Is it the Pathway or is it the Urban Fabric?

TriMet is looking at closing a pathway that connects the Willow Creek Transit Center which is located just northwest of the intersection of 185th and Baseline on the MAX Blue Line. The reason behind the possible closure is because of crime and drug problems along the path so I decided to take a look at the situation first hand to see what the problems truly are here.

First here is a Google map of the area:


View Larger Map

The pathway in question goes south from the transit center to Baseline Road.

Looking from Transit Center toward Baseline Road

The picture above is looking from the Willow Creek Transit Center toward Baseline Road and instantly you can see two major problems with this pathway. The first is that there is high walls on both sides blocking views of anyone along the path and the second is that there is very little lighting along the path. In addition there is a child care facility to the left of the photo which is only open at certain times of the day and there is a single family residence located to the right of the photo.

Looking back toward the Willow Creek Transit Center from Baseline

The next picture is looking back toward the transit center from Baseline and once again you can see the problems along the path. Once again you have the fences which creates a canyon affect which is just asking for problems in addition to the bushes on the right that even further block the view of the path. While you want tree canopy to shade pathways and make them more walk-able in this case they combine with the high fences to further hide the pathway from the public.

Looking west along Baseline

Looking east from along Baseline

Once you get off the pathway you have more issues once you get to Baseline. The road is wide with narrow sidewalks and very few streetlights. As can be seen in the upper photo looking toward the west where most of the residences are you have fences that put even fewer eyes on the street. Looking east you have a child care place that is very auto centric and turns its back to the transit center then empty lot on one side of the street and a shopping center.

The problem with closing the path is that for people to residences located on either side of Baseline there it leaves a long walk. From the transit center you will have to travel out of your way and head north to Edgeway then head to 185th then south to Baseline with both of those streets being very pedestrian unfriendly. While walking is fine for many of us, we also have to take into consideration the elderly and those with limited mobility that will have a more difficult time reaching the center. The other alternative for these people will be to take the infrequent 88 bus that travels a short distance on Baseline to reach the transit center.

The problem here is not the presence of the pathway but the Urban Environment around the pathway or the lack there of. The pathway design creates a canyon and walled off effect that means that there is not eyes on the pathway. The solution is not to close the path but to find ways to make it safer which will require rethinking how it is laid out and the visibility onto it. Unfortunately it is just not the path that is the problem, the area around Baseline is auto-centric suburbia where pedestrians come last.

Hopefully a good solution can be found. 

Economic Development: Benefit or Black Hole?

The headquarters of Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California. Note the small "No Photos" sign in the picture. Photographed by user Coolcaesar on July 16, 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On August 15th, the Portland Tribune ran a article encouraging people to opt-in to a survey being conducted by the Metro planning agency. In the article they mentioned some of the comments left by people and one particular struck me and that was by a person who said that the government should work to bring more businesses to the area such as Intel which is making big investments in the Hillsboro area.

The comment makes since to those who only look at the surface and say it will create more jobs which almost every area could use. However, looking below the surface so called economic development has become a $50 Billion a year business. That's right cities, counties, states and the feds spend upwards of $50 Billion trying to get a business to move to a certain area. 

The problem is, in our new global society our cities have become disposable, as soon as the tax incentives have expired the corporation will start demanding more money or just pick up and leave the area. If there is a good balance of business in the area it is not so devastating but when they are the major employer, the effects of a pull out can be long lasting. The subsidies themselves can take multiple forms including tax breaks, infrastructure improvements, or outright cash. Either way this incentives cost the area money and often times fail in the long run to be worth what was paid. 

Let me give you some examples of economic incentives gone wrong:

-One city gives $300 million in subsidies to a major airline to create a maintenance base. Over the life of the base it employed half the number of employees promised and when the subsidy period ended the airline contracted out maintenance to another company who received other forms of incentives over the years. 

-Another city gives subsidies to a major computer manufacturer to locate a manufacturing facility and call center. In a interesting twist the company lays off the employees before a deadline which means they would have to pay back all the subsidies they received so they have to quickly hire back employees and pay them to do nothing for two months before laying them off again. 

