Transit Oriented Development - Do We Want It?

I happened to drive near the Sandy Civic Center TRAX stop today and discovered a TOD (Transit Oriented Development) that Sandy City has underway or did have underway. I thought you might enjoy taking a look.

This TOD is located adjacent to the TRAX station in Sandy.

Foundations are in the ground and ready for Phase II.

The TOD has many amenities for the residents.

Centerville's South Main Street Corridor Plan has as one of it's objectives, "9.E. Establish future transit stops near the Mixed-use Districts to create a transit-oriented development. Establish pedestrian links to and from any transit stops." I have thought a great deal about such developments. The ESR mentions Portland, Oregon as an example of a transit system that contributed to new transit oriented developments. I don't have any first hand experience with Portland, but we do have 10 years of TRAX experience to examine. "... some of the claims by TRAX proponents have not come true, either. The predictions that TRAX stations would spur transit-oriented developments and businesses have never quite taken hold, despite attempts" ('10 years of TRAX - only the beginning,' Deseret News Article, 12/6/09).

What do you think? Should we spend a half a billion dollars of our money and see if we can attract TOD's to Centerville's Main Street?

Is There Room On The Bus?

The Alternative Analysis Draft Report published in April 2008, addressed "future traffic conditions" in 2030 if we adopted the No-Build Alternative. The AADP states on page 37, "Generally, the overall traffic conditions in the study area indicate acceptable levels of service (LOS A through D), except for the CBD (Central Business District) of Salt Lake City."

I made a statement and put forth a question on November 12, 2009. I said, "Our buses are currently under utilized, do we need a rail system?" I wanted to provide you data that is obtained from page 1-10 of the ESR and Kerry Doane of the UTA. I noticed that the ridership contained in the ESR was from 2008. I have the ridership numbers for 2009 and "available daily seats." With that information, we can calculate the "available seats used" for each route. When considering "percentages" it is important to understand that routes have different characteristics; peak only versus all-day, express versus local, three county versus two-county. Some service has passengers getting on and off throughout the route which is difficult to quantify a percent full. Other routes are typified by passengers getting on early in the route and staying in their seats for nearly the whole trip. Look at the numbers and you decide if there's room on the bus.

Average Daily Ridership on South Davis County Bus Routes
	Daily	Daily	Seats	Percentage
	Ridership	Ridership	Available	Seats Used
Route	2008	2009	2009	2009
455	1326	1458	2070	70.4%
460	111	43	360	11.9%
461	102	117	315	37.1%
462	106	102	270	37.8%
463	117	72	225	32.0%
470	3913	3721	3825	97.3%
471	366	156	270	57.8%

How Do I Get Involved?

Many people have asked, "What can I do to help stop this rail system from coming to our Main Street." Here is some contact information that will help you.

Centerville Residents Contact: Bruce Smith at 801-298-1453. You can also send me an email through this blog.

Centerville Business Contact: Bruce Pitt at 801-292-6240.

Bountiful Residents Contact: Verlon Duncan at 801-295-4173.

News Report - Davis County Clipper - March 11, 2010

Bountiful residents oppose streetcars
by Tom Busselberg

BOUNTIFUL — Not everyone in Bountiful is waving the flag in favor of streetcars or commuter/light rail.

“Bountiful Against Rail” comprises a group of residents who have hit the pavement this week. They’re informing neighbors of UTA’s plans to install a double track rail system down the city’s Main Street.

They want to get as much public comment to UTA by the Tuesday, March 16, deadline as they can. Comments can be emailed to southdavistransit@hwlochner.com. For more information on the proposal, visit www.rideuta.com/projects/ southDavisTransitStudy/default.aspx.

Their sentiment is joining that of many Centerville residents who last week said they oppose a streetcar down their Main Street.

The proposed line would run from downtown Salt Lake City to Centerville, with a bus connection north into Farmington.

“We are upset that we’ve received no information about this project from our city officials,” said Verlon Duncan, a member of the group and Bountiful resident.

“That’s why we’ve organized...to inform people and invite them to get involved. There has to be a mechanism for the will of the people to be known,” she said.

