UTA Press Release about Provo and 3900 South

Image by Steven Vance via Flickr

Couple of points.

The announcement about Provo mentions that it will be a multi-model depot but I see nothing about integrating the facility with the Amtrak station which is actually located on the far side of Freedom Blvd from the new Front Runner station.

Hopefully the new TOD at the 3900 South will be true TOD and not just TAD. Hopefully it will also integrate with the growing new community in the area.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gerry Carpenter, 801-859-6095

Date: July 9, 2010 Press Release





UTA Awarded $5.4 Million In Federal Grants





U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff announced Thursday that Utah will receive two grants for $5.4 million under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Livability Initiative.



The Utah Transit Authority was awarded the two grants through the Federal Transit Administration’s competitive Bus and Bus Facilities grant program, which makes federal funds available to public transit providers to construct bus-related facilities. The grants include $5 million for the Provo Intermodal Center and $400,000 for the 3900 South Meadowbrook TRAX station.



“These competitive grants support our communities’ vision for increased access to public transit,” UTA General Manager Mike Allegra said. “By awarding these grants, Secretary LaHood and Administrator Rogoff recognize our efforts in building a strong transit system that will soon connect Provo to Salt Lake and beyond.”



The Provo Intermodal Center, located between Freedom Boulevard and University Avenue at approximately 700 South in Provo, will be a major new multi-modal transit hub. It will include 850 parking stalls, a 12-bay bus transfer terminal, and a connection for the future Provo-Orem bus rapid transit line. It is expected to open concurrently with the FrontRunner Salt Lake City to Provo line in 2014. In the future, the facility is planned to include bicycle facilities and other transit-oriented development.



Regarding the Provo grant, the office of Rep. Jason Chaffetz released the following statement, "FTA's announcement is great news for Provo and Utah County. An intermodal center in the heart of Provo has many advantages. Residents will appreciate one-stop, quick and easy access to commuter rail, bus, and other transportation options. This project will play an important role in addressing the needs of an ever more upwardly mobile workforce and community."



The $400,000 grant will go toward converting the 3900 South Meadowbrook TRAX station in South Salt Lake from a park-and-ride stop to a transit-oriented development. The grant money will be used to replace existing surface parking with a new parking deck and reconfiguring the bus loop.



These infrastructure changes will allow redevelopment of the remainder of the block. Proposed new structures include a 60,000 square foot office/educational building, 7,000 square feet of retail and an 88 unit apartment building.



For more information on UTA projects, visit www.rideuta.com.

Blog Entries of Note...

Image via WikipediaFrom Streetsblog San Francisco:

Bike, Ped Improvements Part of Portland’s Stimulus Plan

Many places are being criticized because their stimulus plans is too highway oriented but Portland is looking to finance bike and pedestrian improvements.

Obama Nominee Ray LaHood Appropriated Big Money to Road Lobby

Obama's nominee of LaHood has been criticized across the board and will most likely be the most dividing nominee of the Obama administration.

From the Daybreak Blog:

Daybreak's New Community

Daybreak is creating a community that is for the over 50 crowd. However, it will not be an exclusive area, just one that has the features that the over 50 crowd is looking for. With this part of the population getting bigger and needing more pedestrian friendly environments, it is nice to see Daybreak comeing to the table.

From the Bike Utah Valley Blog:

Why we Build Roads Instead of Transit

Some common sense from Brad down in Utah County.

From the Denver Infill Blog:

#7: Downtown Streetcars!

People in Denver like many other cities across the country are starting to consider streetcars as an alternative to buses.

From the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

The Latest Stimulus News from D.C.

The blog shows the breakdown of where the money for transit will go as apposed to the money that will allocated for highway projects.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog:

"A Revolution In Travel Habits"

Spain is seeing big changes in riding habits since the opening of the new high speed rail line between Madrid and Barcelona.

From the Amtrak Tracking for my Commute Blog:

2nd Hudson Rail Tunnel Clears Key Federal Hurdle

New Jersey Transit is getting closer to building the new tunnels under the Hudson that will connect the Northeast corridor to New York City. While on the face of it this is a project that will give badly needed capacity, it is also a project that shows the typical transit menatily blinders that keep from seeing the bigger picture. The new project will not connect up with other regional carriers and not improve transportation throughout the region.

From Streetsblog:

Streetfilms: Sharing Street Space in Paris

How Paris drivers share the road with bicycles.

From the Cap'N Transit Rides Again Blog:

The Failing Railbanks

Railbanking seemed like such a good idea. Take a rail line that is not currently being used by may be needed in the future then rail bank it as a trail for the time being then reactivate the rail line when needed. However, the trail advocates want the trail to themselves and fight to keep rail lines from being reactivated.