-One city subsidizes a major corporation to leave the city center and move to the outer suburbs (these moves are usually designed to move the company closer to the current CEO and don't benefit the average employees or usually the companies for that matter). The area has only limited transit service because there is nothing else out there which causes more subsidies for highway and street expansions. The company has been in financial troubles for years but when the company starts "shopping" to move pressure is put on the governor of the state to give the company more subsidies. This also shows how desperate or corrupt some of these economic development teams are when they are willing to extended so much subsidies to a company that has been on the brink of failure for several years. 

-Some cities have spent more than one million dollars per potential job created. However, in the long run the amount of payroll dollars never makes up for the amount of subsidies give to the business. 

These are just four examples of what can go wrong when it comes to economic development. 

Sports teams are another subsidy black hole. How often do you see some sport team that is telling the city you give us something or we are moving. The are always quick to point out the "multiplier" affect but of course leave out the other side of the equation which I will talk about separately. 

Often times when discussing economic development you will hear the term "multiplier". This means that for every direct job created so many secondary jobs are created because that job was created. However, what often is not discussed whether it be a sports team or retailer is while they may create jobs there, it often comes at the expense of something. If you read the economic forecast for a sports team you will hear glowing things about the economic impact as if those attending the games just have this money sitting around to go to these high priced games or races. However, if a person decides to go to a major sporting event, it means that they have an opportunity cost for that event which says that they will not do something else. So the stadium may make the money but the movie theater looses, or they may reduce the number of times they go out to dinner. Often times since people come from the surrounding area, the city that has the stadium benefits and some other area looses so it is not quantified. 

The same thing goes when a government agency gives subsidies to retailers such as Wal-Mart, Ikea, Cabela's and many others who get subsidies to locate in a certain place. While the city itself gets new retail dollars (unless of course they city is big enough that they are just paying Peter to rob Paul), those dollars come from somewhere and it means they don't shop somewhere else. For example a new store goes in at city A but it robs sales dollars from city B and C. The same dollars get spent, it just moved from one city to another. 

The problem is, it is often small businesses that end up subsidizing major corporations that end up causing the small business to close. Of course this is no different than when the streetcar companies were heavily taxed and those tax dollars subsidized their competition back in the first half of the 20th century. 

The trouble is, has the state of economic development incentives become too big of a monster to slay? 

Related articles

• Atlanta's Economic Development Agency Launches 'Start Up Atlanta'
• Task force recommending tax outlay to fund economic development in Athens
• Strategy for Merced's economy embraced
• Do Basketball Arenas Spur Economic Development?
• Giving Tax Breaks to Companies That Move Jobs Out of New Jersey Doesn't Make Sense
• Are economic incentives constitutional?
• Wichita, Sedgwick County work to revamp incentives for businesses
• Why Have So Many Cities and Towns Given Away So Much Money to Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's?
• "incentives to sweeten the deal"

Guest Post

Image via Wikipedia
This is a guest post by All Resort Transportation a privately run transportation company based in Utah. 

Will The Utah Transit System Stand Up To a Disaster?

I began this post planning to write about the current situation with public transit in Utah, and then the earthquake struck in Japan and suddenly any of our problems in this state seemed absurdly miniscule by comparison. When the 8.9 (or 9.0, depending on your source) earthquake struck and caused the tsunami, it killed thousands and uprooted hundreds of thousands, destroying homes, roads, and anything else that was in its way.

The earthquake was felt as far away as Tokyo, which is some 150 miles or south of the epicenter. Despite the distance, the shaking was bad enough that the city shut down the transit system until they could be sure that it was structurally safe to use. Cities like Tokyo rely on their public transit systems, and when it was shut down for safety reasons, literally millions of people were stranded in the city with no way to get home or communicate with loved ones.

