I have been making a concentrated effort to use mass transportation as much as possible in recent years.  Tom and I have two cars that we try not to drive much.  During our work week in the winter time, we drive the 1.5 miles to the TRAX parking lot and take the train to our job 12 miles away (In the warmer weather we either walk or ride our bikes to the TRAX station or take the bus if it meets our schedule.).  At our place of work we keep our other car so that Tom can do the job related errands that require the use of a vehicle around the area where we work in uptown Salt Lake City.

As we were walking to the train yesterday after work we were talking about what Salt Lake City should do to change its downtown from a vehicle supported area to a pedestrian friendly area (When you walk, you realize how much dependency there is on vehicles and how vehicles are not friendly to pedestrians....).

All of downtown should be car-free.  Only buses and trains would be permitted downtown.  All parking decks downtown should be transformed into useable residential or commercial or office space.  Automobile users would park their vehicles in lots surrounding the city and take shuttles or trains into downtown.  (Better yet, as our train and bus system is improved and expanded to all areas of the valley, folks should be able to travel from their homes....).  Bicycles could be made available via rental fee for those choosing to transport themselves that way.  More people could then actually live and work in the downtown area.  For moving, designated times could be alloted after business hours for vehicles to move furniture and other items into buildings downtown.  Same thing for deliveries for businesses. 

With proper and efficient planning, this could work.

Yesterday was the first time I experienced the impact of Utah Transit Authority's "new and improved" bus system, which took effect August 26th.

After walking around West Jordan to run errands (there is no bus route available to do this), I needed to take a bus to the TRAX station from my neighborhood in West Jordan so I could travel the 12 miles north to Salt Lake City.  What I discovered is that there is NO east west running bus in my area to take riders to the train.  The only bus I found was one that runs north south and into  Salt Lake City in a part that is far from my destination.

So I walked.  And walked.  And walked.

It took me one hour from where I was after doing errands to get to a train.  I love to walk, so it wasn't too much of an imposition, however I was lucky that I was not on a strict time schedule.  What I discovered on my 5 mile walk was that as I meandered through affluent neighborhoods, near big box stores and golf courses, there were plenty of bus stops (for weekday travelers).   But what I then found as I wound myself through less affluent neighborhoods - trailer parks and small bungalows in more low income areas - was that bus stops had been completely eliminated (there were signs on former bus stop signs announcing the elimination of them).

Wow. 

It is even more apparent to me now who the UDOT bus system caters to.  And it ain't the working folks who work trades or minimum wage jobs and it ain't those among them who work to keep businesses open on the weekends.

There's a LOT wrong with this picture.

I'm leaving now on this Sunday to walk to the TRAX station.  This time I have a shorter walk - only about 2 miles since I'm leaving directly from my home.  There is no bus available for me today.

Good thing it's not raining.  And good thing my legs and feet still work.

I have posted on this blog about UTA's revision to its system and how it will adversely affect riders in Salt Lake Valley. It plans to not only decrease the number of routes (from 98 to 80) but also increase the fares.

At a forum yesterday organized by Crossroads Urban Center, several Salt Lake City Mayoral Candidates raised concerns about this plan. Here are some comments:

House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake City, wants the agency to go back and talk to riders, hold public hearings, and then come out with a proposal. He said UTA did not include input from riders when drafting the plan.
"UTA needs to understand that when it starts a process like this, it should not start with a proposal," Becker said.
Former Salt Lake City Councilman Keith Christensen and Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said the agency should look at using smaller buses or vans in areas where the number of riders is low. City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton said that UTA has designed its system to focus on commuters and that the city should eliminate free parking during Christmas to subsidize buses.
Surgeon J.P. Hughes said he would like to see buses operate for longer hours.

But UTA says that the new plan will be more reliable and efficient, even though The agency has received just over 2,000 comments about the plan. About 65 percent of the comments criticized the redesign, while 35 percent praised it, according to UTA.

It is clear that UTA is going to go ahead with its plan, even though it is also clear that most people are critical of it. What's the point of public comment if they aren't going to listen?

I've been participating in No Drive Day for three weeks now (I actually have been doing "no drive days" for several years now, just not as part of a project).  It's difficult with the way our current mass transportation system is set up, but not impossible.  Instead of 20  minutes to get to work in the morning, it takes a little less than one hour.  This is because of the distance we live from where we work causing is to take one bus, the train, and either walking or bicycling the rest of the way (although the latter distance affords the option of taking another bus, we choose to walk or bike).  Fortunately we are able to get bus passes through our work that are good for a year and cost a total of $50.

Yesterday we took our bicycles with us.  It's a little cumbersome that way because of having to hoist the bikes onto the bike rack in front of the bus and then up into the train.  Taking your bicycle is risky because on the bus and on either end of the train (the only place bikes are permitted on the trains) there can only be two bikes at a time.  If your bus or train comes and their are bikes on there already, you are SOL - if you abide by the rules.  Fortunately our schedule gets us just ahead of the rush hour in the a.m. and after the rush  hour in the p.m.  But any other time it's likely we would have to wait longer because of the bike situation, since there are more and more folks using their bikes.

