Mass-transit vision will help Utahns

Gridlock, not vision! That was the answer Vancouver transit people gave when I asked how they had the vision to create such an efficient and user-friendly transportation system. That was in 1983 when we, as UTA board members, were considering the creation of light rail that is now TRAX. FLEXTRANS, designed to assist those with disabilities, was also part of the system.

Vancouver's system included an elaborate and synchronized array of buses, light rail and ferryboats. They said they had no choice but to change, as they did not have the luxury of the federal highway system the United States had created. Their city was laid out in a grid with automobiles inching along the city streets. Organizations move by one of two ways: leadership or crisis. It was the gridlock crisis that moved them. They found that wherever light rail was built, the area became revitalized with business and people.

Twenty-three years later, we have city-, county- and state-elected officials putting their parochial interests aside to create a common vision to deal with the problem of moving a growing population across the Wasatch Front. They, along with business and community leaders, have created Proposition 3, which brings the vision to the public for its consideration.

It is encouraging when elected officials put their vested interests aside to use their political capital for the public good. At a time when many politicians cannot see or do not care about anything beyond their political boundaries, they understood that doing nothing was no longer an option as they saw the problems of urban growth unfold along the Wasatch Front. They realized the problems of communities transcend artificial boundaries — the air we breathe, the water we drink and how we live, work, play together. Fortunately, they have focused their priorities on what is in the public's interest.

What is little understood is how getting from one place to another affects our relationships between families and communities. I often wonder how many families ask their loved ones to call them as they drive to work and breathe a sigh of relief when they get the call. Commuter rail will open up greater employment opportunities between communities and make it possible for family members to spend more time together. Can you imagine living in Provo and working in Ogden without the worry of traveling? Can you imagine how it would make it possible for people in West Valley City to work in Salt Lake City, or how this would help the west side of Salt Lake City become revitalized?

UTA's leaders have been consistent and focused on their mission. They never forgot they were in the business of moving people, not running a bus system. It is that kind of philosophy that has allowed UTA to work effectively with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and other entities responsible for moving people and bringing communities together. It has been key in molding a culture among leaders that has been a driving force in working for the public good rather than parochial interests. Furthermore, we now have leaders who have provided a vision for us to support on Nov. 7 rather than waiting for a crisis to make us move.

Thanks to the local leaders of today who have shown what good things can happen when people come together.

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-MAIL: ">jdflorez@comcast.net