The Ramifications of the Shut Down
The commuter lifestyle is a little different in Japan than it is in Utah (not a big surprise there). Sometimes people will commute for hours in one direction to get to work, and some estimates say that more than 10 million people use the public transit system every day. Shutting any of these services down for even a short time would have serious ramifications, and after the earthquake millions of residents were stuck without an option.

Officials shut down the trains and subways because they needed to ensure that everything was still safe. Some lines were down for around six hours and others for much longer. Hotels were immediately flooded with people looking for a place to stay, and the government began opening schools and official buildings where people could seek shelter and sleep when it got too cold outside. We saw a lot of pictures of people curled up on the floor in the train stations and others standing in line to use a pay phone since the cell networks were immediately overloaded.

After a day, most of the transit infrastructure in Tokyo was up and running again, but it was still a little sporadic. Because of the power issues caused by the loss of the nuclear plants up north, Tokyo is planning on rolling blackouts to help conserve energy. This is leading to a slightly more erratic train schedule, but commuters seem to be dealing with it as well as could be expected.
How Would Utah Do?

Obviously, in Utah we don’t have near that many people relying on the public transit system. According to UTA, TRAX is averaging about 58,000 riders a day, though the number is increasing. Public transportation is growing all over the country, and we’ve had a big push to expand our system here. Utah transportation will probably never be as complex as it is in huge places like Tokyo, but the rising population and rising gas prices are building more and more reliance on new transit options.
Right now, Utah is developing its public transit system on a number of fronts. Currently, the FrontLines 2015 Project includes:
• Mid Jordan TRAX Line – Covering Murray, Midvale, West and South Jordan
• West Valley City TRAX Line – Running between South Salt lake and West Valley City
• Draper TRAX Line – A light rail service that runs through Draper and Sandy
• Airport TRAX Line – Get from downtown SLC to the airport
• FrontRunner Provo to Salt Lake City Line – A high speed commuter rail between these cities
On top of these projects, transit studies are currently going on in Surgarhouse, South Davis, Taylorsville, Murray, and Ogden. While it’s hard to imagine public transportation becoming as ingrained in our culture as it is in Japan, all these new developments will certainly increase the number of people who rely on everything from train lines to a Salt Lake airport shuttle. Then we have to ask: how well would we do in a disaster? Are we prepared to deal with that kind of challenge?

The tragedy in Japan is on a scale that most of us can’t really comprehend, and the impact of it was felt all over the country in many unexpected ways. The transit system may seem like a comparatively small thing, but Tokyo’s infrastructure was able to bounce back because they constructed their system to deal with natural disasters. If Utah is going to succeed with its transit initiatives, there are some definite lessons it could learn.

Safeway Store

Here is a photo I took while in Portland last week.

This is one of three stores that Safeway has opened that service the urban area.

While some stores have a difficult with the concept of a pedestrian friendly store, it is nice to see that one chain has been making them work.

I shopped at this one and the one in the Pearl District along with checking out some locally owned competition.

Transit station for downtown?

Image via Wikipedia
I have seen comments in the past that we need a bus station in downtown Salt Lake City. We already have Central Station but is located on the far west side of downtown and for people transferring between routes is out of the way.

In addition the station is not truly a central station but nothing more than a glorified TRAX/Front Runner station with a Greyhound component. Hopefully the station will become a true central station over time but we shall see.

While at first thought a bus station in the downtown area would seem like a good idea considering the number of bus routes in the downtown area, the success of such bus stations in other cities have been mixed at best.

For many years the RTD (now MTA) in Los Angeles maintained a large bus station in downtown Los Angeles that was shared with Greyhound. The station was built on what was the approach tracks for the Pacific Electric and their grand Main Street Station. By the 1980's because of cost and the general decline of the neighborhood RTD stopped using the station and it was eventually abandoned by Greyhound.

Spokane, Washington is probably a good example of trying to build something in order to solve a problem that only created more problems. Until their new bus station was built all the bus routes in the downtown area would converge at the intersection of Riverside and Howard. Area businesses complained about the "wall of buses" that would block their streets and bring too many undesirables to the area so it was decided to replace the wall with a bus station (a historic irony is that most of the businesses that complained so much went out of business within a few years after the buses moved a block away to the new transit station).

