Blog Entries of Note...

Image via WikipediaFrom the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

Region’s Monumental Interest in TOD Reflected in Panel, Grant Program

Shows some of the progress being made in the New York region when it comes to transit oriented developments.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog:

John Kerry Introduces HSR Bill

Talks about the high speed rail bill that has been introduced by John Kerry. Once again while high speed rail is great for states like California, here in the mountain west we need a more effective long distance network.

BART to San Jose Lives?

Looks like voters in San Jose have approved a measure to increase sales taxes to help pay for the BART extension to San Jose. This one look like it was going down to defeat but now is passing by a slim margin (one thing to note is that it needs 2/3rds to pass so a majority DO want it).

From the Transit Sleuth Blog comes:

Trucking is Headed for Trouble

Adron makes some good points about the current conditions when it comes to interstate freight travel by rail and highway.

From the Overhead Wire Blog:

Too Easy to Build Roads

The Overhead Wire makes comments about the Feds approving the Mountain View Corridor on the west side.

Not a Train, Never Will Be

BRT is not like light rail, never will be.

From Streetsblog LA comes:

Report: Good Transit and Good Jobs Go Hand in Hand

San Francisco Moves Forward With Congestion-Busting Parking Reform

James Rojas on a Future Without Cars

From the RT Rider comes:

Riding on the edge

From the Orphan Road Blog:

Portland Development Commission RFI

From the National Association of Railroad Passengers Blog:

The Changing Transportation Construction Market

Articles from this week

Image via WikipediaUDOT puts $3.9B in projects on hold

While I have mentioned this over and over again, I must hammer this home. If a certain group of puppets from a certain so called riders union would have gotten their way and transferred UTA over to UDOT, transit funding would now moved over to highways and that is the goal of the people who run that organization.

Draper offering millions to private developer

Residents leery over UTA plans

UTA bus hits pedestrian in downtown SLC

It is hard enough trying to make areas more pedestrian friendly but then you have people who do stupid things that give all pedestrians a black eye.

Freeway gets green light from the feds

Mountain View freeway gets green light from Feds

Residents' protest stalls FrontRunner

Mountain View Cutbacks...

Image via WikipediaPlanners scale back Mountain View freeway to address pollution concerns

This will make a large number of people on happy as this will create another Bangerter Highway. You will have frequent traffic lights along the route but you still divide neighborhoods in half plus you will need pedestrian overpasses since it will not be safe to cross.

The problem is that with the high cost of building freeways getting higher all the time and gas taxes going down due to more efficient vehicles and people driving less, either you have to cut back, pay tolls, or raise taxes. It seems that no one wants any of these alternatives.

Tolls and Taxes

Image via WikipediaOnce again we have the west side cities trying to stop an attempt to toll the Mountain View Corridor.

West-side cities re-emphasizing opposition to toll for new road

However, the question needs to be asked, if the road is not tolled, how will the state pay for it? This brings up another problem that will start facing highway funding and that is decreases in gas tax revenue. However, if people switch to more economical cars and start taking transit more, then gas tax revenues will go down further straining the revenue.

Since the gas tax is assessed by the gallon and not by a percentage of sale like a regular sales tax, revenue goes down if drivers don't drive as much or get more efficient vehicles.

In fact highways actually face the same problem as transit. In Utah much like the rest of the country, transit systems are dependent on sales tax revenue which of course goes down during back economic times. Like the gas tax, it is an unstable form of taxation because you cannot depend on the revenues remaining constant.

Of course tolling is not a 100% solution to the gas tax since it is also dependent on people driving but if someone buys a more efficient vehicle, but drives the same amount on the toll road you do not loose that revenue.

In the long run a more stable form of taxation is going to be needed. Plus, new developments are going to have to a bigger portion of their true cost.

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Developers propose freeway deal

Mountain View Corridor speeding up

Developers are donating land to cover the construction of the Mountainview Corridor. Notice that the land only includes the section from 9000 South to Redwood Road which is actually going to be one of the less expensive segments to purchase.

Also they mention the proposed transit line but like several of the streetcar proposals has been downgraded from rail transit to bus service.

Mountain View Corridor News...

Get Mountain View Corridor comments in

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...