Blog Entries of Note...

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From Streetsblog San Francisoco:

Caltrain Will Boost Bicycle Capacity But It’s Still Not Enough

Caltrain like many other systems including UTA is having issues with the number of bicycles that are trying to use the service.

Columbus and Its Mall: This Marriage Can’t Be Saved

Has our love affair with the malls come to an end and what can be done with these big spaces like the moribund Cottonwood Mall project?

Living a Car-Free Life

Story of a couple from San Francisco living a car free life.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog:

Lindbergh Field HSR Station Plans Emerge

Project to incorporate a new terminal at the San Diego airport that will have direct access to the San Diego light rail system, Amtrak and the high speed rail lines.

From the Xing Columbus Blog:

Cleveland to Build Ohio’s First Bike Station

Nice article about bike stations which we should soon have at Central Station.

From the Transit Miami Blog:

Sprawl is Dead, says Obama

Big talk, but will it lead to any action?

From the Overhead Wire blog:

Sunday Backlog Links

Some great comments about transit in Los Angeles plus other aritcles that you may find interesting.

Three Projects is Waaay Too Many

Apparently the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina (a city I once lived while working in NASCAR) thinks that working towards three transit projects at once is too much. I guess he would think were positively wacko here in Utah...

Imagine This Story Times Millions

My question is, there is so many property rights advocates coming out of the woodwork especially in Denver because of light rail construction, did these people say anything when people were losing their homes to the interstate highway system?

From Streetsblog LA:

Community Plan for Boyle Heights a Test of Planning’s Promise

Los Angeles City planning has stated it plans to work with neighborhoods to create plans that the citizens want. The new Boyle Heights plan will put that promise to the test.

From Biking in LA: The Pedestrian Free Crosswalk

Pedestrians are banned from a Westwood intersection despite the presence of pedestrian signals. Planning at its finest to improve the life of the automobile.

From Streetsblog:

An Attempt to Create Empathy in Drivers

Will signs make drivers think about pedestrians more?

Streetfilms: A Conversation With Congressman Earl Blumenauer

Interview with the very vocal pro transit and bicycling Earl Blumenauer out of Portland, Oreogn.

From the Sprawled Out Blog:

Kid-friendly senior housing proposed - JSOnline

Most senior developments are designed as being anti-children. However, a growing number of older people are having to raise thier grand children due to various reasons so a development in Milwaukee will be designed for those raising their grandkids.

From the Seattle Transit Blog:

New Zipcar office and city partnership are big steps in company’s effort to expand

Car sharing is being expanded in Seattle but we are still waiting for it in Salt Lake City. Plus it would be nice if it was a locally owned company.

From the RT Rider Blog:

Stimulating transit

Senate approves money for transit projects.

From the Jacksonville Transit Blog:

JACKSONVILLE AND FLORIDA BLOW THE STIMULUS

Florida will not be getting any stimulus money for transit.

Blog Entries of Note...

Image via WikipediaFrom a local blog called Argyleist:

Considering Urban Trails

Author talks about urban trails and connecting them up with our growing rail transit system in the Salt Lake Valley. Once the Mid Jordan line is done you will be able to jump off at the Gardner Village station and use the Jordan River Parkway.

From the Daybreak Blog:

Mid Jordan TRAX Now Funded

The Federal Government has come through with funding for the Mid Jordan TRAX line to Daybreak. It is very unusual for a rail project these days to get 80% funding so this is really good news and shows how well UTA does despite what some would have you believe.

From the Stephen Rees blog:

Warning sounded over Olympic bus plan

Looks like some in Vancouver, BC are worried about how well they are going to handle Olympic related traffic problems and there is plenty of comparisons to Salt Lake City.

From the Bike Utah Valley blog:

Winter Riding

Yes you can ride your bike in winter and Bike Utah Valley tells you some of joys of winter riding.

From the Mobilizing The Region Blog:

Success of NYC Rapid Bus Line Underscores Need for Camera Enforcement Law

The New York BRT line is scoring a 10% increase in ridership (small compared to our light rail line in Utah). However, BRT depends on bus only lanes and it takes enforcement to keep the lanes clear. This could also become an issue here in Salt Lake once the transit lanes open along 3500 South.

From the Transit Sleuth Blog:

Transit Exploration

Adron explores the suburbs of Portland and tries to answer the question: is there life out there?

From the Overhead Wire blog:

Where's the Housing Action?

While development in the Charlotte, North Carolina area has slowed, there is one area that is seeing new construction: along the newly opened light rail line from Uptown Charlotte to the south side.

When Chickens and Eggs = Omelettes

I already discussed the report about Foothill when the article came out but here is more talk about the proposal for the reversible lanes.

Greedy DOTs Just Following Orders?

Most of the requested stimulus funds will go to highways not to transit and here may be the reason why.

Restructuring Property Tax to Land Alone

Is it time to change the way property tax is assessed to encourage its use and not parking lots?

From Streetsblog LA:

Measure R Highway Funds Ready to Roll. Transit Funds? Not So Much.

While there are certain people who love to moan in our area, take a look at what is happening in Los Angeles and be glad of the progress being made here. Voter in Los Angeles overwhelmingly approved new transit funding but so far most of it is going to highways and transit is seeing very little. They will still be doing studies in Los Angeles and we will be moving beyond our current projects.

Portland’s Safe Streets: How Do They Do It?

Portland despite its large bicycling communty had no fatalities last year. Can Utah improve its bicycling (and pedestrian) safety record?

From the Seattle Transit Blog:

Embarcadero Freeway = Alaskan Way Viaduct

As the Seattle area continues to decide what the future of the crumbling Alaskan Way Viaduct should be, some look to the City of San Francisco for inspiration. You have to love the before and after pictures from San Francisco.

Sound Transit Stimulus Request

Sound Transit is making a request of lawmakers for its own stimulus package which includes several transit projects.

From the Intermodality Blog:

Streetcars for Houston?

A look at possible streetcar routes for the city of Houston in addition to thier commuter rail and light rail extensions.

Transit Related Articles

UTA TRAX train at Gallivan Plaza Station
Originally uploaded by jmdspk

Utah Transit Authority to release draft environmental study for light-rail extension

North Carolina's CATS posts passenger-count record in February

Interesting article from Charlotte showing how ridership has skyrocketed after their light rail line opened. Having lived in Charlotte for two years I can tell you that their bus system was next to useless (anyone who says UTA is bad should have been forced to ride CATS when I lived there).

Thank you to the Transit Sleuth out of Portland for referring the article above.

Sketch aims to encourage UTA probe

Then there is the Bus Riders Union and its allies. I guess when the facts are not backing you up, you do a dog and pony show in order to get heard even if you are wrong. Don't get me wrong, UTA is far from perfect, however these people don't want good transit service they want pathetic transit service.
Maybe its time to start figuring out where the funding is coming to these people. After all, when the Bus Riders Unions financial statements became well known they started loosing respect. Of course the Bus Riders Union here in Salt Lake has little respect but sometimes even a small group despite they don't represent the majority can do long term harm.