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Recent Articles
Airport light rail line
West-siders worried about blight celebrate route decision
Planning commissioners say 'concerned citizens' led them to their choice to go against UTA's plan
By Brandon Loomis
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/15/2007 01:09:55 AM MST
Dozens of west-side Salt Lake City residents let out a cheer Wednesday evening when planning commissioners voted unanimously to route an airport light rail line over the North Temple railroad viaduct to 400 West, sparing neighbors a separate rail bridge they feared would blight the neighborhood.
Commissioners sided with the Mayor's Office and a citizens' transportation board in bucking a Utah Transit Authority plan to turn the line off North Temple at 600 West. The agency had proposed building a new, rail-only viaduct there to cross freight- and commuter-rail tracks en route to the intermodal transit hub southwest of The Gateway district.
"It was the concerned citizens," Planning Commission member Tim Chambless explained after the vote. "We went there and looked for ourselves."
Many of those concerned citizens showed up Wednesday to complain that the proposed rail viaduct on 600 West would rise next to the new, densely populated Citifront Apartments. They also argued adding another span in the area of the broad North Temple street viaduct would further isolate a neighborhood that has worked over a decade to revitalize itself.
Others said forcing west-side commuters to transfer at the intermodal hub would have the unintended effect of putting hundreds of West High School students from the west side a block away from a homeless shelter every morning.
"This is not somewhere I want my child waiting on a bus or another train," Tiffany Sandberg said.
The commission did not stop with granting neighbors' wish to push the rails farther east before linking with the existing light rail on 400 West. It unanimously recommended tearing down and rebuilding the North Temple bridge when light rail goes in, beautifying what neighbors say is an eyesore and no longer needs to be so large now that some freight tracks have been diverted.
City planners warned that a complete rebuild of the bridge would add millions of dollars to the project, and that the existing span probably has 40 years of structural stability left. But the commission sided with neighbors who asked for beautification in addition to rail service.
If heeded by the City Council and built by UTA, the light rail alignment would include a stop atop the North Temple bridge, with an elevator to access FrontRunner commuter rail below. Advocates for routing the line to 400 West said it gives both west-siders and FrontRunner riders a quicker connection to downtown.
"It's brilliant," 600 West resident Tony Nissen beamed after the vote. "Public transportation is successful when it's accessible."
bloomis@sltrib.com
Airport TRAX routes reviewed
The City Council will consider plans from UTA and others, and the impact of each option
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:10/11/2007 04:30:29 PM MDT
One day light rail will take families to the state fair and tourists from the Airport to their hotels.
The question is which route will they take? The Utah Transit Authority has submitted two plans for the Airport TRAX line - one taking the trains along 400 West to North Temple, another down 600 West.
Each route has its supporters and detractors in an increasingly emotional debate that stirs the east-west divide and pits developers against each other. At two previous public meetings, west side residents came out in force against the 600 West plan.
"It is rare in life to see such clarity in a public position," said Salt Lake Planning Commission Chairman Tim Chambless.
The Planning Commission expects to hold another open house on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at the State Fair Park. The commission will then give the City Council its recommendation by the end of the month. Councilmembers will weigh in in November and then UTA will start the more detailed design phase. The Airport light rail extension is expected to open in 2015.
Light rail planners originally supported the 400 West design, but after a second look now think the 600 West route is the way to go.
Whichever route is chosen, it is bound to upset someone.
At two previous public meetings, west side residents came out in force against the 600 West plan.
"It is rare in life to see such clarity in a public position," said Planning Commission Chairman Tim Chambless.
"There is always impact regardless of where we build," said Chad Saley, UTA spokesman.
Here is a summary of the benefits and potential downsides with each route:
400 West
This route has the backing of both mayoral candidates, Ralph Becker and Dave Buhler, as well as the community council. But on the flip side, it would cost more than the 600 West plan and it could snarl traffic on 400 West.
The project would require the construction of a bridge next to the North Temple viaduct. UTA could connect light rail to commuter rail here for an added bonus, but that may cost more than $15 million.
This bridge would not change the landscape, but it may eliminate a turnoff on 400 West that funnels drivers to The Gateway. And Gateway managers are worried the route could throw complications into a new hotel they plan to build.