Blog Entries of Note...

Image via WikipediaFrom the Bike Utah Valley Blog comes important information:

Mountainland Transportation Planning Meeting

It is important to get out and have your voices heard. The people with the extreme political bent are always out there trying to say they represent the majority so it is important that the average person is present to let the bureaucrats know what is truly needed.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog:

Quantifying Prop 1A's Economic Stimulus

California has proposition 1A on the ballot that would support construction of a high speed rail line from San Francisco to Southern California. The blog talks about a study that shows the benefits the system would bring.

From the Track Twenty-Nine Blog:

Transit 101

We are lucky here in Salt Lake that the University of Utah was progressive when it comes to transportation planning. Too many Universities are still living in the 50's and don't want their students to have easy access to transit. It would be interesting to see the correlation between who the universities get donations from and their anti-transit attitude.

From the Overhead Wire Comes:

San Francisco May Do Fees Right

San Fransisco is looking toward rewarding developers who locate near transit when it comes to impact fees.

Transportation Secretary Short List

While I am trying to stay out of the Presidential election, this posting shows the possible candidates for Transportation Secretary in each administration. Notice that the one side favors highway lobbyist. What do you really think their transportation priorities will be?

From Streetsblog Los Angeles:

“Best of Streetfilms:” San Francisco Giants’ Bike Valet Parking

Valet parking for bicycles?

Governor Signs Complete Streets Legislation

I mentioned this legislation before. Amazing the Governor in California actually signed this considering how he is steeling transit funding to support highways.

From the RT Rider (Sacramento) comes:

"Park District" funding for transit

John from the RT Rider looks toward some creative financing ideas for transit. As I have mentioned in the last couple of days the biggest problem we currently have is that our transit funding is tied to a very volatile form of taxation. John has one way we could deal with the situation.

From the N-Judah Chronicles out of San Francisco:

A Modest Proposal For Purchasing MUNI Passes and Tickets...

MUNI in San Francisco is looking toward putting ticket machines in select places throughout the city in order to make it easier to board trains and buses. The author has the idea that these type of machines should be used to sell passes also.

How about putting ticketing machines at busy bus stops around along the Wasatch Front and make it possible to sell monthly passes out of them? On top of that, how about creating a tourist pass like I used in Miami that gives multiple days of riding for a low price to encourage visitors to use transit.

From the Cap'n Transit Rides Again Blog:

Why we need the bailout plan - NOT!

The blog talks about comments from Senator Reid that we needed the bailout to sell more cars and be able to put people in debt for those cars.

From the Baltimore Innerspace Blog Comes:

Owings Mills

A wonderful posting on how to make a transit station work better. Just look at the development of the new hospital complex and how unfriendly it is toward the transit station that is right across the street. Instead of building a complex that would complement the station IHC built a complex in spite of the transit connection.

Daily Herald Editorial Aritcle

Image via Wikipedia Critics say FrontRunner cost outweighs benefit

Well it looks like a certain anti-transit guy has crawled out from under the rock he has been under for awhile.

Of course his like usually use gross generalizations to try to make his point. Of course he mentions all trips along Interstate 15 but that includes both private and commercial vehicles plus vehicles traveling through the area.

What they don't say and never will is the percentage of traffic that rail is capturing in the corridor it specifically runs.

Also the highways are already an large integrated network, that rail has yet to achieve.

BYU Football Shuttle

For those who are interested in the BYU Football shuttles, here is the information from UTA.

Following is a list of BYU home games, times they begin and the price that will be charged to ride the BYU Football Shuttle from the two locations in Utah County.

Pick up locations will be: University Mall parking lot, west of the Timpanogos Transit Center

Provo Towne Mall parking lot, east of J.C. Penney at the UTA Bus stop

Time: Busses will begin service 1.5 hours prior to game time

Date/Day	Playing	Game Time	Busses begin running	Cost
Saturday Aug 30	Northern Iowa	4:00pm	2:30pm	$4.00 round trip
Saturday September 13	UCLA	1:30pm	12:00pm Noon	$4.00 round trip
Saturday September 20	Wyoming	1:00pm	11:30am	$4.00 round trip
Saturday October 11	New Mexico	4:00pm	2:30pm	$4.50 round trip Increase due to fuel surcharge
Saturday October 25 HOMECOMING	UNLV	12:00pm Noon	10:30am	$4.50 round trip Increase due to fuel surcharge
Saturday November 08	San Diego State	12:00pm Noon	10:30am	$4.50 round trip Increase due to fuel surcharge

Utah County in the news...