The bus station was originally designed to be the lobby of a high rise that was to be built above the station however the high rise project was stopped by Spokane's decades long lack of an economy and by CAVE people who didn't like the idea of public-private partnerships (the Spokane area has a big block of CAVE people - Citizens Against Virtually Everything-or in Spokane's case are against everything).

In addition instead of having the bus station become part of the street life in the area, it was instead design to flow people into the skywalk system. However, by the time the transit station was completed the skywalk system was on life support and there was attempts to bring life by to the sidewalks in the area. While there is still some retail and some fast food restaurants to access across the street via the skywalk, the lack of good pedestrian flow to the street side has been a major issue for the bus station. In addition the bus station is often criticized for having too many young people around and scaring off the normals.

Compare that to Denver who has not one but two bus stations located in the downtown core. The difference in Denver is that local bus routes still serve the surface streets with express and regional service routed through the bus stations. Denver's stations are also located underground and where more successful with selling the air rights above the stations. Both stations are connected by Denver's free 16th Street Mall shuttle buses that make frequent trips between the two stations.

Denver is now in the process of replacing the smaller of the two stations with a new larger bus station as part of their Union Station redevelopment project. The bus station will still be underground but will also be a connection from the new light rail station to Union Station which will not only be serving Amtrak but also Denver's new commuter trains that will be running in the next few years.

Another problem that can crop up with downtown bus stations is the value of the property they sit on. In one smaller east coast city, property values and development started hopping in the downtown area so city officials wanted rid of the transit center so the property could be developed into more "useful" purposes. The bus station was not seen as an asset, or part of the downtown area, it was seen as a nuisance taking up valuable land resources.

Looking at the Salt Lake situation, the question is, where would you put the station in order for it to be convenient to a majority of the downtown users, convenient for all the bus lines to get to, and would have enough area for operations?

An ideal situation would have been to integrate it into the design of City Creek Center, although the developers of that project may have seen bus riders as undesirable in their new complex. Most of the other areas would be on the west side of downtown which would place it too close to the already existing Central Station.

The best current solution for Salt Lake City would be to put in dedicated bus lanes to improve bus flow and make bus waiting areas as welcoming as possible. This will do more for transit ridership and the riders than building a duplicate transit center.

Any city or transit system should learn the following lessons if deciding to build a transit center:

-What will be the long term cost of operations and can the transit system afford it on the long term?

-Will the station be designed to flow into the surrounding area or be cut off from the street?

-How will you deal with the perception that too many of a certain type of people hang out at the transit station (whether it be homeless, teenagers, or some other group that others consider undesirable).

-Will air rights above the station be sold and if there is a desire for that will public opinion and the area's economics allow it?

-If real estate starts to boom, will your property be protected from having a hostile city council from keeping the transit center off the land to sell it to a developer?

The number one reason to build a transit center/bus station in a downtown area should be to provide the best possible service to customers, not as a redevelopment solution or a way to move buses somewhere else. Build a transit center for the wrong reasons is only asking from it to fail in the long run.

Contract Out Services?

Rep John Dougall out of Highland has called for UTA to look into contracting out services in order to save money. I am not sure what Dougall's motives are, as I am cynical about most politicians and their true motives, but lets take a look at the pros and cons of contracting out services.

First of all, cost usually go down when you contract out services. Most contract operations do not use union labor (I will do my union rant some other time), so they pay less than union wages. In addition the operations usually cut down on overhead over the bureaucratic transit agency.

However, the cons currently out weigh the positives.

First of all, while I believe in private enterprise and especially small business, there is little change a small operator the Resorts (owner of Lewis Brothers) or a company like LeBus would end up operating the service.

Instead one of the "big" operators such as Stagecoach that are not only non local companies, but are not even US based. There for the profits and the benefits of the outsourcing not only leave the immediate area, they do even benefit our country. Since employement will stay the same but wages go down there is no benefit to the community.