600 West
UTA prefers this route because it is about $3 million cheaper than the 400 West alternative. While it would still require the building of a bridge, that bridge would not be nearly as long as the one proposed along the North Temple viaduct.
But community activists condemn this plan because the 600 West bridge would go through a residential area over some rail road tracks onto North Temple.
This would block the view and could impact property values, said Victoria Orme, chairwoman of the Fairpark Community Council, not to mention make homes harder to access.
"I don't think TRAX should go through residential," she said.
Some residents have said the 600 West bridge would serve to further the divide between the east and west sides of the city.
A developer plans to build a condo project, which would face the proposed bridge.
Another option: Orme and others have proposed a third possibility, which would result in the complete reconstruction of the North Temple Viaduct with TRAX running down the middle. Such a plan would require state help and much more money.
Further development
* An open house is planned for Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at the State Fair Park.
* The Planning Commission will give recommendations to the City Council by the end of the month.
* UTA will start a more detailed design phase in November.
Planned airport route
Mayoral candidates oppose proposed 600 West TRAX bridge
By Rosemary Winters
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:
West-siders who worry that a 600 West TRAX bridge could strangle their neighborhood can rest a little easier. The next mayor - whoever he may be - is on their side.
Salt Lake City mayoral candidates Dave Buhler and Ralph Becker both said Monday they oppose running light rail from the transit hub along 600 West and instead want to see it extend on 400 West to North Temple.
"That's where it belongs," Buhler told The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board Monday. "I say I'm a bridge builder. This is one bridge I don't want to build."
Becker, in an interview, said he too supports the 400 West route and wants to be responsive to concerns about "further isolating west-side neighborhoods" with another bridge.
Granted, the City Council is poised to pick the 400 West or 600 West option in November, before the next mayor takes office. But the light-rail line is far from built, so the next administration still could play a substantial role.
The 400 West option was the original plan, but a technical committee, including city planners and traffic engineers, endorsed 600 West instead because it would avoid blotting out a turn lane and taking property from The Boyer Co. on 400 West to build a TRAX bridge along the south side of the North Temple viaduct.
But neighbors decry the new plan, which includes building a 30-foot-wide, 30-foot-tall bridge across existing tracks from 600 West to North Temple. More than 70 residents jammed a Planning Commission meeting earlier this month to argue the proposal would blight the area, which is starting to enjoy some rejuvenation despite being hemmed in by Interstate 15 and freight-train tracks.
A 600 West bridge is "just another barrier between east and west," Victoria Orme, Fairpark Community Council chairwoman, said Monday.
Orme is glad Becker and Buhler favor the 400 West route.
"That's really encouraging," she said.
Orme and other west-siders hope money can be found to alter the 400 West option to include rebuilding the North Temple viaduct so that TRAX can run down its center instead of alongside it on a separate bridge. It's estimated that could cost up to double the amount needed for either of the existing 400 West or 600 West options.
But it would mean Boyer, which owns The Gateway, could hold on to its land near North Temple, which is slated for a hotel and underground parking structure. Jake Boyer said at the Planning Commission hearing the company would support the 400 West route if it didn't impact the company's land or access to the planned parking lot.
City Councilman Eric Jergensen said Monday that rebuilding the North Temple viaduct is the best option. The Utah Department of Transportation is talking about handing over control of the entire street to the city, he said. That means a decision about - and the expense of - rebuilding the viaduct could fall to the city.
In addition to addressing concerns from the neighborhood and Boyer, Jergensen noted that rebuilding the bridge would spark "first-class" residential or mixed-use development along 600 West and open up opportunities for commercial development at the intersection of 400 West and North Temple, which is currently an overpass.
Jergensen believes most council members generally support a 400 West route. He expects building the airport TRAX line would require a "collaborative approach" with the next mayor.
The Planning Commission is expected to forward its recommendation for the light-rail line to the City Council in late October. The City Council likely would take a final vote in November.
rwinters@sltrib.com
What's next
The Salt Lake City Planning Commission will take public comment on the airport TRAX line Wednesday. The meeting starts at 5:45 p.m. in Room 326 at City Hall, 451 S. State St.
Residents opposing a TRAX line down 600 West
They fear moving the route will boost crime and traffic
By Jared Page and Nicole Warburton
Deseret Morning News
Published: Sept. 16, 2007 12:16 a.m. MDT
Residents of Salt Lake City's west side are ramping up efforts to stop the city from moving part of the route for the airport TRAX line from 400 West to 600 West.
