Tag Archives: transportation

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.

Bike Share Has Arrived!

What was once a dream of Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker became a reality today with the launch of the GREENbike program – Utah’s first bike share system.

Ten stations are now up and running with 100 bikes available in downtown Salt Lake. Another station is on the way, and plans to expand the program are already in the works. The University of Utah, 9th and 9th and Sugar House neighborhoods are all potential areas where GREENbike could appear.

Check out our other GREENbike blog post for details on this awesome new program.

Be sure to download the Spotcycle mobile app to view real time data on where available bikes are located.

And get biking, Salt Lake City!
(Well, maybe in a few days when the weather clears up)

SmartTrips Comes to Fairpark

Following a very successful pilot in the East Liberty Park neighborhood, the SmartTrips program returns for the 2013 summer season — this time to the Fairpark neighborhood.

A lot is happening in Fairpark, making it the perfect place to offer customized bike, walk and public transit information and resources to residents. The Airport TRAX line opens in a little over a week on Saturday, April 13^th. And the North Temple corridor has been improved to make it Salt Lake City’s first Complete Street – with infrastructure for public transit, personal vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

What is SmartTrips?

SmartTrips is a neighborhood-based program that encourages public and active transportation through free bike/walk/transit kits, coupons to local businesses, educational newsletters and collaborative community events.

The Salt Lake City SmartTrips program is modeled after similar programs in Portland, Oregon and other communities, which have all successfully reduced the number of vehicle trips.

How Do I Participate?

Fairpark residents will be receiving the first of three SmartTrips newsletters in the mail this week. Included in the newsletter is a program order form, which allows residents to choose from bike, walk and transit kits that include maps, pamphlets and freebies such as a bike light, pedometer and UTA passes.

Also included is a SmartTrips Coupon Book with discounts at a variety of retailers located in the Fairpark neighborhood. And for those who prefer it, there is an online order form as well.

More Information

Visit the SmartTrips website for more information on the program, including a community calendar of events. You can also check out SmartTrips on Facebook.

Salt Lake City Publishes GPS Online

Salt Lake City Green and it’s parent, the Salt Lake City Public Services Department, are taking another important step towards increased city transparency by publishing fleet GPS data online.

Sanitation Services (Waste, Recycling and Yard Waste Haulers)

Salt Lake City uses GPS technology to track the location and activity of its Sanitation Fleet. There are a total of 33 fleet vehicles, with up to 26 running routes on any given day. 19 fleet vehicles run on compressed natural gas (CNG), with an additional 14 that use diesel fuel.

Check out the real-time map.

Where are those snow plows?

Salt Lake City also uses GPS technology to track the location and activity of its Snow Fleet. There are a total of 45 plows available during major storms. During an active storm, you can view real-time map to locate and track plows in your area.

GPS Map Key

GPS information updates every two minutes.
Color coded system indicates activity level:
- Green – Moving
- Yellow – Stopped for less than an hour
- Red – Stopped for more than an hour
- Blue – Idling *

* Salt Lake City has an strict internal idling policy, in addition to the Idle Free Ordinance. There are a few situations where Sanitation vehicles need to idle. For example, in areas with limited space where bins must be brought to a stationary vehicle for service (like a cul-de-sac).

Volunteer with GREENbike

SLCGreen received this notice from our good friends at GREENbike, the bike share system opening this April in Downtown SLC! Read on for a great opportunity to get involved, and also check out their Facebook page. They are revealing the locations of each bike share station via social media!

Learn more about bike share.

GREENbike, SLC Bike Share is looking for bike build volunteers

The bikes for GREENbike, SLC Bike Share will be arriving in Utah shortly and we need some volunteers to help get them up and running. There will be a week-long bike build and we need quite a few volunteers to help with different tasks. We are in need of bicycle mechanics, people to help unpack the bikes, people to apply bike decals, and general volunteers to keep things moving.

The build shifts start on Tuesday, March 12^th and will run until all of the bikes are built (Ideally, we want to be done by the end of Saturday, March 16^th, but we would love to finish earlier in the week). There are three shifts available each day (8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) and there will be a mandatory training on Monday, March 11^th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for all interested Bicycle mechanics. The necessary tools will be provided for all of the volunteer responsibilities. In order to maximize our build time, please only sign up if you will for sure be able to make the shift(s).

The build will take place in a warehouse so please wear clothing that can get dirty and a layer to keep you warm. All volunteers should be at least 18 years of age. Sorry, but given the setting and the nature of the work, children are not allowed.

If you are interested in volunteering e-mail info@greenbikeslc.org and put the phrase “Bike Build Volunteer” as the subject line. Let us know which day(s) and shift(s) you would like as well as with which task you can help. We will send out location information once you are confirmed on our schedule.

Mayors Take to the Hill for Clean Air

Yesterday, SLCGreen took a trip to the Utah State Capitol for a media event hosted by Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell and the Salt Lake Chamber’s Ryan Evans. The purpose of the event was to voice their support for state and local actions to help improve air quality, and to present a list of recommendations that would result in less air pollution.

Among the actions recommended:

Initiate a call to action by individuals to lessen single occupant vehicle driving and cold starts (a large contributor to poor air quality).
Implement a UTA transit pass sponsorship program.
Share local/state level strategies for others to consider:
- Education everyone on the fact that most emissions come from “cold starts.”
- Provide discounted or free transit passes to employees.
- Have a robust carpooling program, creating preferential parking for carpools.
- Encourage employees to telework.
- Pass parking user costs on to employees.
- Establish no-idling ordinances and educational campaigns.
- Allow for flexible schedules to avoid rush hour traffic.
Propose a series of legislative/regulatory actions to improve funding for transit and local transportation funding, reducing vehicle use and removing state barriers to more aggressive action:
- Provide additional transit funding by implementing an increase in the local-option sales tax; or by increasing the gas tax.
- Repeal state law prohibiting Utah from setting air quality standards that are higher than federal regulations.
- Extend tax credits for clean fuel and electric vehicles.
- Change state vehicle registration fee schedule to be based on vehicle emissions.
- Adopt additional driving restrictions during bad air days.
Support regulatory actions due to the new PM2.5 standard:
- New point and area source regulations.
- Trip reduction mandates for companies with over 100 employees.

What are you thoughts on the recommendations listed above? What would you like to see from the Utah State Legislature this session?