In addition the quality of service can be questionable at best. Because these operators do not truly care about the local community they do not care about the quality of service provided to the customer. While some union drivers don't care about the quality of service they provide because they know it is so hard to fire them, the outsourced drivers have very few oportunities for advancement and there is little oversight, often the drivers can have questionable attitudes.

A few years ago I was in Denver for a meeting. At the time Denver's bus service was outsourced to three different providers. I actually had a wonderful experience with a bus driver so I decided to let RTD in Denver know. Usually companies only hear negative so I go out of way to let them know when I have good service. I called RTD and the operator was in shock they were getting a compliment.

He said it was the first time he had ever gotten a postive comment about a contratracted service. Whether that is a sign that people don't have the class to compliment the drivers when they do right or the drivers are that bad in general, you will have to decide for yourself.

Other downside of contracting out service is maintence. Often the companies will scimp on taking care of things to make more money. Once again because the companies are not local they do not have any reason to ensure that the equimpment is properly maintianed to help the community.

In Los Angeles and other cities that have contracted out service there has been bad experiences with air conditioners, wheelchair lifts, and other equipment malfunctions. In addition there has been multiple horror stories about last runs of the day missing due to malfunction equipment so thus people being stranded. In addition I have seen photos of buses being held together with duct tape in order to keep major items such as the A/C cover from falling off.

The only solution is to have oversight and conditions in the contract if they things happen or maintence is not up to standards, the contracter can be fined.

Am I saying that all contractors are bad? Of course not, like anything there is good and bad. However, anytime you contract to a company that has no financial interest in the local community, you send the money out of town with no benefits to the community.

While I have no idea what Dougall's true motives are, you need to look at the unitended consequences of any action taken and make sure that the local community benefits from the decisions made.

Mixed Use Development Vs. Wal-Marts and Malls

Image via Wikipedia

Many times I have mentioned how it has been shown that smaller businesses actually will produce more sales tax revenue per square foot than a big box store such as Wal-Mart.

Here is a posting from Citiwire.net comparing property tax revenue between a major mall and downtown mixed use development.

Mixed-Use Downtown Development Puts Standard Malls’ Tax Yield to Shame

Also you must remember that stores like Wal-Marts also are well known for fighting to get their property tax bills cut down to almost nothing. So not only does the sales tax revenue not cover their infrastructure and other associated costs, but they also don't generate enough property tax revenue to justify the tax incentives and other subsidies they receive.

Bus Changes in Ogden

There is an editorial in today's Standard Examiner about the UTA bus changes in Ogden:

OUR VIEW: UTA misses the bus

The Weber County Forum has also chimed in on this issue:

Standard-Examiner Editorial: OUR VIEW: UTA Misses the Bus

Both point out that UTA could have done more including public hearings. Like many transit agencies they give the standard bureaucratic line that it changes did not meet the 25% change requirement.

While the UTA could have done more it appears that the Standard Examiner doesn't want to step on any toes in its own city or more appropriately too cowardly like many newspapers to direct attacks in certain places.

After all lets look at the comments from Steven Conlin the president of the Ogden's 25th Street Merchants Association:

"Concerns include the diesel fumes spewed out on merchant customers as they walk down the sidewalks, noise pollution, litter strewn from ridership and mass gatherings that occur in front of businesses due to transfer or stops"

The last time I checked, a majority of the buses used on the 603 are the new Gillig Advantage BRT buses that have exhaust on the top of the bus and burn cleaner than other buses. The he also brings up the problem with noise pollution. Lets see the last time I checked there is plenty of trucks and tour buses that travel down the street that make noise plus one idiot with his radio blaring makes more noise than a bus but then again that is not the real issue is it, it is just a Red Herring.

Also where are these "mass gatherings?". The only mass gatherings I have seen are at the 25th and Washington stop which is a major transfer stop. The last time I checked there is no businesses located along this area.

