Salt Lake Transit News Thread

[Reachforthesky]

Awesome shots CountyLemonade!
Thanks for the update! I've been checking your flickr page over and over hoping for a photo update! Great pics man! Keep em coming!

[tygr]

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

North Temple by the state fairgrounds by CountyLemonade, on Flickr
Hmm. I wonder what this shot will look like in thirty years.

The one thing that will remain the same is that it will also include orange barrels/cones for one reason or another.

[DCRes]

Thanks for the update! I think since all the development on North Temple right now is the Trax construction, that the transit thread is appropriate.

[SLC Projects]

Are we coming to the point or maybe even pass the point of UTA going to have to hire crossing guards to hold the hands of these idiots who keep walking in front of trains? Really people, this is starting to become embarrassing.


Woman dies in TRAX accident

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman is dead after being hit by a northbound TRAX train Monday morning in South Salt Lake.

The accident occurred at the Meadowbrook station at 188 W. 3900 South. The victim, in her mid-20s, was transported via ambulance to the hospital. South Salt Lake police later confirmed the victim's injuries were fatal.

3900 South was closed to traffic but has been reopened. Trains are still experiencing delays, according to UTA.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148...-trax-accident

[shakman]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Are we coming to the point or maybe even pass the point of UTA going to have to hire crossing guards to hold the hands of these idiots who keep walking in front of trains? Really people, this is starting to become embarrassing.


Woman dies in TRAX accident

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman is dead after being hit by a northbound TRAX train Monday morning in South Salt Lake.

The accident occurred at the Meadowbrook station at 188 W. 3900 South. The victim, in her mid-20s, was transported via ambulance to the hospital. South Salt Lake police later confirmed the victim's injuries were fatal.

3900 South was closed to traffic but has been reopened. Trains are still experiencing delays, according to UTA.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148...-trax-accident

I do not understand why this keeps occuring. Unless this tragedy was intentional, how can one not see a TRAX train coming towards them. When I visited SLC, the TRAX trains were noticeably visible at a distance.

May God's mercy be upon her family.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Are we coming to the point or maybe even pass the point of UTA going to have to hire crossing guards to hold the hands of these idiots who keep walking in front of trains? Really people, this is starting to become embarrassing.


Woman dies in TRAX accident

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman is dead after being hit by a northbound TRAX train Monday morning in South Salt Lake.

The accident occurred at the Meadowbrook station at 188 W. 3900 South. The victim, in her mid-20s, was transported via ambulance to the hospital. South Salt Lake police later confirmed the victim's injuries were fatal.

3900 South was closed to traffic but has been reopened. Trains are still experiencing delays, according to UTA.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148...-trax-accident

from the article:

[RunningMan]

Interesting little tidbit from KSL about Sugarhouse and the street car:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2040...cid=featured-1

[SLCdude]

That's great! I'm glad the streetcar project is gaining momentum and attention. Some good news for a change!

As for the Airport line, I really like the multicolored poles! Thanks for the pics.

[H4vok]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/5...tml.csp?page=1
As industry evolves, SkyWest, regional rivals struggle

As SkyWest Inc. rounded the corner into 2011, the country’s largest regional airline was coming off another good year. Profits had made a solid gain, and the carrier had struck a deal to pay $133 million in cash for rival ExpressJet Holdings. The company was growing.

Just short of 18 months later, SkyWest is looking back at 2011 as the year when trends that had been subtly bubbling through the industry since the start of the recession began to seriously undermine the St. George-based parent of SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, now called ExpressJet Airlines.

To be clear, even though SkyWest posted its first annual loss in years, the company is healthy. It sits on a mountain of cash, its balance sheet is one of the strongest in the airline industry, and although the stock has fallen back to pre-2000 levels, analysts continue to praise its management as among the best in the industry...