Almost a year ago to the day, Bountiful Mayor Joe Johnson expressed strong support for a streetcar coming to the city’s Main Street. He and several other government officials viewed and rode on streetcars in several European cities. A public meeting was held to explain streetcar possibilities.

Duncan said the group “is concerned about many aspects of the plan including increased congestion, parking limitations, and pedestrian safety.” She said there are 14 schools within a quarter mile of the route. Other concerns include cost, a potential decrease in property values for homes along the route, and an increase in crime.

Duncan said “Salt Lake City has demonstrated there is a real crime problem at their park and ride lots such as theft, auto damage, attempted rape, and mugging. This proposed system may bring gang and criminal elements into our peaceful neighborhoods.

“We are concerned about the added road congestion as we contend with trains on Main Street,” she said. There are also concerns about how decreased parking on Main would impact local businesses.

“We are concerned our taxes will be raised to fund a project we don’t event want,” Duncan said. She said the $411 million to $473 million cost “does not even come close to the federal New Start funding requirement level of need,” meaning no federal money will be awarded.

The group also disputed projected growth figures by UTA of nearly 200 percent in daily transit trips. “In reality, the majority of this growth is projected to happen in Woods Cross and North Salt Lake, not Bountiful or Centerville.”

“Running a rail system down our Main Street would change the whole feeling of our community,” Duncan said. “We love the hometown suburban feel. That’s why we chose to live here. If we wanted a railroad in our backyard we’d move to downtown Salt Lake.”

Johnson has said a streetcar would bring more people to downtown Bountiful, helping revitalize the area and support local businesses. It would also aid senior citizens and others.

Those wanting to get involved or learn more about Bountiful Against Rail can email Bountifulagainstlightrail@yahoo.com.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com

Here's How To Submit Your Comments To The UTA

We are currently in the 30-day comment period that began February 15, 2010 and extends through March 16, 2010. During this time the public is invited to submit written comments on the Draft ESR.

• Comments may be submitted via the project Website http://www.rideuta.com/projects/southDavisTransitStudy
• Comments may also be submitted in writing at South Davis Transit Corridor Project, c/o H.W. Lochner, 1245 East Brickyard Rd., Suite 400, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

Is Your Commute One Seat or Two?

I wanted to say a word about current bus routes and destinations. In doing so, I must admit that I do not rely on the bus for my daily commute. But, I am a proponent to keep the buses moving and indeed to make the current system even better. We need better routes to take people to the FrontRunner, which is the train we already have. UTA refers to this as better east-west "connectivity." We also need shelters for those who wait. You may have your own ideas for better bus accessibility or convenience. Currently Centerville is served by three routes.

Route 455, known as the WSU/Davis County/U of U route, extends from Ogden on the north (17th & Wall) to Research Park and the University of Utah on the south. On selected trips, this route passes by the Farmington FrontRunner station. On weekdays, buses begin operation around 5:00 am and conclude after 10:00 pm. This bus passes through Centerville on 20-60 minute headways (see schedule for exact times). This route travels through Centerville on 400 East traveling along Orchard Drive, into Salt Lake on Beck Street, 300 West, North Temple, State Street, and 400 South.

Route 470, known as the Salt Lake/Davis County/Ogden route, is the most utilized of the three mentioned. It's route extends from Ogden on the north to Salt Lake City (400 South & State) on the south. This route travels through Centerville on Main Street traveling along Main Street in Bountiful, Highway 89, and into Salt Lake on Beck Street, 300 West, North Temple, and State Street. On selected trips, this route passes by the State Capitol. On weekdays, buses begin operation around 4:00 am and finished after 1:00 am operating on 20-60 minute headways. Weekend schedules differ (see schedule for exact times).

Route 471, known as the Centerville route, provides service during peak periods only. It's route extends from Jennings Lane & 400 West in Centerville on the north to 400 South and West Temple in Salt Lake City on the south. This route travels through Centerville on 400 West, traveling along 200 West in Bountiful, Wildcat Way in North Salt Lake and into Salt Lake on Beck Street, 300 West, North Temple, State Street, and 400 South.

