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Show OCTOBER 1995 EDITORIAL It's About Time Political Leaders Address Traffic Congestion and Its Air Pollution The Utah Transit Authority attempted to improve transportation by proposing a light rail line up the spine of the valley from Sandy to Christopher Smart of the UTA board several years ago, has always wanted more buses, more bus and routes a no-fare system. fund the commuter line in November Taylor argues that a no-fare system would boost ridership. Presently buses run so_ infrequently that it makes them unpalat- 1992: able car. time to develop a transportation mas- Before that election, mayors of Salt Lake Valley’s 13 municipalities, with the exception of Salt Lake City, said they would not support the light rail referendum, unless UTA found a way to fund their surface streets. They both lost And the transportation system was not improved — a good example of leadership at ter plan its worst. downtown. Soon, Gov Mike Leavitt and his “Growth Summit” will consider transportation problems along the Wasatch Front and how to relieve them. We can only congratulate the governor for addressing what appears to be a transportation crisis looming on the horizon. At the same time, we have to wonder why none of our state leaders has taken the during the last 20 years. As the population of the Salt Lake Valley has exploded during that period, very few improvements in the papooe tation system have been made. The completion of the I-215 belt route and the Bangerter Highway, 4000 West, are notable excepwuions. In 1992, the Salt Lake County Council of Governments identified $2 billion-worth of needed surface streets in Salt Lake Valley alone. Presently there is a dearth of eastwest routes in the south end of the valley, where most of the population growth has taken place. down Voters, however, turned sales tax increase to a 1/4 cent Last credit, year, By who contrast, has access mass to a transit the first choice to many live in cities with efficient sys- who tems. Imagine the impact on_ traffic congestion if the UTA spent $300 mil lion on new buses and made its system free to riders. Looking at this way, Taylor is right. Traffic and its resulting air pollution would be cut drastically with no expensive and UTA, to its however, to anyone becomes to plow ahead and whether or not voters wanted to pay for it with sales tax. In the midst of this bravado, Salt Lake City captured the 2002 Winter decided time-consuming construction of new Secretary Federico Pena decided the feds would come up with 80 percent of the 300 million price tag, The latest wrinkle in the saga is that Sam Taylor, the venerable UTA critic, has now filed suit against the freeway lanes. One light rail line, as proposed, presents some problems. To begin with, the population centers are east and west of the proposed line, which generally will run along 300 West. In the future, a number of east-west spurs would have to be added to the line to make it efficient. Presently, residents of Sandy and Draper, as well as those of West transit authority, Jordan build the Olympic line, Games and Transportation to stop construction of the rail project. Taylor, who and Riverton, who would like to ride the proposed light rail, would was made a member have to drive this is the place or ride the bus to the by John Helton And, as the mayors of those towns have argued, they have but few east-west surface streets to access the line. In the end, that proposal may be bothersome enough to leave most commuters wondering why they just don’t drive to work. And we are back where we started, with congested and dangerous freeways and hightrain. ways and air that is sometimes unfit guessed Gov. to breathe. Pundits have that Leavitt may be ready to propose a gas-tax hike, in order to fund new roadways. Certainly, the transportation needs of communities in the south end of Salt Lake Valley need to be met. But funding for additional freeway lanes will not cut traffic problems or air pollution. The addition of freeway lanes will take years and although it could be part of a longterm master plan, it won’t help us now. More thought should be given to beefing up mass transit - both light rail and the bus system. Any new transportation plan using an increased gasoline tax as funding must include mass transit. Only through mass transit will the air in Salt Lake Valley and along the Wasatch Front, in general, become healthy again. And only an efficient mass transit system can succeed. @ PARK| |CITY =a Cory, Ets ON THE TOWN HFT RUN?! CREDITS Published by Print Works, Park City, Utah Not to worry, +ne ice that will cover all I wonder if people realize how loud What? | can't hear you. These 2p at os ye pretty tha houses T. SAID!T WONDER IF OLD TOWN RESIDENTS REALIZE WW oe WOULD BE IN THEIR | NEGHBoRHONDS/! TohrOEas 5 acts as A Cound barrier. No one wil| 3? hear i+ anyway, Were it Christopher Smart Editor Leslie Miller Layout and Design Joanna Charnes Advertising Sales Contributors Katharine Biele, Rick Brough, Randy Hanskat, John Helton, Steve Lewis, Darrell Mensel, Teri Orr, Pamela Mills Poulson, Virginia Rainey, Jeff Rice. Jim Stiles, Jack Wright, Abi Wright. The Wasatch Mountain Times is published monthly. Twenty-five thousand copies are distributed throughout our mountain region, including the Wasatch Front, our canyons and the Park City area. The opinions expressed in this pe are not necessarily those of the publish! ‘or advertising rates anc chedules in The Wasatch Mountain Times, or if you would like to have The Times delivered and placed in your business establishment, please call Leslie at 801-649-8046, |