Hill employees who would use FrontRunner and connecting buses to get to and from the base, would pay only $68 a month for the service.

For Hill employees who would commute to the Clearfield station by means other than FrontRunner and only use bus service, the entire $83.75 monthly fee would be covered under the program.

[tygr]

FrontRunner should operate on Sunday, petitioners say (KSL article)

There are about once a month occasions that I wish it was operational on Sundays or holidays. I do find it odd that it doesn't, but I also understand that most of the ridership is employment or entertainment related. Sundays and holidays are when the least amount of people work, but holidays are days that I also have time to seek out entertainment.

On a different, but related note:
With all of the discussion and federally documented facts about our air quality (or lack thereof), wouldn't it be a prudent for UTA/State of Utah/State Representatives (Senators, Congressmen) to request federal funding to fast-track electrification of FrontRunner within the near future (0–5 years)? And increase Mon–Sat frequency—possibly including Sundays and holidays too? All as an effort to get more vehicles off the highways; thereby reducing emissions.

I think that with the mindset of our current federal government, that it would be seriously considered.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by tygr

There are about once a month occasions that I wish it was operational on Sundays or holidays. I do find it odd that it doesn't, but I also understand that most of the ridership is employment or entertainment related. Sundays and holidays are when the least amount of people work, but holidays are days that I also have time to seek out entertainment.

On a different, but related note:
With all of the discussion and federally documented facts about our air quality (or lack thereof), wouldn't it be a prudent for UTA/State of Utah/State Representatives (Senators, Congressmen) to request federal funding to fast-track electrification of FrontRunner within the near future (0–5 years)? And increase Mon–Sat frequency—possibly including Sundays and holidays too? All as an effort to get more vehicles off the highways; thereby reducing emissions.

I think that with the mindset of our current federal government, that it would be seriously considered.

I'm not against electrification of the Frontrunner trains. But it would be a waste to do so now with all brand new locomotives in their roster with at least 20 years of service left. The time to be pushing for electrification is when those locomotives are about to be retired and replaced, imho. UTA proudly points out its value for money, even when buying used Comets. There's zero value for money when retiring locomotives before half their service lives has expired.

[tygr]

Originally Posted by electricron

I'm not against electrification of the Frontrunner trains. But it would be a waste to do so now with all brand new locomotives in their roster with at least 20 years of service left. The time to be pushing for electrification is when those locomotives are about to be retired and replaced, imho. UTA proudly points out its value for money, even when buying used Comets. There's zero value for money when retiring locomotives before half their service lives has expired.

They don't have to retire them, they can sell them to another metro that needs them (and doesn't have the air quality challenges we face).

[Makid]

I don't think electrification will happen in the next 10 years but I have seen a study that recommended double tracking the entire length and expanding 30 minute service to full day with 15 minute service to peak morning and evenings.

The study said that with the above, ridership would increase more than 150% on Frontrunner. I don't know if the study included adjusting the weekend schedule or not.

[downtownslcresident]

Originally Posted by Makid

I don't think electrification will happen in the next 10 years but I have seen a study that recommended double tracking the entire length and expanding 30 minute service to full day with 15 minute service to peak morning and evenings.

The study said that with the above, ridership would increase more than 150% on Frontrunner. I don't know if the study included adjusting the weekend schedule or not.

Do you have a link to this study? I would be interested in reading it.

[Hatman]

Another good argument for Sunday Service is the new TRAX link to the airport; I'm told the busiest days at the airport are Fridays and Sundays. Please correct me if that is wrong.

I believe the study mentioned above is called the Network Study 2040, or something like that. There are links to it on the UTA website... somewhere. Maybe under 'projects'.

If I remember correctly, they estimate $10 million per mile for double tracking (a necessity for any frequency above half an hour headways) and $12 million per track mile for electrification, or $24 million per double track mile. And that doesn't include the cost of new electric locomotives, which are also $$$.

I think it is inevitable that these things will be done someday, but not necessarily fast. There is a lot of right-of-way that must be purchased for a second track, and in some areas, such as the I-15 crossing south of Murray station, there is a lot of really expensive infrastructure that needs to be moved first.

[Makid]

The following is the link to the study:

http://www.rideuta.com/uploads/Final...y_9Oct2013.pdf

Hatman is correct about the study costs.

I was incorrect about the percentage of increased ridership as it estimated about 34,000 daily riders with double tracking and increased frequency which would reduce overall travel time.

That would be leaving the costs as they currently are.

There is another study that might be included in the link above that discusses the effect of reducing fares for all of UTA.

It basically states that there would be a 50% increase in ridership with free fares. It also stated that there would be a 100% increase with just increased frequency and service.

My thoughts are that we do a bit of both, lower fares by 50% or so and ridership would go up about 40%, increased frequency and service as well as lowering fares 50% and transit ridership would increase an estimated 145%

The above is possible with the expansion of the sales tax to a full 1% in the UTA districts.

The bottom of the report has estimated costs for the various projects as well as some estimated ridership numbers.

Even without the tax, UTA has committed to the goal of doubling transit ridership in the next 6 years from what it was at the end of 2013.

[stayinginformed]

I talked with Mayor Becker yesterday at a Community Council Chair meeting about the TRAX Black Line--if the city would push for the line to go all the way to the hospital. He said it all comes down to money. I asked if the airport could throw in some money as it would serve them also. He said that they cannot get the airlines to agree to pay more money for transit to the airport.

On another note, there was a discussion about the new Hive Pass (the Salt Lake resident UTA annual pass). They said in the future they would like to be able to add more things to the pass for example having a membership to the green bike program, ability to pay for city street parking, etc. They said they have a lot of ideas of where the Hive Pass could go, but have to see how well it will sell in this pilot year. They need to sell 6000 passes to make it viable. I think the green bike idea is brilliant, and would give green bike a huge ridership, and thus we would have a lot more stations throughout the city. My wife is planning on getting a Hive Pass on the 1st of March (I get an annual pass through my employer), I urge anyone who lives in the city to get a pass so that this will be a successful program. It would only take 6 round trip rides on bus/TRAX per month to get your money back, and even less on frontrunner.

[Hatman]

I think we have a new record for 'largest thing crushed by FrontRunner':

"1 injured after Frontrunner train, truck collide"
http://fox13now.com/2014/02/12/at-le...truck-collide/

Not a semi-truck, but a box truck, which is almost as big.

From what I can gather after talking with several UTA Trax/FrontRunner people, the truck was stopped on the tracks as the driver was typing directions into his GPS. He didn't hear the train honking the horn because his stereo was turned up too high. As the train hit it, parts of the truck flew up between the locomotive and the commet car (first car, ex NJT) and struck the coupler-release bar. That separated the passenger cars from the locomotive while both were still rolling down the tracks, in emergency brake. Luckily the cars are so much lighter than the loco so that they could stop faster than the loco - because if they were to collide after separating, that would have been Big Time serious, as in derailment/national news/government inquiry type big. Long term, this means that UTA will probably want to refit the commet cars with a locking coupler release bar, like the Bombardier (two-level) cars have. Short term, it meant that all the people who were stuck on that train - apparently in the neighborhood of 300 people - were essentially without power or heat during the several hours it took for police to clear the area. I know it's not UTA's fault entirely, but I feel bad for those people.