Currently, we can load a bus in Centerville on 400 West, Main Street, and 400 East. It is interesting to understand that all three of these routes enter Salt Lake City on Beck Street, 300 West, North Temple, and State Street. The UTA estimates that current travel time from Centerville to Salt Lake City on Route 470 is 34 minutes (ESR, p. 2-6). The UTA also estimates that your future travel time on the proposed rail system from Centerville to Salt Lake City will be 31 minutes (ESR, p. 2-6). Before you think you just saved 6 minutes in your daily commute, you need to hear the rest of the story. In order to take the streetcar you must first get yourself to Center Street & Main Street or Pages Lane and Main Street. Then after the 3 minute faster ride to Salt Lake City, you will find that you are not on 300 West or North Temple or State Street or 400 South, where you usually disembark from the bus, but you have arrived at the Salt Lake Intermodal Hub located at 300 South and 600 West. You now need to make your way across the platform to TRAX or to a bus to take you to your destination. Somehow, I think you just lost your 3 minutes. Sorry.

So, What Is The Purpose of The Train?

I have thought a great deal recently about the purpose of planes, trains, and automobiles. I would include in the mix light-rail, streetcars and buses. One comment recently published in a Salt Lake Tribune article regarding the proposed rail system states, "I think this is great option if you want to build up commerce" (SL Tribune, "Davis County streetcar proposal draws heat, March 3, 2010).

While that comment may be true, it might also not be true. I would encourage each of us to remember that first and foremost planes, trains, automobiles, streetcars, and buses are modes of transportation. They are the vehicles that move people. Those systems and everything associated with them ought to be designed to meet the needs of people to move about. The ESR states, "The purpose of the proposed transportation investment is to increase mobility within south Davis County, provide transportation options to reduce dependency on the automobile, and connect to existing and future transportation services serving the rest of the region. The transportation investment would serve the demand for north-south travel, while also improving east-west connectivity. In addition, the proposed transportation project would increase the reliability of the transit service, especially during the weekday commute periods. Expansion of transportation mode choice would also create opportunities for the integration of transit-supportive land use plans that may result in increased transit use" (ESR, p. 1-3).

The question for each of us to decide seems to be, is this new rail system investment needed as a transportation system? Any benefit in land use and commerce are things that "may result." If something is a possibility, then it may happen or it might not.

Let's be certain that this proposed system can stand on it's own feet as a necessary transportation system for the people of South Davis County. As Mayor Russell stated last year in a letter to Centerville residents, "It would only make sense if the cost is reasonable, if transit will actually be used, and if the impacts on our community are minimal" (Undated letter, prior to the November 3, 2009 election). Read the study and you decide.

News Report - Standard-Examiner - March 5, 2010

Bill would allow UTA to develop transit-oriented communities
By Mitch Shaw (Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau)

Last Edit: Mar 5 2010 - 7:39am

LAYTON — A bill on Capitol Hill is aiming to make it easier for Utah Transit Authority to develop transit-oriented communities near its rail stations.

Senate Bill 272, sponsored by Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, allows a transit agency to subordinate properties to development companies that will build transit-oriented developments on the properties.

Through contracts that will call for transit-oriented usage, UTA will still be able to encourage those developments once a developer buys the property, said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter.

“UTA isn’t a developer, and we wouldn’t act as one,” he said, “but as the owner of the property, we have an interest in encouraging a
transit-oriented environment.”

Carpenter said allowing developers to become subsidiary property owners makes it so lenders are more likely to approve loans.

“In this current economic climate, it makes it more flexible for us to partner with developers,” he said. “If there is a default, the property can be used as a collateral. It makes it a more attractive financing option.”

The bill also increases the number of members a public transit district with more than 200,000 people living within its boundaries can have on its board of trustees.

“We have a number of properties that we think are good candidates” for these developments, Carpenter said of UTA.

One of those properties is in Davis County.

UTA owns 70 acres near the Clearfield commuter rail stop. That land was once used as an automobile transfer yard for the railroad.

