Reader comments
Free ride — Train packed as Utahns check out FrontRunner

Sub-Odeon | 5:58 a.m. April 29, 2008

I've been excited by the FrontRunner ever since I moved back last September.

I used to ride the Sounder to and from Seattle when I lived in Tacoma and worked in downtown Seattle. A terrific way to commute. Get off the freeway, get out of the car. Lean you head back and nap, or surf the web, read, etc. Very fast.

FrontRunner appears to be a carbon copy of the Sounder. Should be a good ride to work today.

Pat | 7:44 a.m. April 29, 2008

This sounds wonderful. I hope the people in the Salt Lake area know what a wonderful system they have, here in Houston, Texas our light rail and bus system is a joke. One of the best parts of coming to Utah is riding the train.

WBM5 | 7:53 a.m. April 29, 2008

Can't wait to ride! I am waiting until after the free period though. Too many people!

Comments continue below

Keith Lowham | 7:56 a.m. April 29, 2008

Can you ride from Salt Lake to Ogden and back to Salt Lake? How long would it be?
klowham@hotmail.com

Ride the Bus - Save Time | 8:12 a.m. April 29, 2008

The express bus I took this morning made it to Salt Lake in 40 minutes from Ogden. I never saw the southbound FrontRunner once. I wasn't sleeping either. I saw 3 trains going north.

The 'free ride' time ought to be between 9am - 3pm, not during the commuters time.

It was awful last night. Left SLC at 5:25, got to Ogden after 7pm.

Why is the souhtbound train in the evening have priority over the northbound train? We stopped and waited 3 different times for 10 - 15 minutes each time.

It was like the monorail at Disneyland last night.
I'm ok with all of the kids and families, but definitely not 1,000 people waiting to get on and off during the dinner hour when I'm trying to go home before dark.

Oh yeah....keep your kids and loved ones BEHIND the yellow line. It only takes once to fall between the train and the platform to have a tragedy.

Don't let your kids reach out and touch the train as it goes by either. I saw this on several occasions last night at the various stops.

Granny | 8:52 a.m. April 29, 2008

Anyone who has been to Europe can attest to the value of a train system for public transportation. I'm glad we have this up and going for the nightmare commute from north to South, and it is good to know work will begin for a train system to Utah County.

We have TRAX, and a commuter train--any ideas on how to solve the traffic problems from east to west? Currently the bus system isn't effective.

A little Clorox in the Gene Pool | 9:31 a.m. April 29, 2008

And Front Runner will help improve Utah's Gene Pool.

In southern California, people try to drive around railroad crossing arms and cut in front of the Metrolink trains and the Red Line.

They prove that Darwin was right and they raise the average IQ by several points.

As people decide they can't wait the 10 seconds for the Front Runners to pass and they drive around the crossing arms; Utah will see a big increase in its average intelligence level.

steve | 9:52 a.m. April 29, 2008

It's about time that Utah wise up and get a commuter rail running! I've always been impressed about public transportation since I lived in Italy several years ago. While I was in Rome and Naples, I could catch a ride anywhere in the city, at any time during the day up until late evening, whether riding the commuter rail or the bus. Cost was minimal and buses or trains came every 15-20 minutes. The only inconvenience were the frequent strikes at the time. I took my son with me on Saturday, and was very impressed by the smooth ride and how quickly I cuold reach my destinations. The only downer will be the rates. I think the price is a bit too high and may discourage many from taking the rail once fares begin.

Gus | 10:39 a.m. April 29, 2008

I like this idea, but I think it's too expensive. I don't even spend $145 on gas each month so this doesn't make sense for me.

Jonathan | 10:54 a.m. April 29, 2008

Gus,

That may be true, but how much is your gas + car payment + car insurance + the time you can now spend working rather than driving?

Jeremy Parker | 10:59 a.m. April 29, 2008

Gas and a car payment? $145 is cheap, I'd be on it in a heartbeat and glad to have my hands and eyes free for other more productive things.