Wednesday, they told the city Planning Commission that such a move would increase crime and traffic and create another barrier between east- and west-side neighborhoods. Residents are now moving forward with a letter and e-mail opposition campaign, displaying lawn signs and maintaining contact with city officials.
"The big thing right now is that we can't let our momentum die," Tiffany Sandberg, secretary/treasurer of the Fairpark Community Council, said Friday. "We need to keep going."
A second hearing with the Planning Commission is scheduled for Sept. 26, but no action on the issue is expected until October. Any decision made by the Planning Commission would be sent to the Salt Lake City Council for a final vote.
Residents are hopeful the city will listen to their concerns and not move the TRAX route.
"This is going to kill our dreams and blight our neighborhood," resident Terry Hurst said at Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting.
Earlier this year, UTA began studying whether to move a segment of the airport TRAX line from 400 West to 600 West. The study was prompted by things such as the Salt Lake Intermodal Hub and new business developments in the area, UTA spokesman Chad Saley said.
Story continues below
In 1999, when UTA first decided to run a portion of the airport line down 400 South, the hub and some developments were just being planned, according to Saley. But now UTA, as well as owners of The Gateway shopping mall, are recommending it be shifted to run down 600 West.
The Gateway is located west of 400 West, and owners say a route down that road would box in three sides of the mall. UTA officials say 600 West would allow the agency to connect the line to the intermodal hub, where commuter rail and other TRAX lines will soon converge.
If run down either road, the TRAX line would eventually connect with North Temple and then run west to Salt Lake City International Airport.
Saley said UTA is aware of residents' concerns, but his agency must balance the needs of residents with the needs of all UTA riders. Nonetheless, he believes Salt Lake City will "try to make what is the best decision for the community at large."
For information about the airport TRAX line, log on to: www.rideuta.com. Residents have created a Web site at: no600west.com.
TRAX
Residents oppose street plan
'This is going to kill our dreams,' say residents of 600 West
By Rosemary Winters
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/13/2007 02:35:03 AM MDT
West-side Salt Lake City residents packed a Planning Commission meeting Wednesday night to demand that commissioners not let the airport TRAX line run by their front doors on 600 West.
Standing room was scarce as more than 70 people jammed the commission's meeting room.
"This is going to kill our dreams and it's going to blight our neighborhood," said Terry Hurst, a 600 West resident, who met with resounding applause from the audience.
The 600 West route would string light rail from the transit hub at 200 South to North Temple and then to the Salt Lake City International Airport. The alignment has been endorsed by city planning staff, Utah Transit Authority officials and Utah Department of Transportation representatives who belong to the project's technical committee.
It's also promoted by The Boyer Co., owner of The Gateway. The company opposes an alternate route along 400 West that would force it to give up land near North Temple.
But west-side residents, business owners and low-income housing advocates worry a 600 West alignment - and accompanying bridge over railroad tracks on 600 West - would increase crime, block views, complicate traffic flow and box in the neighborhood.
And, they say, the new route violates the area's master plan, which shows the 400 West alignment.
That route could involve an expensive reconstruction of the North Temple viaduct to allow for a TRAX stop at 500 West and to handle trains, cars and pedestrian traffic.
Many said the viaduct already is a danger to walkers, a haven for criminals and a problem spot in need of transformation. They don't want to see another bridge like it in the neighborhood.
"I'm not sure who is responsible for the maintenance of these viaducts, but they do a really bad job," said 12-year-old Joaquin Galván, who wore a suit and tie to the public hearing. "There is always litter, graffiti and pigeon poop."
Eileen Kostla, who lives in the Citifront apartments at the corner of 600 West and North Temple, worried the bridge would make it harder for ambulances to reach her building. She has diabetes and has suffered three heart attacks and one stroke.
"I don't want my life to be lost because an ambulance can't make it."
Jake Boyer said The Boyer Co. could support a 400 South route if it is altered to avoid the property taking.
"Sounds like I'm a popular person tonight," he quipped when he reached the microphone.
"As the plan currently stands, we are not in favor of the 400 West alignment and would be in favor of 600 West."
