Mid Jordan TRAX line construction update

Image via Wikipedia

Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update: September 17, 2008*

Please forward this information on to others that would be interested.

*This schedule is subject to change due to weather, materials issues, or unanticipated utility conflicts.

Sugar Factory Area

Activity: Utility work at the intersection of 3200 West and the railway. Traffic Impacts: 3200 West will be closed at the trackway between approximately 8600 South and Haun Drive September 22^nd through September 29^th. Please use 8600 South or Haun Drive as detour routes. Detour signs will be posted.

Activity: Construction of sound wall along right-of-way rail corridor between 2700 West and 3200 West began on September 2nd and will continue through the end of the month.

Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.

Old Bingham Area

Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.

Gardner Village Area

Activity: Access to Gardner Village from the Jordan River Parkway Trail is closed until August 2009.

Updated Activity: Construction on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Traffic Impacts: The Jordan River Parkway Trail will start a temporary detour near approximately 7500 South beginning September 25th. The detour will remain open during pile driving activities on September 25^th-26^th. The trail will be intermittently detoured through August 2009. Please be aware that the detour does cross a live railway track, and as such, the detour will be closed daily from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when freight is actively running on the track. Please plan accordingly.

Activity: Construction on retaining walls at 7800 South near Gardner Village began on June 30th and is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: There will be a designated truck turning lane on the north side of 7800 South accessing the Gardner Village property. Flagging operations will be in place as trucks enter and exit the roadway. To accommodate this construction, the following closures will be in place:

• The eastbound lane on the south side of 7800 South will be closed as necessary starting on August 6^th
• The westbound lane on the north side of 7800 South will be closed September 17^th through October 1^st

Activity: Construction activities on 1300 West at the railway have been postponed. Traffic Impacts: 1300 West will be not be closed at the railway from September 15^th through September 22^nd. There will be a notification when this work begins.

Activity: Grading and utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder closures with possible lane restrictions.

Cottonwood Area

Activity: Construction on Cottonwood Street will begin on September 2nd and will continue through mid-November. Traffic Impacts: Lane restrictions and closures as follows:

· Northbound travel on Cottonwood Street will be closed between Winchester Street and 6500 South for the duration of construction. Southbound travel will remain open and traffic will be shifted to the east side of the roadway while crews reconstruct the west side. Once construction on the west side is complete, traffic will be switched to the west side of the roadway to allow crews to reconstruct the east side.

· Cottonwood Street will accommodate southbound traffic only between Winchester Street and 6500 South. Please use 700 West or State Street as detour routes. Detour signs will be posted.

Activity: Construction on 300 West will begin on September 2nd and continue through November 2008. Traffic Impacts: 300 West will be closed to all traffic from 6300 South to Winchester Street, and closed to through traffic at 6100 South. Local business access will be available on 300 West between 6100 South and 6300 South.

If you have any question or concerns regarding the project, please let me know.

Sarah Loughlin

Community Involvement Specialist

Utah Transit Authority

801-236-4783

sloughlin@rideuta.com

You have been included on the Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update project update email list. Each time the construction schedule is updated, you will receive an email notifying you of the update. If you would like to be removed from this list, simply send an email stating so.

Sent on behalf of Sarah Loughlin by

Amy Calara

Mid-Jordan Light Rail Public Involvement

(801) 290-5798 Office

(801) 931-9246 Cell

(888) 550-2211 24-Hour Project Hotline

(801) 262-8885 FAX

mid-jordanline@hwlochner.com

The Metrolink Incident.

Image via Wikipedia I have waited a few days to post this so that more details would come out and we would have more facts.

First of all, the tragedy in Los Angeles involving a Metrolink Commuter train was a very tragic accident that should have never happened. We know that the train ran a red signal and hit a Union Pacific freight train head on. Lets review what the Metrolink Train did wrong: first the train ran a red stop signal, and second the engineer was not calling out signals.

Apparently this can be attributed to the fact that the engineer of the Metrolink train was possibly texting on his cell phone. First of all, most railroads have banned the use of cell phones while operating train equipment so that should not be happening. Second, if this is indeed true, then this engineer caused a accident that not only took his own life but the lives of 24 innocent people. This was truly human error and should have never happened.