Read Article

[scottharding]

Interesting article in the Tribune about the city attempting to hold UTA to its promises. UTA wants to cut the free bus services downtown, as well as the free-fare zone for Trax, and other such issues.
The City is demanding a downtown loop, and a direct Trax line between the airport and the University. They also are interested in a distance based fare system, but UTA says that's at least two years away. Interesting. Sounds like the city has the upper hand in this one, so I'll be very curious to see how it plays out.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54...n-bus.html.csp

[CountyLemonade]

Getting rid of the free fare zone for Trax isn't on the table.

Oh, also... Must... resist... urge... to... reply... to... myopic... comments... on the comment boards... of that article.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by CountyLemonade

Getting rid of the free fare zone for Trax isn't on the table.

It is on the table, once they figure out the distance based fair.

[scottharding]

Exactly.
I don't like the idea of losing the free fare zone, but I do think a distance base fare is a "duh" scenario.

[arkhitektor]

I say keep the free fare zone for TRAX and lose it for busses. In my experience the only people taking advantage of it on busses are homeless people. It probably makes people less likely to use a bus downtown....

[Reachforthesky]

With a small portion of the new MVC 85 FWY opening in the south SL valley June 2nd, I really have been thinking about the valley's need for a new east/west traveling freeway. Currently there are only 2 E/W freeways, both located on the Northwest side of the valley, the 201 fwy and I-80. (maybe even 215 for a bit,if you wanna include that) The south valley really needs a east/west fwy! It can be a hassle to get from places like Kearns, West Jordan, and South Jordan straight to I-15 by just taking the surface roads, Especially when you have to stop at every other traffic light. Most of the valley's growth is in this portion of the Salt Lake valley and I think planning should begin soon before the options are pretty much gone. What do you guys think? Any good ideas as to where the freeway could be placed? any map ideas?

[Merewether]

Guess part of this depends on what you think free fare should accomplish. I have some regular contact with visitors and find they like the idea of scooting around on Trax..don't know how many actually do it.
As a person who is in Greater State St axis a couple times a week, I like being able to hop on a bus for a couple blocks and I notice other downtowners doing it too. I don't view it as a right, but I'd hate to lose free fares before we had zone fares and a smart card so one could still do a short hop for a proportionate sum and no exact change hassles.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Reachforthesky

With a small portion of the new MVC 85 FWY opening in the south SL valley June 2nd, I really have been thinking about the valley's need for a new east/west traveling freeway. Currently there are only 2 E/W freeways, both located on the Northwest side of the valley, the 201 fwy and I-80. (maybe even 215 for a bit,if you wanna include that) The south valley really needs a east/west fwy! It can be a hassle to get from places like Kearns, West Jordan, and South Jordan straight to I-15 by just taking the surface roads, Especially when you have to stop at every other traffic light. Most of the valley's growth is in this portion of the Salt Lake valley and I think planning should begin soon before the options are pretty much gone. What do you guys think? Any good ideas as to where the freeway could be placed? any map ideas?

I've been thinking the same thing for years. It seems like it could be somewhat easy to connect Bangerter with I-215, by building a 2-mile east/west connection between Bang. & 215.

And then another e/w connection could be built along the same line between Bangerter & MVC

[CountyLemonade]

Something I've contemplated for a while is extending the southern portion of I-215 westward to Bangerter Highway and SR-85.



The north-south line is the approximate SR-85 (Mountain View). The east-west path is the possible new freeway. Perhaps the western end of that new freeway could be extended past SR-85 to SR-111.

Before, I would totally be in support of building a freeway there. But riding transit regularly for several months has changed my perspective on things. I think SR-85 will remedy congestion in that area of the city for the time being; maybe an east-west freeway can be discussed thirty years down the road.

[RC14]

Looking at that map makes me wonder why they did not just convert Sr 111 into a freeway. It seems like it would be much easier and less disruptive then the mvc. It's a bit out of the way but the population will grow out that way eventually.
Just a random thought, I'm sure there was a reason.

[SLCdude]

Good on SLC to demand a loop and UofU/Airport line!