The Planning Commission, which plans to hold another public hearing on the issue Sept. 26, is expected to forward a route recommendation to the City Council in late October. The council likely would take a final vote in November.
rwinters@sltrib.com Railroaded by train plan? 600 West neighbors say a switch in the route will ruin their community
Derek P. Jensen
The Salt Lake Tribune West-siders may have won relief with the Grant Tower train-track realignment. But now a new plan to funnel the airport TRAX line by their front doors has many neighbors furious.
This fall, Salt Lake City officials are poised to pick 600 West instead of 400 West as a rejiggered route to connect airport light-rail trains from North Temple to the downtown transit hub on 200 South. Though vetted by engineers - powerful property owner The Boyer Co. also approves - the plan represents a sudden shift.
Capital planners insist the 600 West route is the cleanest and cheapest - a TRAX bridge off North Temple Street would need to be only 30 feet wide - and they argue the residential fear factor is overblown.
But neighbors respond that they are getting railroaded by the transit scheme, which they call the latest west-side slight.
"It seems like they want to dump all their stuff down here," says Sharon Martines, who lives in her grandparents' fixed-up home on 600 West with husband Bob, but may inherit a view of a train overpass. "This side of the community is just starting to build up, and now, all of the sudden, they want to put another viaduct in. These city officials say they want to protect communities; I don't think they do."
The Martineses have rehabilitated nine homes that they now rent to families just north of North Temple on 600 West. But now, the landlords lament, the tightknit neighborhood stands to see pillars from their front porches - and could be boxed in by bridges.
Bob Martines also worries the project will attract crime and become a haven for the homeless. "It's going to be an ungodly looking structure down here," he says.
Nothing is decided yet. The public can sound off in two weeks, while a City Council vote is not expected until November.
Still, a technical committee composed of city staffers, Utah Transit Authority officials and Utah Department of Transportation representatives have endorsed the 600 West plan.
"Looking at access issues, engineering, it's looking like that one is better," says UTA spokesman Chad Saley.
Doug Dansie, the city's senior planner, says either option requires building a TRAX bridge to North Temple. But since downtown streets measure 132 feet wide, he says a 30-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide structure would not become a major obstruction.
"This is more on scale with the pedestrian crossways on Bangerter Highway than it is the [current] North Temple viaduct," Dansie says. "We're not talking about a viaduct."
He concedes the recommendation marks a change in plans, but says early blueprints were conceived when FrontRunner commuter rail "was just a dream."
Dansie also notes the design includes single lanes for vehicles on each side of 600 West as well as room for parking.
But the biggest concerns are geography and congestion, according to Daniel Pacheco, community-affairs director for Salt Lake Neighborhood Housing Services, a nonprofit that has invested millions in west-side housing.
He points to the 155 Citifront apartments at the corner of 600 West and North Temple. Add to that The Bridges at Citifront, a 295-unit condo project with grassy courtyards planned just to the south.
"It doesn't make logical sense," Pacheco says. "Another bridge, another wall. It cages us in."
A fledgling opposition movement, dubbed the Bridge Investment Group, argues the 600 West route will detract from a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, hinder parking, create a safety hazard for vehicle traffic and create a potential trap.
Indeed, Sharon Martines fears, residents could be sitting ducks in the event of an earthquake.
Jon Robinson, a 15-year resident on 600 West, agrees the new bridge - especially with the wires above the trains - is "not only a nuisance but unnecessary."
"It will be a dividing factor for the neighborhood and a view problem," he says.
Since the North Temple viaduct is nearing the end of its life span, Robinson notes, the city should rebuild it now and combine it with TRAX.
Maria Garciaz, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services, concurs, calling the new plan shortsighted.
"You have an existing viaduct," she says. "Why not look at that as the primary option?"
No cash to do it, says Dansie, who also explains that a 400 West route would wipe out a traffic turn lane and require a "property take" on the corner.
What's more, Dansie says, Boyer - the developer is planning a hotel and parking structure on five acres between 400 West and 500 West near 50 North - wants the 600 West route.
"Right now 600 West came up tops in every category except for speed and community impacts," Dansie says. "And even the speed is questionable."
Indeed, the new course would take passengers from the airport directly to the transit hub, instead of nearer to downtown.
And that poses another problem, according to Fairpark Community Council Chairwoman Victoria Orme.