My advice to UTA is to design train cars and buses to hold more bicycles.  I've seen it in other cities, so I know it can be done).

We will be expanding our "No Drive Day" to two days per week soon.  We just have to decide which day since many days we have to stay uptown for meetings and other events and mass transit becomes non-existent to our area after certain times of the evening.

Utah is among the top cities for polluted air - especially in the winter time during inversions where the pollution is trapped by high pressure weather systems that don't move - sometimes for weeks at a time.

It was interesting to see this item in today's Deseret News about Utah's Air:

Utah MDs campaign for clean air to ease 'health crisis'
By Joe Bauman
Deseret Morning News
      Alarmed by death and damage to health caused by air pollution, several Utah physicians are calling for the state to take strong action.
      From mandatory dips in freeway speed limits during smoggy days to a ban on new coal-fired power plants, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment proposed what they acknowledge are bold actions Monday during a press conference at LDS Hospital.
      Among the proposals are reducing speed limits on bad-air days, a moratorium on building coal-fired power plants and an air-pollution course in elementary school curriculum.

In today's Salt Lake Tribune:


S.L. County transportation plan
Roads or rails? It's both, and soon UTA, elected leaders say there should be enough cash to cover everything, including TRAX spurs

Utah Transit Authority General Manager John Inglish promised plainly that a new quarter-cent sales tax provides the resources to complete all four new TRAX spurs and commuter rail.
    "The bottom line is: This is a package deal," Inglish assured a skittish cluster of politicians.
    And all those rail lines, he pledged, will be running within seven to 10 years.

In today's Deseret News:

Officials push mass transit to top of list

The Salt Lake County Council and county mayors on Tuesday laid the groundwork to build a network of rails over the next 10 years that will span the Salt Lake Valley, by endorsing a list of projects that will be funded through a quarter-cent sales-tax hike that voters approved in November.
      The officials hanged priorities recommended in a list of 34 projects compiled by the Wasatch Front Regional Council and approved funding for four projects, three of which are mass transit.

This is precisely why I did not vote for the proposal to increase taxes for transportation. I felt from the beginning that the language was too vague and that would leave it open to interpretation and spending money on things I don't want my tax money spent on. Apparently there is a lot of discussion by county officials and conflict about where to spend the money from the additional tax revenue.

An excerpt from the article, County may alter transit priorities:

Voters in November approved the quarter-cent tax increase by a margin of 64 percent to 36 percent. Although the ballot language didn't specifically say what type of projects the money should fund, several opinion polls showed Salt Lake County voters wanted the money to go to transit.
But out of the 34 projects on the draft list, 29 are for roads.

My dad always advised me to vote "no" on issues and candidates in elections where uncertainty (on my part) prevailed. I've taken that advice before and am using it again this year.

This year in Salt Lake County residents will have the opportunity to vote for Proposition 3, which proposes to fund new TRAX lines, roads, and commuter rail with a one-quarter of 1% sales tax increase.

I have thought long and hard about this. In a well-designed website by the Salt Lake Chamber, with well-designed lawn signs being seen all around, ardent proponents of Proposition #3 claim that:
The state of Utah is facing a very real transportation crisis. Utah’s population is increasing at double the national average (it’s like adding a city the size of Draper and Riverton to the state every year), and traffic is growing twice as fast. Traffic congestion on our roads and highways will triple over the next 25 years. By voting for Proposition 3, Utahns will fund the building of more TRAX lines, roadways (including the new Mountain View Corridor), and commuter rail. The exact order and priority of the projects will be decided by local government officials. With Proposition 3’s increased funding, many road and rail projects planned for completion 30 years from now can be finished by 2015.

The website also cleverly and urgently informs readers why it is important to vote on this NOW - without much detail.

There is no question what is needed. The SL Chamber has carefullyoutlined the facts on its website.

But here is my issue: Proposition #3 is too vague. I don't like voting on issues that are not carefully thought out and do not outline specifically how my tax dollars will be used. SEveral years ago I voted FOR a TRAX line to be built in West Jordan. Other communities have done the same. Bus routes have been cut in my neighborhood. Where are we in the processes of those projects? Before I vote on an initiative, I want to see the precise budget proposal with an itemized list of how funds will be used, along with a timeline.

I am a very vocal and strong advocate of reducing traffic and diverting funds to more bus routes and better mass transportation overall. I would vote for Proposition #3 if as much time and money went into a better outlined proposal as is being spent on ads for its current vague proposal. As it is, while I have not 100% made my decision, I am at this point inclined to vote "no" on Propostion #3 in its current proposed state.

It seems that a common response I get about using the train is how much time it takes and that peoples' family time is more important than spending time on the train, thus the excuse for using their cars to commute.

Today's Deseret News has a feature on how much time people spend in their cars to commute to and from work.