The transit agency wants to use the land for a transit-oriented development that would include a high-density rental-housing facility.

The development plans are still in the preliminary stages and nothing is final, UTA officials say, but a recent proposal includes a rental-housing facility of 3,100 to 3,500 units.

After a request from Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, the bill has been amended to limit the legislation initially to only five UTA properties. Beyond that, UTA would have to seek further authorization, Carpenter said.

The bill was approved unanimously Feb. 22 by the Senate Transportation and Public Utilities committee.

News Report - Deseret News - March 5, 2010

UTA to implement bus, train route changes proposed in January

By Laura Hancock

Deseret News

Published: Friday, March 5, 2010 6:26 p.m. MST

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E-MAIL PRINT FONT + -

SALT LAKE CITY — In about a month, hundreds of Weber, Davis and Salt Lake county residents can no longer ride their regular bus or train to work.

On Friday, the Utah Transit Authority announced its decision — proposed in January — to shed a handful of bus and train routes, which save about $3 million, or half the amount of money UTA General Manager John Inglish was charged with cutting from the 2010 calendar year budget.

UTA will cut Express routes 474 and 476 through Ogden and Davis County. The routes run parallel to FrontRunner Commuter Rail, said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter.

Route 472, also on the chopping block when UTA announced the proposed cuts, was spared but with modifications.

UTA will add two new trips to Express Route 473 to absorb some riders affected by the cuts.

Lisa Scadden of Syracuse may be affected, depending on what time she can hop an Express bus to get to work in Salt Lake City by 7 a.m. Currently, she drives to the Kaysville Park & Ride and waits for whichever downtown Express bus comes first — 472, 474 or 476.

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"I would not take the train," she said. "I would have to leave my home 20 minutes earlier to catch the 6 a.m. train in Clearfield," she said. "I would get home 15 to 20 minutes later every night."

All bus changes announced Friday begin April 5.

UTA will eliminate Saturday service on routes 9, 11, 17, 62, 228, 232 and 248. Sunday service will be eliminated on routes 39 and 45.

UTA also will cut back the TRAX route between Sandy and the University of Utah, beginning May 3, which is the end of the U.'s spring semester. Instead of light-rail trains running all day, trains will only run in mornings and evenings. The first train leaves Sandy at 6:04 a.m. and the last train arrives leaves Sandy at 4:34 p.m.

For a complete schedule, visit http://www.rideuta.com/changeday..

No new changes are expected in bus and train schedules until December, Carpenter said.

UTA gets a bulk of its revenue from sales taxes. And spending is down during the recession, which has affected UTA coffers.

UTA believes the economy will probably turn around during 2010 but warns that the bus and train cuts that have occurred in 2009 and 2010 will not suddenly be reversed.

"We don't expect a drastic rebound in sales tax revenue," he said. "It's going to be a gradual increase."

e-mail: lhancock@desnews.com

TWITTER: laurahancock

Explosive Population Growth In Our Future?

Much has been said about population growth in South Davis County and in the transit study area. Some have suggested that a rail system is necessary to keep up with population increases in the future. The Environmental Study Report provides us "future population" (ESR, p. 1-6) figures for our South Davis County communities.

The overall study area is projected to grow in population of 175,600 in 2005 to 252,000 in 2030. That represents 44% growth. I was particularly intrigued by the forecast for Centerville and Bountiful. Bountiful had a population 42,700 in 2005 and can anticipate 44,400 in 2030. That is growth of 3%. Centerville had a population of 16,200 in 2005 and can anticipate 17,500 in 2030. That is growth of 8%.

"The greatest population change is expected in North Salt Lake (85%). Between 2005 and 2030, the population of the portion of Salt Lake City that is within the study area is projected to increase by 67% as a result of planned high-density housing in the CBD, including the Gateway and City Creek developments" (ESR, p. 1-6).

I realize that I am not an expert in population growth patterns, but I'm thinking that we will be able to keep up with those growth estimates and the associated transportation needs in Centerville and Bountiful without a rail system on our Main Street. Look at the numbers and you decide.