"Tourists would prefer going downtown than to a transit hub," Orme says. "They just won't use the service."
djensen@sltrib.com * PATTY HENETZ contributed to this story. Deseret Morning News
Residents of Salt Lake City's west side are accusing the city and the Utah Transit Authority of bowing to the influence of a powerful developer to move the route for the airport TRAX line west into neighborhoods, and away from The Gateway mall.
Last October, Boyer Co., which owns much of The Gateway, donated $10,000 to a campaign aimed at getting voters to approve a tax increase for new TRAX light-rail lines and commuter rail. The campaign was organized by a group of downtown business owners that called itself the 2015 Transportation Alliance.
Voters approved the increase last November, and four new TRAX lines — including the airport line — are currently being prepared for construction.
Residents say shifting the airport line west would hurt views from their homes, increase traffic and crime, and contribute to perceptions that physical and sociological barriers exist between Salt Lake City's west side and downtown.
"The whole thing just stinks of a back-room deal," said west-sider Tony Nisson in an interview Thursday.
UTA and Boyer officials say no deals have been made, although both the agency and the company prefer moving the airport route from 400 West to 600 West.
If the line runs down 600 West, the route would connect with UTA's intermodal hub, where Amtrak, Greyhound and other TRAX lines are all planned to stop, UTA said. Boyer officials worry that the 400 West option would increase traffic and limit access to The Gateway, according to company president Jake Boyer.
The Gateway is bordered on the east by 400 West, and North Temple to the north. The current plan calls for TRAX to run down both streets.
"Whether you're coming to The Gateway or not, it's not good for 400 West," Boyer said.
Since 1999, the line has been planned to run north down 400 West from the Arena Station, then turn west and link to the airport via North Temple. But earlier this year, UTA and a team of consultants began studying whether to move the airport TRAX route from 400 West to 600 West. The study was prompted by new downtown developments such as construction of the Gateway and UTA's commuter-rail line.
UTA has already given its preliminary endorsement to the 600 West option, which would take the TRAX line north from the intermodal hub to connect with North Temple. Boyer also likes the 600 West option, as does the downtown Salt Lake City community council.
"I don't think we're exerting influence," Boyer said. "I think The Gateway is an important economic engine for downtown. ... We're not trying to cause harm or discomfort to any neighbors."
Property owners along 600 West disagree.
Ernie Willmore, development director for the Bridge Investment Group, is worried about increased traffic along 600 West and blocked visibility from homes. If the TRAX line is run along 600 West, UTA would need to build a bridge to move the rail line over Union Pacific and commuter-rail lines that run near South Temple.
The bridge could be as high as 35 feet, and would stretch along 600 West from 100 South to North Temple.
"That's a big structure that will be one more divisive element that separates the central business district from people on the west side," Willmore said.
Willmore's company is building a four-story, 295-unit condominium complex along 600 West, right where the TRAX line would run and the bridge built. Willmore is concerned the bridge will be high enough that train riders could look into condo windows.
UTA spokesman Chad Saley admits there are few differences in terms of cost and travel times between the 400 West and 600 West alignments. But his agency is leaning toward the 600 West option, because it would connect to the hub and create fewer traffic problems than 400 West.
When asked whether UTA was influenced to favor moving the TRAX route by Boyer Co.'s $10,000 donation, Saley gave conflicting answers. "I guess you could say that," he said. "It seems like it's kind of a stretch, but obviously the referendum helped us."
Later, he said: "There is no conflict," and described a lengthy study process that UTA uses to determine where to build a rail line.
"Someone giving money to a (ballot) referendum has nothing whatsoever in deciding our alignment," Saley said.
Jon Robinson, a resident along 600 West, believes UTA should study other alternatives. "I think there's a better way to manage this," Robinson said about the route adjustment.
One possibility is to rebuild the North Temple viaduct and run TRAX down the center of the structure. The viaduct, which carries North Temple over the Union Pacific rail tracks, begins at 400 West and ends at 600 West. A station could be built on top of the viaduct, with stairs leading underneath to connect with commuter rail, which will run just under the bridge.
On Sept. 12, the Salt Lake City Planning Commission will have a public hearing about the route adjustment. No recommendations are expected until October, after which the Salt Lake City Council must decide whether to approve moving the route for the airport TRAX line.
UTA will also accept public comments about the route change until it makes a decision about the issue. Comments can be submitted at: www.rideuta.com , or by calling: 743-3882.
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