Lets face facts, put all the red herrings aside and have Mr. Conlin tell the truth, his organization doesn't want "those kind of people" walking in the area. After all, they might scare the suburbanites that they are trying to attract.

My question, is the bus service being used as a scape goat because business is down and it easier to attack than the real issues?

A year from now, will the buses being gone from 25th street affect business in any way shape or form? The answer is no, in fact it could hurt their businesses. If their business does improve it will have nothing to do with the buses being gone and everything to do with an improvement in the economy.

What they have done is making riding the bus and making transfers harder for the riders.

I have walked 25th Street many times and spent money along the street because I support locally owned businesses. However, the next time I am in the area I will have second thoughts about that. Gondola Godfrey, Steven Conlin, and the 25th Street Merchants Association has lost my business.

Is the Streetcar the only hope for Downtown Bountiful?

Image via Wikipedia

Recently I had the opportunity to take a walking tour of the downtown Bountiful area. As many of you know the Downtown Bountiful Business Association is opposing the proposal to bring the streetcar through the area. However, after looking at the current status of the downtown area, the association should be supporting this proposal as it may be the best hope of downtown bountiful surviving in the long term.

The first problem I see with downtown Bountiful is there is not much to attract people to the area. The only restaurant in the immediate area has closed so you have to walk to the extreme end of the downtown area to find a place to eat. In addition a shopping area needs a large variety of stores to keep the area vibrant. However, that is sourly lacking in the downtown Bountiful area.

Of course the city of Bountiful is not helping the downtown area. They used government money to put in a Costco obviously like many city councils lusting after the sales tax dollars. Sadly what city councils turn a blind eye to is that healthy small business bring in more sales tax dollars per square foot than a big box retailer.

While I am sure the city council sold the concept that Costco would bring in additional shoppers to the area, the truth is a Costco and stores like it do nothing for the immediate area businesses. A Costco is a destination store so that people go into the store, shop at it and then head home so they bring no money to the surrounding area.

So is the streetcar the magic that will save downtown Bountiful?

The answer to that question is no. However, what the streetcar does is bring new people into the area that would not otherwise travel to downtown Bountiful. It will create new business opportunities for those that take advantage of them.

To bring true success with the streetcar would probably take something that residents of the area would not be willing to do and that is to increase density and bring some infill development into the sea of parking lots that presently litters the area.

While downtown Bountiful has lasted longer than many downtown areas, its life its slowly being sucked away between their own city council and the Centerville city council slowly subsidizing their business away.

Post 1000...

Image by kla4067 via Flickr

Welcome to post number 1000 from Transit in Utah.

This post has been a few weeks in the making, not because it's going to be anything spectacular but because I have been so busy with outside activities that posting here has taken a back seat.

However, I plan to get on the train again so to speak and do more regular postings again.

In post number 500, I talked about where this blog started and where it was going so this time I decided to focus a little more on about me without revealing too much that you don't really care to know.

First of all, despite what one misguided member of the Bus Riders Union and probably a few others, I do not, have not and probably will never work for the Utah Transit Authority.

I have been a transit and rail travel advocate for many years, too many that I want count. I started off advocating better bus service in my native land of Southern California, and helped push LA toward having a effective rail system.

I moved out of Southern California before many of those systems came on line but it is nice seeing progress despite all the political BS that occurs in that area. Of course here in Utah we have are own version but that's another story...

Advocacy toward better rail passenger service grew out of transit advocacy or was it the other way around?

While I support an effective rail passenger system, I am not a big fan of Amtrak. I believe that Amtrak is hindrance to better rail passenger service instead of being a benefit. I see many of the same troubles that infect transit systems also infects our national rail passenger system.

Being a small business owner and being involved in business for many years gives another perspective on both transit and rail transportation.

Over the years I have seem many steps forward but just as many steps backward. Hopefully we can continue being a voice of how to make our area more livable.

Colorado Group Suing to Stop Denver Union Station project

Image via Wikipedia

A rail advocacy group is Colorado is suing to stop the current plans for redevelopment of Union Station in Denver.