Sub-Odeon | 11:42 a.m. April 29, 2008

For those complaining about cost, do your employers not subsidize transit passes? My employer does. For less than $40 a month I can ride any bus, any train, any trolley, anywhere between Utah and Weber counties.

I say, if you have the option to get off the freeway every morning and afternoon, you should.

Why drive and be stuck in traffic, burning expensive gas, when you can be napping on the train?

FrontRunner is excellent. Thumbs up!

Anonymous | 12:47 p.m. April 29, 2008

Huge improvement to the area with more to come. They will figure out the problems and it will only get better from here on. You have to give UTA credit for actually being proactive with transit over the past 10 years and going forward. These trains take cars off the road, so they even make it better for those who continue to drive.

Ernest T. Bass | 12:56 p.m. April 29, 2008

Attention Utahns: It's ok to ignore "free" rides. You do not have to cram bratty kids and large grandmas on these trains, when people are trying to get home from work, just because it's free.
You will be able to pay for a pass.
Please stop being so stinking cheap.

Ernest P. Worrell | 1:49 p.m. April 29, 2008

I too didn't see a Southbound train at all on my drive in from Layton (and I wasn't sleeping...I was driving). I did, however, see Northbound trains. Seems odd that after 2 months of running test train and burning all that fuel, they weren't able to figure out that the morning rush hour is Southbound and the evening rush hour is Northbound. Seems pretty logical to me.

I sure hope a lot of people ride the train so there are a lot fewer cars on the freeway for my drive to work. UTA just hasn't figured out a way to get me to work in less than 2 hours.

Oh, and Jonathan, you are assuming that just because people ride the train that they will get rid of a car and insurance. I don't really think that is the case. So $145/month is pretty spendy. Now if you are talking wear-and-tear on the vehicle, tire, maintenace, and fuel, etc....then you would have a point.

Hones | 2:11 p.m. April 29, 2008

It is good in theory, but right now is more expensive and more inconvenient than driving my car into SLC.

Anonymous | 2:56 p.m. April 29, 2008

They have promoted the heck out of this and want people to ride FrontRunner, but I can't get UTA to respond to an email to the question, "How do I get from the Clearfield or Roy Station to Hill AFB?". They seem to only care if you are driving to a station (without adequate parking), travel downtown and take a UTA bus or UTA Trax to your final destination. Their customer service is very poor.

welcome to Utah | 3:15 p.m. April 29, 2008

anything free!!!!
since i have moved here i have seen more people wanting free stuff.

Lisa | 5:07 p.m. April 29, 2008

Front Runner is like being in Europe where they have the trains In Europe you don't have to wait very long, I think that what Front Runner is going to be like ,I am really impressed on what i hear about front runner, I willhave to put that on my weekend schedule somtime.

TO: Ernest T. Bass | 5:11 p.m. April 29, 2008

Get over it. It's 3 lousy days. Geez.

What! | 5:19 p.m. April 29, 2008

I doesnï¿½t make much sense that a ticket from Pleasant View would cost the same as a ticket from Farmington. 1/3 the distance should be 1/3 the price. Or how about this, it should be based on weight. You stand on a scale at your station and the ticket is calculated based on weight and distance. If were going to haul your fat behind around your should pay for it. I'll wait until the 1st month is over to make my full assessment.

To: Anonymous | 10:24 p.m. April 29, 2008

Anonymous | 2:56 p.m. April 29, 2008
They have promoted the heck out of this and want people to ride FrontRunner, but I can't get UTA to respond to an email to the question, "How do I get from the Clearfield or Roy Station to Hill AFB?".

You could go online to the trip planner and do it yourself. There's an idea! Stop blaming UTA for your inability to solve a simple problem and check their routes out in that area, find one that goes to your station, and RIDE it!

LJ | 10:37 p.m. April 29, 2008

When can we expect, if ever, the train to run on sunday? what a boost to the hotels in ogden and slc if you could go in on the train for a weekend. think about it utah.

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