Category Archives: Green Transportation

S-Line Greenway Grand Opening: POSTPONED

SLCgreen message (6/6/2014): We just received word that this event has been postponed. Stay tuned for updated information.

You’re invited to the grand opening of the new S-Line Greenway in Salt Lake City!

Come celebrate the opening of Salt Lake City’s newest public space. The S-Line Greenway is a mile-long linear park running parallel to the streetcar line from 500 East to McClelland Street. The greenway features public art, plazas and a multi-modal segment of Parley’s Trail.

10 a.m. Grand Opening Press Conference (S-Line at 800 East)
Featuring Mayor Ralph Becker. The Mayor and other partners will mark the opening of the greenway with a ceremonial planting.

6 & 7 p.m. Community Greenway Walk (Sugarmont Plaza)
Come celebrate the Greenway with an interpretive walk with the corridor’s artists, designers and community partners. Walks will depart from the Farmer’s Market at Sugarmont Plaza (2232 S. Highland) at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

We’ll see you there!

Salt Lake City Expands EV Infrastructure

Today Mayor Ralph Becker joined representatives from the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED) and the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) to announce new Salt Lake City infrastructure that supports electric vehicles (EVs) and air quality goals in the region.

“Supporting electric vehicles is another key element of our plan to improve air quality along the Wasatch Front,” said Mayor Becker. “Another critical ingredient is collaboration. These new EV charging stations represent how sharing resources among government agencies, and corporate partners like Nissan, can create a positive outcome for all.”

Salt Lake City’s two new fast-charge stations, donated by Nissan to OED, are among the first of their kind in Utah. OED provided the stations to the City, along with one previously granted to Salt Lake County, as part of an inter-local agreement signed in early 2014. OED and UCAIR then partnered to cover the cost of installing the units. The 480-volt stations can provide a significant charge to the typical electric vehicle in less than an hour.

“The Office of Energy Development was pleased to partner with the City, UCAIR and Nissan on this exciting project,” said Cody Stewart, Energy Advisor to Governor Gary R. Herbert. “It’s important to note that these new charging stations are just one aspect of how electric vehicles are receiving a boost in Utah. Bills passed during the 2014 legislative session enhanced tax credits for EVs, bolstered the state’s fleet of cleaner vehicles and allowed organizations to sell electricity from EV charging stations.” These changes resulted in Utah improving its grade from a B- to a B+ in the 2014 EV Report Card (details here).

In addition to the new fast-charge stations, the City has upgraded its existing public charging infrastructure. Low-voltage EV charging stations were originally added at five locations in 2011 and these stations were recently upgraded to higher voltage units (locations in link below). These new Level 2 stations will allow users to charge their vehicles in about a third of the time. As with the original low voltage stations, these upgraded Level 2 units will remain free for public use.

Parking for EV users will be free, for up to two hours, at all charging stations. However, the City Council is expected to review a proposed fee schedule for electricity at the two fast-charge locations. Fees would help cover costs for monitoring and maintaining the stations, in addition to electricity charges.

More information on the City’s new fast-charge and enhanced Level 2 charging stations can be found at SLCgov.com.

Links to media stories:

Map of charging stations located in Salt Lake City.

Utah Breaks Into Top Ten of Bicycle Friendly States

Credit: Bike Utah

The League of American Bicyclists‘ 2014 ranking of Bicycle Friendly States, released today, names Utah the eighth most friendly state for biking. This is Utah’s highest ranking to date. In last year’s assessment, Utah was No. 14, and in 2011, it was number 31.

“We’ve made tremendous gains, and our No. 8 ranking validates everyone’s hard work,” said Phil Sarnoff, executive director of Bike Utah, the advocacy group working to improve bicycling conditions in the state. “There’s no way to credit one organization or entity with our improvement in the rankings. It’s truly a collaborative effort.”

Evelyn Tuddenham, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for Utah’s Department of Transportation, echoes Sarnoff. “There are two reasons Utah moved forward so dramatically in the rankings. First, many groups and individuals have worked together in a cooperative manner, much in line with Utah’s culture of collaboration. Second, there’s been a positive change in attitude within UDOT towards active transportation solutions.”

“The population in Utah, especially along the Wasatch Front, is expected to double within the next few decades,” explained Sarnoff. “Fortunately, state planners recognize that we can’t build our way out of this challenge by only considering cars. We need an integrated plan including both cars and active transportation like biking and walking.”

In 2013, Sarnoff and Bike Utah partnered with the Utah Department of Transportation to create the Statewide Active Transportation Coordinating Committee, which brings together all groups that have a vested interest in improving transportation alternatives, from state and local governments to advocacy groups, health organizations, businesses, colleges and universities, and more.