Rail group sues to block Union Station redevelopment

This is another case of transit agency having the blinders on and not taking into consideration the future including expansion of intercity rail.

Not only are they not taking others into consideration, they are hurting their own potential riders. People who ride the commuter rail from Denver International will have to walk two blocks to catch a light rail train to other parts of the city.

Several times I have ridden Amtrak into Union Station and caught a light rail train over to my motel which sits along side the Southeast light rail line. Now if I had to walk two blocks with my luggage would it just be easier to pay a cab?

At least here in Salt Lake you can catch a commuter train, TRAX and Amtrak in the same location although thanks to the westside NIMBY's it will not be possible to ride from the Airport directly to Central Station which is a downside. However, we know that developers usually come out ahead of good transportation planning...

Blog Postings that May Interest You.T

Image via Wikipedia

From the Carless Parenting Blog:

The Trolley Option?

Always Room for Improvement.

Interesting note that the focus group about UTA required that you had a car.

From the Transport Polictic Blog:

Paris Announces Biggest Rapid Transit Investment Since RER

Paris is looking at a circular transit line to improve suburb to suburb commuting.

From Streetsblog San Francisco:

DOT and HUD Team Up for TOD

DOT and HUD: Transportation and Land-Use Planning Should Prioritize TOD

Streetfilms: Tap Foot, Lights Blink, Cross Street

Stim-Funded Highways to Nowhere

AC Transit Board Votes to Raise Fares

The True Cost of Moving to Cheaper Suburban Housing

From the Daybreak Today Blog:

Daybreak Place: Apartments in Daybreak, Utah

From the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

Back to the Future: U.S. Transit Use Hit 50-Year High in 2008

From the Transit Miami Blog:

Action Alert

Taken For A Ride

From Streetsblog LA:

L.A.’s “Congestion Pricing” Gaining National Attention

Fatal Newport Beach Sports Car Crash Highlights Lawlessness of Car Culture

Wiki Wednesday: Zürich, Where Transit Gets Priority on the Street

LaHood to Bike Advocates: U.S. DOT Will Be Your “Full Partner”

From the Sprawled Out Blog:

UPDATED - Franklin's default setting: Bikes and pedestrians be damned - Go big, go wide, go fast

The Last Shopping Mall? New Jersey Awaits Xanadu - TIME

West Valley TRAX Update

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Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this five-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments, for management and planning purposes. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in light green on the south end of the project and ending with Reach 7 in dark green on the north end.

Currently, construction is taking place in all reaches.

A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.

Reach 1

Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area along Constitution Boulevard (2700 South) from West Valley City Hall at 3600 South extending north to 3100 South. This area includes both large and small businesses, as well as many residents. Access to all business and residences will be maintained throughout construction. Current Construction: TRAX construction is taking place in conjunction with UTA’s bus rapid transit project on Market Street. Crews are currently working on the station platform in between West Valley City Hall and the Public Safety Building. Watch for project signs in the work areas that display West Valley TRAX Line fact sheets for more information. Traffic Impacts: Market Street is closed for North/South traffic between 3650 South and Lehmann Avenue.

Reach 2

Reach Description: Reach 2 is the area along 3100 South from Constitution Boulevard to Decker Lake Drive. The E Center and a few other businesses are located in this reach, as well as residents on either side of 3100 South. Access will be maintained throughout construction and we will work with The E Center to coordinate our efforts so you can continue to visit the great events they have to offer. When TRAX is completed along 3100 South, it will operate on the south side of the roadway. Current Construction: Construction has begun on the TRAX bridge over I-215 on the south side of 3100 South. The foundation work for this structure includes driving steel pile into the ground using a machine that may generate significant noise and vibration for local residents. To help alleviate impacts, pile driving activities will be limited to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Construction on this bridge will also include minor lane restrictions periodically on I-215 throughout the next couple of months. Upcoming Construction: The intersection at Mapleway and 3100 South will close to traffic within the next two to three weeks for about one month. Pedestrian access will be maintained at this closure. We will make personal contact with residents prior to the closure to address any concerns. Traffic Impacts: There will be some lane restrictions on I-215 as crews progress with bridge construction. A closure at Mapleway and 3100 South will take place in about two to three weeks.

