Salt Lake City | Transit and Airport Developments

[bobdreamz]

Impressive looking system Salt Lake is building!

[delts145]

First commuter day in new TRAX system runs smoothly


(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Passengers disembark from a TRAX train stopped at the West Valley Central Station at 2750 W. 3590 South in West Valley City on Sunday, August 7, 2011.

By Lee Davidson and Jeremiah Stettler
The Salt Lake Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/5...ation.html.csp

Tauveli Taulanga said he often rode a fast bus from his home in West Valley City to work at the LDS Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City. But that fast bus was canceled with the opening of the new West Valley City TRAX extension, and the bus now takes him instead to the beginning of that line.

"Sometimes that fast bus hit traffic and wasn’t so fast. This will not hit traffic," he said pointing at the TRAX train. He adds that sometimes he drove to work, but sees TRAX as more economical. "I had to fill up twice a week when I did that. I drive an SUV."...


(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune)

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[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

Perhaps a three-car line of the new trains is just as long as a four-car line of the old trains. That, or the ridership is not yet there for longer trains.

Anyway, here's the photos.

Here are some photos of the new lines by CountyLemonade.

[s.p.hansen]

Image by www.thetransportpolitic.com

[s.p.hansen]

North Temple Viaduct Update:

The North Temple Viaduct opens to pedestrians and cars tomorrow, the light rail segment will not be completed for some time. Pardon the bad air quality, Idaho decided to have fires and blow its smoke into our valley.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

North Temple Viaduct Update:

The unfinished portion of the viaduct shown above will eventually be a commuter rail / light rail transfer station:

• Video Link

[northbay]

^ looks good. but... no cover at all for the commuter rail platform?

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by northbay

^ looks good. but... no cover at all for the commuter rail platform?

All the other stations do have a covered area so my guess is that it was left out in the rendering.


North Temple Viaduct at Night

[Doug]

SLCs light rail network is impressive. I rode the system last week and the top suggested improvement would be to gradually add some more grade separation to improve average speeds on light rail. The red line, for example, from end to end takes over an hour.

[s.p.hansen]

Weekday average ridership on TRAX (light rail) has reached 63,000.

http://www.standard.net/stories/2011...sunday-service

[Pavlov]

I've always found it strange the way that Salt Lake City's LRT purports to have three lines but the majority of the system all runs on the same corridor (unless I have no idea how to read SLC's transit map.) Perhaps that accounts for the lower than expected ridership numbers?

[BrennanW]

Originally Posted by Reesonov

I've always found it strange the way that Salt Lake City's LRT purports to have three lines but the majority of the system all runs on the same corridor (unless I have no idea how to read SLC's transit map.) Perhaps that accounts for the lower than expected ridership numbers?

All of Denver's system except for the D line branch and now the G line branch to Nine Mile (G line service discontinued until I-225 branch completed), yet the system still has relatively high ridership numbers.

SLC's system uses the same method of servicing all branches as Denver does, except a larger amount of the system is shared between two lines with similar destinations.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by Reesonov

I've always found it strange the way that Salt Lake City's LRT purports to have three lines but the majority of the system all runs on the same corridor (unless I have no idea how to read SLC's transit map.) Perhaps that accounts for the lower than expected ridership numbers?

The most recent map pretty much shows the exact scale and location of the individual lines. (Except for the purple commuter rail line which is not to scale)
You can see that there is a main trunk line, with spurs extending from it to the University, West Valley City, South Jordan, Sandy and soon the airport (not shown)



There are only 4 stations that are serviced by all three lines. You also have to realize that UTA's service area is the long, narrow Wasatch Front metro area. It's about 100 miles long from Provo to Ogden, but is on average only 5 miles wide (between the mountains and the lake), so the transport network is logically going to be a long, linear system with lines branching east and west from the mainline:

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by Reesonov

I've always found it strange the way that Salt Lake City's LRT purports to have three lines but the majority of the system all runs on the same corridor (unless I have no idea how to read SLC's transit map.) Perhaps that accounts for the lower than expected ridership numbers?

Going from 44,000 riders to 63,000 in about 1 month is really exciting! It's all a matter of perspective I guess. For Canada 63,000 is weak, but when you consider that our ridership is now about the same as Denver, Dallas and St. Louis, I think that is something to be excited about; the size of the SLC/Wasatch Front metro is 2.2 million and the size of the Light Rail system is currently 35 miles. UTA set a goal for 58,000 by the end of 2011.

And having multiple lines running on the same track has been awesome because train availability has increased. You no longer have to wait 15 mins for the next train on that segment.

Once we finish the Airport and Draper extensions our light rail system will span 44.8 miles and that coupled with our commuter rail that will connect most of the length of the Wasatch Front metro in 2013 / 2014 will give us another nice shot in the arm in riders.

This is the best map I have seen thus far (though it doesn't show FrontRunner's length at all):

[Pavlov]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't trying to crap on SLC's system. And I must admit that I'm stupid in the sense that I've driven through SLC a couple of times and forgot how it stretches for such a long distance along the highway and through the valley. It all makes sense now.

[bardak]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

And having multiple lines running on the same track has been awesome because train availability has increased. You no longer have to wait 15 mins for the next train on that segment.

Remember that have so many branches will also limits your maximum frequency if the demand does come.

Of all US cities transit futures Salt Lake City is the one I'm most optimistic about. While the ridership may not be amazing it is still good and the city has not even had that much time to grow around the line.

[delts145]

SLC to roll out pilot test of new solar-powered parking stations

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...-stations.html

By Ami Joi O'Donoghue, For The Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — With an optional swipe of a credit or debit card, downtown visitors can test the efficiency and likability of 50 new solar-powered parking stations being rolled out Monday for six weeks as part of a test phase.

The city wants to see how well these state-of-the-art stations are received and if they ultimately accomplish the objective of making it easier to park downtown to shop, dine or conduct business...


Mayor Ralph Becker tries out a new high-tech, solar powered parking pay station in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. The city will start testing the new parking meters in a pilot program on Monday, Oct. 18th. They will accept multiple forms of payment. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

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[Lakelander]

I didn't know SLC had BRT as well. Do the BRT vehicles to Magna run in their own dedicated lanes? If not, what type of services does it offer that make it different from a typical local bus route?

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by Lakelander

I didn't know SLC had BRT as well. Do the BRT vehicles to Magna run in their own dedicated lanes? If not, what type of services does it offer that make it different from a typical local bus route?

BRT on route 35M has dedicated lanes in the center of 3500 S. Street:



There are also covered seating areas with electronic payment kiosks at each stop. No more waiting while people pay the driver in nickels as they board.

[BrennanW]

Wow. SLC has one line out to the suburbs and they did it better than Kansas City's (well awarded) MAX BRT.

Very impressive.