“The Committee is still growing and includes five unique subcommittees,” said Sarnoff. “We formed it to advance our active transportation efforts inclusively and to give all key players a voice. If we collaborate with each other, we can magnify our impact, learn from each other, and use resources in a thoughtful manner.”

The Bicycle Friendly States assessment, now in its seventh year, is a League of American Bicyclists program that comprehensively evaluates each of the 50 states in five categories: legislation and enforcement, policies and programs, infrastructure and funding, education and encouragement, and evaluation and planning.

Utah’s most significant improvements between 2013 and 2014 were in policies and programs, and education and encouragement. Click here to see Utah’s 2014 Bicycle Friendly State Report Card.

“We are excited and encouraged to see real progress in states like California, Minnesota and Utah,” summarized Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “Overall, we still see a lot of opportunity to realize the huge potential of bicycling to promote health, economic development, and quality of life.”

For more information about the BFS program, visit www.bikeleague.org/content/states. To learn more about Bike Utah, visit www.bikeutah.org.

City Council Accepts Mayor’s Hive Pass Challenge

Photo Credit: Salt Lake City Council (Twitter)

Salt Lake City Council members on Thursday officially accepted a challenge from Mayor Ralph Becker to compete in a two-month competition to see which of the representatives could sell the most Hive Passes-the City’s new, resident transit pass.

The City’s seven Council members, and the residents in their districts, will vie to sell as many of the newly available resident transit passes as they can from April 3-June 1, with the winning district and Council member in line for bragging rights, the pride of making an impact on air quality issues and a fabulous prize package that includes tickets for Hive Pass holders in the winning district to an upcoming Salt Lake Bees game.

“Council Members are excited to help build the buzz about the Hive,” said Salt Lake City Council Chairman Charlie Luke. “The competition among Council Districts is a great way to remind people the eco-friendly mass transit pass is now available. Of course, the free Bees tickets for the winning District with the most sales doesn’t hurt the competitive spirit either.”

The new Hive Pass is a pilot program created through a partnership between Salt Lake City and UTA that is initially only be available to Salt Lake City residents. The one-year pass is good on all UTA TRAX, Frontrunner, bus and S-line Streetcar services and available for an up-front payment of $350 or for $360 in twelve monthly installments.

“We’ve already seen over 1,000 people in our community take advantage of this great new program,” said Mayor Becker. “We’re excited to see which district will ‘bring it’ and work to put a Hive Pass in every one of their neighbors’ pockets. I know we can count on our Council members to find very creative ways to get passes sold in their districts.”

For more information on the Hive Pass visit RidewithHive.com

Bike Love at the Utah Bike Summit

The sixth annual Utah Bike Summit will be held Friday, April 25, and will gather citizens, riders, cycling advocates, government officials and representatives from some of the world’s biggest bike brands to discuss, plan and promote the efforts to make Utah the most bike-friendly state in the country.

The Summit will take place at the University of Utah Guesthouse in Salt Lake City, and is open to the public. Attendees can register online at www.utahbikes.org/SummitRegistration.

This year’s keynote speaker is Sarai Snyder, founder of the women’s cycling blog Girl Bike Love and the global CycloFemme ride. The goal of both of these efforts is to grow and empower the future of women in the sport of cycling. Sarai also sits on the Women Bike Advisory Board for the League of American Bicyclists.

In addition to this year’s keynote address, the Summit will host two round table discussions featuring leaders from UDOT, UTA, WFRC, MAG, as well as Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Odgen Mayor Mike Caldwell and Provo Mayor John Curtis.

The afternoon agenda is packed with breakout sessions addressing a variety of Bike Friendly advocacy topics and a post-summit reception closes out the day’s activities at Contender Bicycles.

To highlight some of the cycling opportunities that can be developed through community and interagency cooperation, a group ride is planned the next day following the Summit on the Murdock Canal Trail. The ride will depart from the Orem FrontRunner Station at 9:05 a.m.

“We invite anyone and everyone, cyclists and those interested in how cycling can be integrated into Utah’s transportation infrastructure, to attend this year’s Bike Summit,” said Phil Sarnoff, executive director of Bike Utah. “After attending, we hope attendees will be inspired and return home with information and new skills to work with their friends, co-workers, families and local government officials in supporting Utah-based cycling programs, events and outreach activities.”

More Information

Friday, April 25th
8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
University of Utah Guest House
See the full agenda
Visit BikeUtah.org

About Bike Utah

Bike Utah is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization made up of recreational and commuter cyclists, bicycle manufactures and retail shops, and transit advocates working to improve bicycling conditions throughout the State of Utah. The mission of Bike Utah is to integrate bicycling into the everyday culture of the state.

The Woman Leading SLC’s Transportation Revolution

Photo Credit: Ben Bolte

Recently, The Atlantic Cities profiled Salt Lake City’s Transportation Director, Robin Hutcheson, shining a light on the woman who has been leading our city’s transportation revolution over the last few years.