Feds greenlight I-15 expansion in Utah County

Utah County now gets to go through the fun that Salt Lake County went through a few years ago. I am sure more than a few people will be happy when Front Runner starts running to provide an alternative to the freeway.

FrontRunner to help commuters and, yes, even endangered fish

A new Train of Thought

This is from a Bicycle blog out of Utah County.

Opinions from the Daily Herald...

Image by Theorris via Flickr IN OUR VIEW: Keep good news coming, UTA

Opinion from today's Daily Herald.

The Daily Herald makes a very good point. Right now Front Runner commuter rail is under construction from Salt Lake City to Provo. This will provide Utah County's first rail service and will be a big change for the area. In the past many people asked why you would need TRAX service when you have commuter rail.

Now that Front Runner is up and running people can start telling the difference between the two. Commuter rail is excellent for longer trips between longer distances. Light Rail on the other is excellent in providing service between shorter distances.

That would leave only one tier in the hierarchy of transit service missing and that is streetcar. The hierarchy being bus service--->Streetcar--->Light Rail--->Commuter Rail. Each one in the hierarchy has its place and provides a different level of service. Each provides a different level of service but when designed properly provide a regional network of effective transit solutions.

Creative Financing in Utah County

Image via Wikipedia Roads get first dib, rail coming fast

Looks like UTA and Utah County are doing some creative financing so Utah County can build more roads.

What needs to be taken into consideration when doing this creative financing is that the voters approved this money primarily for the funding of Front Runner south and transit projects in the Utah County area.

Looking at this carefully, maybe some more requirements should be put on this money such as any roads that are built with this money have to be pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

Also from Park City is talk about Affordable Housing. Park City is having the same problem that has faced many of the famous ski cities such as Aspen and Jackson Hole.

Affordable housing elusive in Park City

Town striving not to be just for rich 2nd-home owners

UTA TRAX Train

UTA TRAX Train
Originally uploaded by jmdspk

OK, despite the best efforts of our wonderful state legislators (yeah right) we will soon have several new light rail lines plus our commuter rail network running in the next 10 years. So what's next?

The 2015 network will gives us the basic framework of a good transportation system that will start making transit an alternative to the automobile for more of the population.

Today I will look at possible TRAX lines, in future entries I will go over possibilities for Streetcar and expanded bus service.

New TRAX lines and extensions:

-Davis/Weber County line

While FrontRunner provides high speed rail service through Davis County, the light rail line will provide trunk service having more stops and traveling through the heart of Davis county. While UTA has already talked about this route to Centerville, the route should continue to Farmington then via the US89 corridor to Weber State. From here it will make connections to the transit center.

Even though the route is close to FrontRunner, it will provide more frequent stations, and service markets that will not be served by Front Runner.

-Utah County Extension of the Draper Line.

This line should continue to be expanded until it reaches Provo. Yes, FrontRunner will be providing this service starting in a few years, but once again it is a higher speed, fewer stop service. Plus the TRAX line using the former Union Pacific pre-merger line will service the heart of several Utah County cities.

-The Interstate 215 line

This line will be the most expensive line built as it will require sections either being elevated or tunneled which runs substantially more than surface routes.

Like the name says it will generally follow Interstate 215. The route would connect with the University line at Wasatch and South Campus and could provide service both the Medical Center and Downtown then operate via Wasatch, Foothill, I-215, 4500 South, 2700 South, 2100 South Expressway, and Bangerter Highway connecting up with Airport TRAX to service the Airport.

There is several alternatives to routing this line but there is several things this route would do:

-Connect most of the TRAX lines together
-Provide more convenient east-west travel along the south side of the valley
-Provide service to the eastside of the valley.
-Create new marketing dynamics

FrontRunner and TRAX will provide the trunk routes of the transit system. This network will increase ridership and bring in new revenue.

Next time I will go over the next category of the system which will be the streetcars.

State Street in Utah County to be Expanded

DSCN4072
Originally uploaded by loganinve

State Street in Utah County in line for face-lift

Through part of Orem State Street is already 3 lanes in each direction and now UDOT is looking to expanded it to 3 lanes all the way to Pleasant Grove.

While drivers will be happy about the expansion, once again pedestrians will once again the planners will not even take pedestrians into account when expanding the road.

Anyone who has road the 850 State Street bus and then tried to cross the 7 lane wide State Street knows that you are taking your life into your hands when making the attempt. There is no pedestrian escape zones along the median so you must cross the entire 7 lanes in one traffic light circuit. Could that be one of the reason's why you see so few pedestrians on this road?

These seven lane semi super speedways are nothing but barriers dividing the two sides of the street. I am not saying don't build the road, but UDOT needs to do a better job of making these streets less of a barrier and more pedestrian friendly.

Various Articles from today's newspapers...