The study by The Road Information Program (TRIP - a nonprofit organization that studies roads and congestion in several states.) shows that Utah motorists are wasting up to 76 hours and 56 gallons of fuel annually, just sitting in traffic. And depending what roads you use, the numbers go even higher. Traffic congestion costs Utah drivers as much as $1,275 a year in wasted time and fuel.
Over the past few months, TRIP looked at data from state and federal agencies, as well as research and planning groups, to complete the study that lists the 25 most-congested roads in Utah. For each of those roads, the study estimated how much time and money people waste while stuck in traffic.
"Commuters are losing a lot of time and wasting money because of growing traffic congestion," said Frank Moretti, spokesman for TRIP, a transportation-research group based in Washington, D.C.
Utah County had 14 of the 25 most congested roads, while Salt Lake County had eight of them, according to the study.
The most expensive route to drive is I-15 in Utah County, from Orem's University Parkway to 1600 North, the study showed. Motorists using that route spend $1,275 each year on traffic delays. Drivers there lose about 76 hours of time annually in traffic and waste about 56 gallons of fuel.

UTA looking at hot-water heat to save money

UTA estimates it would cost $15,000 a month to heat the commuter-rail center without the help of heat from the springs. The agency had no exact estimate for how much a geothermal system would save in heating expenses but anticipated it could be thousands of dollars each year.
"We are trying to become a more sustainable organization," said Grantley Martelly, UTA manager of safety and environmental protection. "One way is through conservation of energy and a reduction in our dependence on fossil fuels. Geothermal energy is one of the things we're looking at."
If the study shows that geothermal energy could, indeed, heat UTA's maintenance center, work would begin to build a geothermal heating system. One type of heating system uses pipes in the ground to draw up water. The water would run through a heat-exchange system, then return into the ground.
The study will show what type of system works best to obtain the energy, Martelly said. The Utah Geological Survey would grant UTA permission to use the hot springs for heating.
"This is basically using energy that is available from the ground that provides or creates no emissions," said Philip Powlick with the Utah Geological Survey. "It doesn't deplete a resource and saves the user energy costs."

This is great and kudos to UTA for pursuing sustainable options for running its operation.

During the past three years, UTA has been working to improve its efficiency in management and environmental practices. In April, the agency became one of the first transit agencies in the world to receive certification from the International Organization of Standardization for its environmental and management standards.

I am told that one of the challenges of geothermal would be the build up of mineral deposits on the heat exchange surfaces. One solution to address this would be to go from a closed piping heat exchanger system to an open trough heat exchanger system using removeable liners.

I am happy to see Utah in the forefront of this issue in mass transportation.

In today's Salt Lake Tribune, the article Transit plan sends TRAX to the back:
Salt Lake County voters' OK of a sales tax hike would aid Utah County commuter rail readers are being told that TRAX lines in the works (for years now) may again be delayed.

....only Salt Lake County is asking voters to approve a measure the Legislature passed in a special session Sept. 19.
If the county's voters approve, the vote will raise sales taxes by a quarter-cent, bringing the portion dedicated to transit to three-quarters of a cent. But a good portion of the increase will be dedicated to linking Utah County commuter rail with the rest of the Wasatch Front. As a result, some of the new planned TRAX lines might have to wait.
That's because Utah County has for six years declined to tax itself for commuter rail. Now, for the system to be complete, Salt Lake County needs to build its section, too. Those in Salt Lake County who question the fairness of the situation ought to just look at the county as a progressive leader working toward a needed regional mass-transit system, said County Councilman Joe Hatch.

Read the rest of the article to find out how SL County Council members fared in this discussion.

As a voter and user of mass transportation, and as one who voted to implement new rail lines in SL County, I am becoming tired of this game.

New Air Pollution Laws have been developed for Utah, according to a Salt Lake Tribune article today.

Current standards allow communities a certain number of days when air exceeds 65 micrograms of these fine particles per cubic meter before the EPA requires added pollution cuts. The new standard would reduce the daily trigger to 35 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air.
Every Utah county meets the current standard. But, based on air-pollution data collected by the state over the past three years, 10 counties - Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Summit Tooele, Utah and Juab - would exceed the 35-microgram limit.

(The Tribune has nicely provided a context at the end of its article for PM2.5:
PM 2.5 PARTICLES are 1/40th the width of a human hair.
PM 2.5 is produced mainly from engines in cars and trucks.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS say tough new standards for the pollutant will prevent about 17,000 premature deaths each year.)

Many environmentalists, though, feel the standards need to be even more tough.
( Read more... )
John Veranth, a University of Utah air-pollution researcher and chairman of the state Air Quality Board, said the EPA admitted its course particle proposal was "fundamentally flawed," as he had argued in comments submitted to the agency last summer.
( Read more... )
Once again, toughening standards is a start and a "band-aid solution". The bottom line is that not only do standards need to be strengthened, but more education is needed so that people significantly reduce their dependence on automobiles and revert to alternative forms of energy and transportation.