Sadly some people (you can guess who this people are) are using this tragidy to promote their anti-transit philosophy including Randall O'Toole who seems to be a hero of a certain group here in Salt Lake City. Sadly accidents happen but overall riding the rails is safe. To put it in prospective about 25 people die in auto accidents every six hours. In addition thousands of commuter trains travel the rails every day of the year without incident.

I have to say I am pretty dissapointed with Metrolink itself. The public relations person Denise Tyrrell came out with a statement admiting it was operator error apprently with the approval of the Metrolink CEO. Now she has been forced to resign because the board of directors felt the statement was premature (or more importantetly the National Transportation Safety Board was unhappy). Apparently she is being used as a scapegoat even though it is now pretty clear that the statement was correct. So unlike some companies who have taken a bad situation and made it good, Metrolink has just given itself a worse black eye than it already had. Maybe some in the Metrolink board need to read Public Relations 101?

The Metrolink was a tragedy that should have never happened and my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones in the incident.

Development Along Legacy and Logan Traffic...

Future Legacy development takes shape

Logan tackles big-city traffic

West Valley TRAX Update

Image via Wikipedia

Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to

a minimum, this 5-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: Preliminary construction continues as third party utility relocations take place on Constitution Boulevard in preparation for the beginning of TRAX construction in this area. Upcoming Construction: Third party utility relocations will continue to take place in this reach throughout the next couple of months. Traffic Impacts: Current impacts to motorists should be minimal at this time; however, there will be minor lane restrictions as utility companies work along Constitution Boulevard. As construction proceeds, we will personally visit with residents and businesses in this area to keep them informed.

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 in this reach 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: Off-road construction continues to take place along the south side of 3100 South just east of Constitution Boulevard. Currently, utility companies are working in this area. Work is also taking place along the north side of 3100 South just west of Decker Lake Drive. Upcoming Construction: Construction will begin on the north end of The E Center next week as crews install a sewer line. This work has been scheduled to not conflict with The E Center events and will not impact motorists visiting this area. It is anticipated that this work will be complete before the “So You Think You Can Dance?” event scheduled for September 23rd. TRAFFIC IMPACTS: Current impacts to motorists should be minimal in this reach because the majority of work takes place along the sides of 3100 South.

Reach 3

Reach Description: Reach 3 is the area along Decker Lake Drive from 3100 South to 2770 South and on 2770 South 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: TRAX construction continues to take place on Decker Lake Drive as crews continue to install sewer lines and other utilities on the west side of the street. As work is completed on the west side of the street, crews will then switch to the east side of the street. Utility work along Decker Lake Drive is anticipated to take place throughout the next several months. Crews have also started to expose utilities along Research Way located at 2770 South just west of Redwood Road. Access is being maintained and impacts along Research Way should be minimal at this time. Upcoming Construction: Construction is anticipated to begin on the east side of Decker Lake Drive on September 25th. At this time, traffic will switch to the west side of Decker Lake Drive with one lane of traffic operational in each direction. Access to businesses will also be maintained. Traffic Impacts: · Currently, one lane of traffic is operational in each direction on the east side of Decker Lake Drive and access to businesses is maintained. Please be mindful of workers in this area 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 in this area to ensure a safe working environment that provides access to their properties throughout construction. Current Construction: We would like to again thank the residents of Chesterfield for their patience during construction. The majority of construction taking place on the West Valley Line is currently taking place in this area. Construction in this reach is on the east side of Redwood Road as crews continue to clear the way for TRAX on the north side of the Brighton and Decker Lake Canals and the Jordan River. Currently, crews have created a corridor for TRAX that extends into Reach 5 and connects to the industrial area along 1070 West. Crews continue to reinforce a box culvert that runs below the trail at 2770 South from Redwood Road to the Decker Lake Canal. Significant work is also being accomplished on the foundations for the overhead wiring system that is necessary for TRAX to operate. Progress is being made in this area as construction continues east along the Crosstowne Trail. Upcoming Construction: Crews will continue to work on the box culvert that runs beneath the Crosstowne Trail and will also continue installing the foundations that hold the overhead wiring system for TRAX. Sound walls for this area will be installed over the next couple of months as final design becomes available. Traffic Impacts: · Lester Street which is located at approximately 2770 South and the Crosstowne Trail has been closed and is scheduled to re-open on September 12th just in time for the 18th Annual Independent Living 5K “Run & Roll” which goes directly through this intersection. · 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 in this area.