Go-ahead sought for work on I-15

Public input is sought on northern Utah County transportation plans

Land-use proposal gets initial OK

Applaud SunTran

Rapid Streetcar instead of BRT?

Bombardier tram of Istanbul T1 line
Originally uploaded by tramways2007

Yesterday I posted an article that talked about the proposal for a Bus Rapid Transit line in the Provo/Orem area.

Here is one alternative: how about a Rapid Streetcar line. So what is a Rapid Streetcar line? Well it is based of the a streetcar operation but makes more limited stops. It does not have the infrastructure requirements of Light Rail, but is faster standard Streetcar.

Here would be the route of the rapid streetcar: From the Orem FrontRunner Station via University Parkway, Sandhill Dr., 1200 South, 400 West, University Parkway, North Canyon, Bulldog Blvd/Campus Drive, 900 North, 900 East, Center, and University Avenue.

While BRT is portrayed as a low cost light rail, however it is not true. If you compare an apples to apples system BRT is MORE expensive than rail, and does not attract the ridership that rail does.

The nice thing about street car and rapid streetcar is that it can be upgraded to full Light Rail much easier than say a BRT line. In fact while many try to claim that BRT can be upgraded to Light rail, the truth is the cost of first BRT and then the upgrading cost there is no way that a BRT would ever come LRT except in limited circumstances.

BRT in Utah County delayed...

Provo in line for bus rapid transit, but later than hoped

I love how they call it "TRAX on Wheels". Strange, I always thought that TRAX trains had wheels, just made of steel.

Mountain View Corridor Meeting News...

Concerns voiced about Mountain View Corridor

Highway Troubles in Lehi...

Corridor option in Lehi opposed

This is problems that we face long term by our current development schemes and also shows the problems of Big Box retailers.

While politicians are willing to sell their souls for the sales tax dollars of big box retailers, in the long term they end up costing more than the dollars they bring in.

We need to change our ways or it's only going to get worse...

Time To Split Up the UTA?

Is the UTA trying to juggle to many eggs?

It seems like recent actions by the organization clearly shows that there needs to be organizational change at the UTA. One of the problems with the organization is that it is just too big and is having a hard time answering to the needs of three counties.

Its is time to look at breaking up the UTA into three or four different organizations. The first couple would run bus service is the North Davis/Weber County areas. The second would be in charge of bus service in Utah County. The third organization would be in charge of bus service and TRAX in Salt Lake and South Davis Counties. This would allow boards to oversee their counties and the organization would be more responsible to the customers it serves.

The big question mark would be what to do with the commuter rail and bus service. One possibility would be to create a fourth organization that would run these services since many of the customers who ride these buses and will ride the commuter rail system will not ride the local bus system except for a short ride in say Downtown Salt Lake which should be in the free fare zone once commuter rail starts.

One of the biggest arguments that comes out of these proposals is that its balkanizing the system and making it harder for people to commute. These issues can be easily solved by creating a uniform fare structure and creating agreements before the split that requires joint fares.

The benefits of splitting up the system is that people in thier respective counties would have better representation and have a bigger voice on how the transit system is run.

It is clear that there needs to be changes with the UTA. This is one change that gives local customers better service and better representation.

Will Utah County Ever Gets it Act Together???

Well there is always news on the transit front coming out of Utah County but usually its it pretty nutty or just plane dark ages thinking. I actually thought there might be some hope when Utah County decided to pull out of the Mountainland Association of Goverments which had a very rural planning attitude and decided to start its own association, however the more things change in Utah County the more they stay the same.

Utah County is working on a vote to increase the sales tax to support transit just like Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties did a few years ago. Part of the measure will fund the construction of the commuter rail line from the Utah County border to Provo and Payson. However, some politicians don't want the transit agency to get the funds until it is ready to build the system so it wants to put the money into freeways.

However there is still some politicians down there that still have the no body rides transit attitude and wants no money at all invested in commuter rail. This attitude is so backward because even before the rapid rise in gasoline prices ridership on Utah County bus routes especially the commuter routes have been going through the roof. This despite the system is not that good and still could use a lot of improvement.

Of course the main newspaper the Deseret News which is now has a board headed by a developer by the name of Ivory is not helping matters only producing negative articles. There have been several anti-commuter rail editorials in the paper one being written by and Economics instructor at BYU. Unfortunately I don't see any changes at the Deseret News until Ivory is gone from their board. Of course the best course of action is to hit the newspaper with as many well written letters to the editor as possible telling the truth about rail.

Hopefully some changes will come in Utah County as gas prices continue to be high and I-15 becomes more of a bottleneck. Transit will work in Utah County as it has proven with the rise in ridership.