Tag Archives: public transit

Open Letter from Mayor Becker on Air Quality

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As you may know, air quality has been a major focus of my work as mayor. My administration has been working on bringing greater attention to the issue and I’ve been advocating for aggressive, meaningful steps to that can be taken by Salt Lake City, state government, industry and individuals to help clean our air.

This is a complex problem and the only way we’re going to solve it is with a comprehensive solution. Let’s come together and fix this problem right away-we can’t wait, the time for talk is over, we need to take action.

Mayor Becker delivers his State of the City address on air quality to a packed house.

During my recent State of the City Address on solving the air quality problem, I proposed key actions that must be taken in order to accomplish this goal.

With clean air as our goal, Salt Lake City has adopted anti-idling ordinances, more than doubled our bike lanes and introduced the City’s first solar farm. For the upcoming year, we are launching the City’s first-ever multiple transit pass and are creating an incentive program to phase out wood burning stoves.

In addition to what Salt Lake City is doing, I’ve also outlined what the state ought to do. Those actions should include:

Allocating More Money for Public Transit
- Increased funding for public transit in Salt Lake City would allow for buses and trains to run more frequently. We must make it more affordable and accessible for individuals to drive less and ride more.
Making Lower Sulfur Gasoline a Requirement
- Tier 3 gasoline has lower levels of sulfur and therefore helps decrease emissions. It is widely available to us but is not required. Mandating that it be required would provide an immediate impact on our air quality.
Requiring Buildings to Use Power Efficiently
- Utah’s energy code standards date back to 2006, lagging far behind many national and international standards. Adopting an updated building code for energy efficiency would help reduce energy use and improve air quality.
Making the True Cost of Driving Transparent at the Pump
- Gas prices have a significant impact on how much people drive their cars. Raising the gas tax would help pay for better roads while also encouraging less driving and improving air quality.
Allowing Utah to set Utah-specific air quality standards
- Setting air quality standards tailored to Utah’s needs is imperative if we are to improve our air quality. Generic national conditions will not work in Utah, and we need to set air quality standards that will work for us.

These are real solutions that will not only produce tangible differences, but produce them quickly. We have received a great response from the community, and are looking to turn that response into results.

If the state is unable to do these things for any reason, I’ve asked that they grant local governments the ability to make these changes because we will get it done at the local level. Enough is enough.

There are 2 things that I would ask of you in order to help improve our air quality.

Lobby your legislators — Ask them to support these measures that I am bringing up and consider the other proposals that will clean up our air.
If they do not support these measures, ask your legislators to grant authority to the local level, so that we can take care of our own problems. We can get this done on the local level if the state can’t or won’t.

I would also implore you to work with your legislators, and not against them. To be effective and to make real change, we need to work together in a respectful and civil manner. While it is important to let your voice be heard, it is equally important to do so in a manner which conveys respect and encourages cooperation.

One of the most memorable moments of my State of the City speech was when a class of 4th graders from Whittier Elementary School took the stage and sang a song they wrote about the inversion and what needs to be done. Our children are, at the end of the day, the most important reason we must strive to clean our air and these kids said it better than anyone could. Watch the video.

There has been enough talk, and it is time for action. A change must be made, and it is up to each and every one of us to make that change.
I hope you will join me in the fight to help improve the air quality of Salt Lake City.

Warm Regards,

Ralph Becker
Mayor
P.S. If you were unable to attend my State of the City address in person, the full text of the speech and some additional information about the issue can be found here.
Also the Salt Lake City Tribune ran a terrific op-ed that discusses the ideas I laid out in my air quality address and if you’re interested, you can read it here.

[VIDEO] Get Inspired to Clear the Air

‘Tis the season for New Years Resolutions.

While you’re revisiting resolutions to exercise, eat healthy and spend more time with those you love (a great way to start the new year!), consider making one more resolution — to help clear the air.

Through the winter Care to Clear the Air project (2010-2012), a series of videos captured the stories of residents making a resolution to limit their impact on air quality by driving less.

Watch the videos below to hear from people that have done everything from moving closer to where they work, to biking, carpooling and taking public transit.

Their stories will inspire you to make your own resolution to help clear the air!

Kyle LaMalfa shares his commitment to take public transit.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-ThTQPBKEU&w=560&h=315]
Continue reading →

SmartTrips Rolls into SLC’s Fairpark Neighborhood

A new program has rolled into the Fairpark neighborhood, offering free transit passes, pedometers, bike lights and more in an effort to convince residents to leave their cars at home in favor of walking, biking or taking public transit.