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: Crews have started preliminary construction in this reach along 1070 West. They are currently “potholing” or exposing utilities in this area to determine their exact locations under the street. Crews have created a corridor for TRAX that extends from Reach 4 to connect with 1070 West in this reach. Upcoming Construction: More intensive construction is slated to begin in this area within the next two to three weeks. Crews will begin utility work along both sides of 1070 West. Traffic lanes and access to businesses will be maintained throughout this work. Traffic Impacts: Currently, any impacts to motorists should be minimal in this construction reach.

Reach 6

Reach Description: Reach 6 runs through the Union Pacific Railroad’s Roper Yard area. Although there are no businesses and residents in this reach, 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 in this area. Current Construction: Construction crews continue to install utilities in this reach. Upcoming Construction: Coordination will continue with the Union Pacific Railroad to install utilities in this reach. 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 in this reach will take place along Andy Avenue in South Salt Lake. Crews will closely coordinate activities with businesses in this reach to ensure access is maintained at all times. Current Construction: Crews have removed the old track along Andy Avenue and are installing a water line in this area. We will continue to update businesses along 600 West regarding construction in this area. Upcoming Construction: The water line installation at Andy Avenue will continue throughout the next several weeks as construction continues east towards 300 West. Traffic Impacts: Impacts to motorists should be minimal at this time. General Information Access during Construction UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses 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.

Blog Entries of Note...

Image via Wikipedia Since I will not be available to post tomorrow, here is the weekly blog posts I found of interest:

From the Bike Utah Valley Blog:

Bikes on Trains & Buses

Interesting comments about the problems up in Portland with bikes on transit. If you listen to some people you would think that UTA does nothing right, while it is not perfect it is not the evil empire some people make it out to be.

From the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

At National Conference, NJ Cited as Leader on Bike Policy

Utah ranked 11th out of the 50 states which is not too bad although it could be better. We need to be working on multimodal solutions such as the bike route next to the TRAX line in Draper.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog:

Ghettoizing Rail

Once again talks about the importance of integrating rail service to provide a better network of service.

From the Xing Columbus Blog:

Should States Raise the Minimum Driving Age?

Of course parents and students hate this idea and to make matters worse, the poor design of most new schools makes it virtually impossible for anyone to walk to school. I think the major issue here is not the age that drivers get licenses but the fact that there is not alternatives.

I won't even get into the fact that people are allowed to cheat on their Utah drivers tests...

From Transit Miami:

Miami’s Newest Urban Square?

Miami’s Newest Urban Square, Part 2

We already have an advantage over Miami as we have Pioneer Park. Yes it has its issues but it has the potential to be that Urban Square of Salt Lake City. Of course the isolated suburbanites will still fear the park for some time and even after its clean up with still tell stories about the problems but that's their problem.

From the Overhead Wire:

BART thinks about Peak Period Pricing

The Seattle METRO system already charges more in the peak period than in the off peak periods.

Jordan Line Update

Image via Wikipedia

Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update: September 11, 2008*

Please forward this information on to others that would be interested.

*This schedule is subject to change due to weather, materials issues, or unanticipated utility conflicts.

Sugar Factory Area

Activity: Construction of sound wall along right-of-way rail corridor between 2700 West and 3200 West began on September 2nd and will continue through the end of the month.

Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.

Old Bingham Area

Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.

Gardner Village Area

Activity: Access to Gardner Village from the Jordan River Parkway Trail is closed until August 2009.

Activity: Construction on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Traffic Impacts: The Jordan River Parkway Trail will start a temporary detour near approximately 7500 South beginning September 15th. To ensure safety of the trail users during pile driving activities, the trail will be closed at approximately 7500 south from September 25^th through September 26^th. The trail will re-open on September 27^th on the detour route. The trail will be intermittently detoured through August 2009. Please be aware that the detour does cross a live railway track, and as such, the detour will be closed daily from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when freight is actively running on the track. Please plan accordingly.