Here’s an except from the article. We recommend heading over to The Atlantic Cities article ASAP.

SALT LAKE CITY—Here are a few things to know about Robin Hutcheson. She’s a Connecticut native who came to Utah in 1994 for the skiing, and except for a few years in Europe, has lived here ever since. Since 2011, she’s been head of the transportation planning division of Salt Lake City, the state’s capital and biggest metropolis, often commuting by bike, at other times running one way and taking public transit on the return trip. Also, as you have noted by now, she is a woman.

That last part shouldn’t be a big deal. And most of the time, it isn’t. Every now and then, though, as the 43-year-old Hutcheson has climbed the ranks of her chosen profession, she gets a reminder: being a woman in a leadership position in American transportation is not the norm.

Read the full article on The Atlantic Cities.

World Urban Forum 7

Medellin, Colombia. Photo BorisG via Flickr

Salt Lake City is excited to participate in the World Urban Forum, hosted by UN-Habitat this April in Medellin, Colombia.

The City will participate in a special networking session called “Clean Energy and Transport Solutions in an Urban Hemisphere: Lessons from the Americas.”

Over the past few months, Salt Lake City has been collaborating with San Jose, Costa Rica to share experiences & lessons learned from the two cities’ alternative transportation programs. During the session, the City will share our lessons learned from running the Clear the Air Challenge and the “twinning” process with San Jose.

The session is the result of a partnership between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Organization of American States (OAS). Learn more about the forum below, or on the OAS website.

We’ll be updating the @SLCgreen Twitter feed live from the World Urban Forum (#wuf7) from April 7-11. Stay tuned to stay in the loop!

Intern with SmartTrips SLC!

SmartTrips Intern – Salt Lake City Division of Sustainability

SLCgreen is recruiting a summer intern team for the SmartTrips program!

SmartTrips Salt Lake City is a neighborhood-based program that encourages active and public transportation through collaborative community events, educational newsletters and free kits delivered by bicycle.

SmartTrips is modeled after similar efforts in Portland, Oregon and other communities, which have all successfully reduced vehicle trips and emissions among participants.

This year SmartTrips is visiting Sugar House and the neighborhoods along the recently launched S-Line streetcar. Learn more here: www.smarttripsslc.com.

Intern Learning Opportunities

Enjoy getting to know your neighborhood by bicycle? Want to support and work with local businesses to incentivize their customers to leave their cars at home? Looking for an outlet to write about air quality? Like collaborating with schools, libraries and local organizations on environmental education?

The opportunities for interns to get involved are many! We invite you to bring your own interests, skills and ideas to our team.

Requirements

Ideal candidates are passionate and knowledgeable about alternative transportation, sustainability, community organizing, and/or the Sugar House area.
We ask for a 15-25 hour per week commitment from May to August 2014. Know that there is opportunity to start as early as April or extend through September.
Be flexible to attend some SmartTrips events and bicycle deliveries that may occur in the evening and on weekends.

To apply:

Visit www.slcgov.com/jobs and “click here” for Current City Job Openings.
Follow the directions to apply for the Mayor’s Office “Voluntary Intern” listing (Bid #12002).
In your application, please be sure to specify your interest in interning with SLCgreen’s SmartTrips program.

** Please note that this is a volunteer, unpaid internship.

Questions? Please contact SmartTrips Coordinator, Sara Rose, at: sararose.tannenbaum@slcgov.com.

City Transit Passes on Sale & On the Road

Salt Lake City’s new resident transit pass, the Hive Pass, is currently available at three permanent sales locations as well as a variety of mobile sales opportunities at locations around the city.

As part of an initial pilot program being offered by Salt Lake City and UTA, Hive Passes are only available to residents of Salt Lake City and can be purchased for the deeply discounted rate of $350 for a year (or $360, payable in 12 easy, monthly installments of $30.)

The pass is good on almost all UTA modes including TRAX, buses, Frontrunner and S-Line Streetcar (exceptions are UTA’s special fare services like Paratransit, ski buses and Park City Connect.)

Passes can only be purchased in-person and a few documents are necessary just to establish Salt Lake City residency. Visit Ridewithhive.com for details.

Also, residents who may not be sure if their address is in City limits will find a handy tool on the website to confirm they qualify for the Hive Pass.

Mobile sales events are happening this week at the following locations:

Wednesday, March 19 – Salt Lake City Chapman Library Branch
577 S. 900 West
5:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 22- Winter Market
Rio Grande Depot
300 S. Rio Grande Street
10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Permanent Sales Locations/Hours:

Salt Lake City & County Building
451 South State Street
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Public Utilities Office
1530 SW Temple Street
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sorenson Unity Center
1383 S 900 West
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.