“One of the biggest barriers to adopting alternative transportation is feeling confident and comfortable enough to navigate the change in lifestyle, and that’s where SmartTrips comes in,” says Sara Rose Tannenbaum, SmartTrips program manager.

The aim of SmartTrips, a free Salt Lake City Green Program, is to provide educational materials and incentives to residents so that they explore ways to commute, run errands or get exercise in Salt Lake City without a car.

All Fairpark residents are eligible to sign up for SmartTrips kits. The idea behind these kits is to empower residents with the knowledge they need to embrace existing biking, walking and public transportation options.

Besides offering helpful Fairpark-specific maps, schedules and tips, kits include a free bike light, pedometer, and 7-day unlimited UTA Tap-on-Tap-off pass, and coupon book to local businesses. Residents may also request custom bike and transit commute routes, or step-by-step guides including details such as transfer points, bus frequency and desirable bike lanes.

The Smart Trips program was launched last year in the East Liberty Park neighborhood and showed a 26% decrease in miles and trips driven by car with an 18% increase in environmentally preferable trips. Success has been similarly achieved in neighborhoods in Oregon, and Tennessee, Washington, as well as in Australia.

“With over 40% of trips in the US less than 2 miles, and 68% of these trips are driven in cars, there is a lot of potential to make changes close to home,” says Tannenbaum. “Any reduction in the amount of drive-alone car trips, especially in the Salt Lake Valley, helps to alleviate our impact on air quality and protect the health of our community.”

SmartTrips collaborates with local organizations to coordinate events that celebrate community and public/active transportation. On May 12th SmartTrips hosted a group bike ride to the opening day of the People’s Market at the International Peace Gardens. Neighbors joined Councilmember Kyle LaMalfa, and representatives from the Day-Riverside Library, SmartTrips and local bike shop Saturday Cycles. Of the fifteen participants, 10 visited the People’s Market for the first time, and 8 traveled on stretches of the Jordan River Trail that were new to them.

Next month, SmartTrips will join the Jordan River Commission when they host a weed pull to remove the infamous bike tire-popping goatheads on Saturday July 13th from 9-11 a.m. Though only Fairpark residents can sign up for SmartTrips kits, all are invited to attend the community events.

“By choosing alternative transportation we become closer to our community, our city, and the people, businesses and resources that are a part of it,” says Tannenbaum. “We don’t get to know our neighbors behind a steering wheel. We meet them in our community gardens, at a local business, a local park, or even in passing on the sidewalk. When we get out of our cars, and start walking or biking, we begin to discover our surroundings and neighborhood in a whole new way.”

Do you live in Fairpark? Sign up for SmartTrips when you receive a SmartTrips postcard in the mail or register online.

The Return of the Salt Lake Streetcar

Streetcars are making a comeback across the country, and Utah will soon join the movement. The first phase of the Sugar House Streetcar project is set to open December 2013, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the first of what we hope will be several streetcar lines to Salt Lake City.

Well, we should say welcome back. Many years ago, Salt Lake City had an extensive streetcar network with lines stretching from Capitol Hill/The Avenues all the way into Sugar House.

Streetcar 101

It is easy to confuse the future streetcar with the TRAX system already in place. Streetcars move at much slower speeds, generally 7-12 miles per hour, while your average pedestrian travels at 3 miles per hour. Stations resemble covered bus stops and the rail lines are often integrated with existing roads.

One of Portland’s popular streetcars.

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the Sugar House Streetcar project is currently under construction and will run from the 2100 South TRAX station along Sugarmont Avenue, ending at McClelland (roughly 1050 East). This section of the streetcar line will open December 2013.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the project will be the continuation of the streetcar line, which was the subject of an exhaustive study that considered land use, street amenities, housing and ridership.

The study was prepared over the course of 18 months, and recommends that the streetcar line extend from McClelland to Highland Drive along Sugarmont, and then head north to Monument Plaza and finally extend north on 1100 East to 1700 South to serve Westminster College. Both a technical analysis and community input were factored into this recommendation.

Also known as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), this plan draws the streetcar right into the heart of Sugar House and will further connect Westminster College as a community hub. Learn more about Phase 2.

Sugar House is coming back to life, thanks in part to the construction of the streetcar line, which helps spur local development and is a boon for the community.

Learn more

This is an exciting time for public transit in Salt Lake City. You can learn more about the Sugar House Streetcar project at SHStreetcar.com.

And if you are on Twitter, look for the #welove11th and #purplelineSLC hashtags to join the conversation!

Public Hearing

The Salt Lake City Council will be holding a public hearing on the future of the Sugar House Streetcar on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. If you cannot attend, you can still weigh in on the Open City Hall online forum.