Activity: Construction on retaining walls at 7800 South near Gardner Village began on June 30th and is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: There will be a designated truck turning lane on the north side of 7800 South accessing the Gardner Village property. Flagging operations will be in place as trucks enter and exit the roadway. To accommodate this construction, the following closures will be in place:

· The eastbound lane on the south side of 7800 South will be closed as necessary starting on August 6^th

· The westbound lane on the north side of 7800 South will be closed with flagging operations through September 15^th

· The westbound lane on the north side of 7800 South will be closed September 17^th through October 1^st

Activity: Construction activities on 1300 West at the railway have been delayed. Traffic Impacts: 1300 West will be not be closed at the railway from September 15^th through September 22^nd. There will be a notification when this work begins.

Activity: Grading and utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder closures with possible lane restrictions.

Cottonwood Area

Activity: Construction on Cottonwood Street will begin on September 2nd and will continue through mid-November. Traffic Impacts: Lane restrictions and closures as follows:

· Northbound travel on Cottonwood Street will be closed between Winchester Street and 6500 South for the duration of construction. Southbound travel will remain open and traffic will be shifted to the east side of the roadway while crews reconstruct the west side. Once construction on the west side is complete, traffic will be switched to the west side of the roadway to allow crews to reconstruct the east side.

· Cottonwood Street will accommodate southbound traffic only between Winchester Street and 6500 South. Please use 700 West or State Street as detour routes. Detour signs will be posted.

Activity: Utility work will take place at the intersection of 300 West and Winchester Street from 6 a.m. September 9th through 5 a.m.

September 11th. Traffic Impacts: The intersection will be closed during this time. Please follow detour routes as posted.

Activity: Construction on 300 West will begin on September 2nd and continue through November 2008. Traffic Impacts: 300 West will be closed to all traffic from 6300 South to Winchester Street, and closed to through traffic at 6100 South. Local business access will be available on 300 West between 6100 South and 6300 South.

If you have any question or concerns regarding the project, please let me know.

Sarah Loughlin

Community Involvement Specialist

Utah Transit Authority

801-236-4783

sloughlin@rideuta.com

Update...

I am continue to work on making the blog more helpful and user friendly. Today, I have redone the Blog links so that they are divided by state first with Utah then alphabetical. Also there is a section for blogs that are national or cover more than one state (or neighboring states).

Hope you enjoy the changes.

Front Runner incident...

FrontRunner clips minivan; nobody injured

Articles....

Westminster promotes commuting without polluting

Voters in Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs to vote on UTA

Suburbs in the Urban Area Part II

Image via Wikipedia Yesterday I talked about the situation in Miami when it comes to their suburban developments in the urban area. Today we look at the residential development at Gateway and what could have been done.

Most people know Gateway as the shopping center built around the former Union Pacific passenger train area. It is referred two as a “lifestyle center” that includes an open air mall and a residential component.

I have already talked about the while being an open air mall, Gateway share the characteristic of being a closed mall by being designed to keep people in the complex and not blending with the neighborhood.

Now let’s take a look at the residential component and see how it blends into the community.

While you have the shopping center on the backside of the residential component, the front side faces 500 West. While there have been trees planted and a grass median put in for the most part people only use this to get to and from their cars.

Previously I talked about the need to turn 100 South and 600 West into a Pedestrian connector between Gateway and Central Station and this would give more reason for pedestrians to access 500 South but it still has a problem.

The problem is while walking along 500 West you are faced a long journey past blank walls with nothing to draw people along the corridor.

In addition there is no connects from the residential area to either TRAX or the bus system. If the residential component would have been built on the opposite of the center, residents would have convenient walks to both TRAX and the bus lines.

In addition, the residential component does not blend into the surrounding neighborhoods much like the retail component. It is meant to isolate its residents into that area alone. Also, without neighborhood markets for the people to shop in, they have to use their cars even for the most basic of needs. There is nothing inside the Gateway retail center to deal with this type of need. Sure they can get a cup of coffee or look at books, but if they need a gallon of milk and some breakfast foods where do they go?

While Boyer did try to put in a Super Target that would have been too large of scale to blend into the neighborhood as can be seen from the Wal-Mart at 300 West/1300 South.

One of the problems with Gateway is that Boyer is basically a sprawl developer. They used their basic knowledge of building sprawl strip centers and adapted it to the urban environment instead of adapting to that urban environment.