Reach 3

Reach Description: Reach 3 is the area along Decker Lake Drive from 3100 South to Research Way (2770 South) and running east to Redwood Road. This area includes many commercial office buildings with thousands of employees who access this area on a daily basis. We will continually work with these businesses to ensure access is provided at all times. Current Construction: Crews are currently working on a storm drain on the east side of Decker Lake Drive. Access is being maintained and we thank the businesses and motorists for their support during construction. Upcoming Construction: Construction is anticipated to take place along Decker Lake Drive throughout the next several months. Traffic Impacts: Access to businesses is being maintained. Please be mindful of workers and obey posted speed limits.

Reach 4

Reach Description: Reach 4 runs through the Chesterfield residential area along 2770 South and proceeds along the Decker Lake Canal and the Crosstowne Trail. We will work with residents to ensure a safe working environment that provides access to their properties throughout construction. Current Construction: The majority of construction on the West Valley Line has taken place in this reach on the east side of Redwood Road. Crews are now installing a permanent wall along both sides of the Crosstowne Trail. Significant drainage and irrigation work has been accomplished as well as foundation work for TRAX’s overhead wiring system. A permanent fence has been installed just east of the Brighton Canal to the Khadeeja Islamic Center on Parkway Avenue. Upcoming Construction: Sound wall installation in the Chesterfield neighborhood is anticipated to take place over the next couple of months. Traffic Impacts: · The Crosstowne Trail along 2770 South just east of Redwood Road to the Brighton Canal is currently closed. Once TRAX construction is completed, the trail will once again be operational.

Reach 5

Reach Description: Reach 5 will include construction along 1070 West in the Chesterfield industrial area. This reach will include one bridge structure over the Jordan River and another over 900 West. Current Construction: The majority of construction is taking place on 1070 West just north of Parkway Avenue. Third party utility work is currently taking place and there will be some lane restrictions implemented at this time. Work on a joint trench for utilities and sewer line work is also taking place along 1070 West, as well as pile driving for a retaining wall. Traffic Impacts: As construction proceeds, there will be some lane restrictions. However, we will maintain access at all times.

Reach 6

Reach Description: Reach 6 runs through the Union Pacific Railroad’s Roper Yard area. Although there are no businesses and residents, extensive coordination will take place with the Union Pacific Railroad to ensure that freight deliveries and other train travel will be maintained. Reach 6 will include an extensive bridging system that will enable TRAX to operate above ground, over other train traffic. Current Construction: Crews have installed steel piles 120’ into the ground to form the main foundations for the aerial bridge that will carry TRAX over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Crews are currently pouring concrete to form the columns for the bridge. Utility work is also taking place. Upcoming Construction: Coordination will continue with the Union Pacific Railroad to install utilities and bridge structures. Traffic Impacts: Not applicable. This is a Union Pacific Railroad work area.

Reach 7

Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the West Valley Line will connect with the current North/South TRAX Line. Construction will take place along Andy Avenue in South Salt Lake. Crews will closely coordinate activities with businesses to ensure access is maintained. A construction survey has been conducted with the businesses along 400 West between Andy Avenue and 2100 South to determine the best time to construct in the Andy Avenue/600 West intersection. Current Construction: Storm drain installation along Andy Avenue has been completed. We thank the businesses in this area for their support during construction. Upcoming Construction: The next phase of construction will begin near Andy Avenue next spring. We will continue to work with businesses to maintain access and mitigate any issues that may arise. Traffic Impacts: Access will be maintained during construction. General Information Access during construction UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with the public in cases where temporary access might be required. Construction Hours Construction on the project is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials. Construction Tours If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854. For More Information Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders. If you have further questions not answered by this report or any comments regarding the project, please contact toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail thope@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com. Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.