That brings us back to City Creek. Will the residential development at City Creek be truly urban living that blends seamlessly to build a walkable urban area? Or will it end up like Gateway and be nothing but vertical suburbs were people are just as dependent on their cars as they are in the suburbs?

Suburbs in the Urban Area Part I

Image via Wikipedia

As we draw closer to actually buildings going up at City Creek, there needs to be a basic questioned answered, are the new condos and residential buildings in the complex going to be urban or suburban?

I know what you are thinking; of course they will be urban because they will be in the downtown area. However that is not necessarily true.

When I was in Miami last November for Railvolution, there were a large number of new high rise condominium buildings going up in the downtown area. While this may seem like a good sign, taking a closer look will actually tell you a different story.

While the buildings may look nice from the distance, will they help bring life to the streets and provide easy access to transit service? The answer to these two questions is a big NO.

These high rises in Miami are little more than vertical suburban development.

First of all these buildings are usually several levels of parking followed by the apartments or condos. The sidewalks in front of one building I looked at were nice and wide the only problem being is the building had no real access from street level. While you could enter and exit the building from the first level, it was clear that it was not the front entrance.

While the sidewalk is nice and wide, there are no trees to provide shade from the hot and humid Miami weather. In other words, the residents of this tower are not expected to enjoy Miami’s street life or to take one of several bus routes that pass by the building every hour.

Meanwhile the Miami Metromover has an elevated station right behind the building yet there will be no access from the building to the rail station. If one of the residents was actually going to ride Metromover they would have to walk out that entrance that truly isn’t an entrance, walk around the building then up the stairs to the Metromover.

Despite the fact that there is a major entertainment complex and park right across the street, the building closes off that area to its residents. It is assumed that everyone who lives in this building is totally tied to their automobile and never wants to be away from it.

Buildings need to be part of the community, not segregated from it.

KSL Article

Planners explore possibility of TRAX north to Davis County

Logan Transit Article

Public bus ridership breaks record in Cache Valley

Blog Postings from this week...

Image via Wikipedia First up from the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

In NJ, “Son of Toll Hike” is Born

While Utah looks at the possibility of its first toll road, the New Jersey turnpike authority is looking to increase toll charges in order to replenish the state highway trust fund. A portion would go to the New Jersey Transit project to build additional tunnels from New Jersey to Penn Station in New York to deal with train congestion out of the area.

From the Denver Transit Stop Blog:

Public Private Partnership Pilot Program (Penta P)

This talks about the RTD in Denver looking at Public-Private partnerships in order to get some lines built in its Fastracks program.

The author has an excellent description of the various types of partnerships and how they work so it is differently worth a look.

From the Xing Columbus (Ohio) Blog:

Money Never Disappears for Sprawl

The blog mentions that Ohio has instituted a policy of fix it first meaning that it will fix existing highways before starting new ones.

From the Transit Miami Blog:

Boondoggle

A couple of weeks ago an article was published in some magazine that listed the biggest boondoggles (by who's classification?) and Transit Miami points out while its own project the expansion of Metro Rail has not happened so far, you have to question some of the others on the list including the unique Sydney Opera House.

From the Transbay Blog:

Sunday Streets and More, This Labor Day Weekend

San Francisco closed a street to create a pedestrian fair.

From the Overhead Wire:

Making San Francisco More Accessible by Amtrak

There is a couple of ways to get to San Fransisco by Amtrak. First by long distance train you can get off in either Emeryville or Oakland and take a bus to the San Fransisco or if your on one of the corridor trains you can take BART from Richmond (which I did on multiple occasions).

However, the post points out about the disconnect between local, state and national carriers which was pointed out in the intragration series.

Battlefield NIMBYism

Article from New Jersey were NJ Transit wants to put commuter trains on a existing rail line but people who run a revolutionary war battlefield think railroad tracks are a blight and should be eliminated.

From the RT Rider:

The cost of free parking

Growing a transit lifestyle in barren soil

John talks about difficulties in buidling a transit lifestyle in Sacramento. You can see the comparisons to many places in along the Wasatch Front.

From the N-Judah Chonicles:

Just What IS A "Green Bus Shelter" Anyway?

Putting grass on top of a bus stop shelter makes it a green shelter?

From the CTA Tattler:

Higher gas prices mean big CTA ridership increase

Chicago is also having a major increase in ridership in both rail and bus.