Comments about ‘Streetcars could roll in 3 years’

I would love to know how a street car is going to reduce traffic along 21st South by 20%.

The average car carries fewer than 1.5 people, a street car could hold anywhere from 20-50 people. That would be a minimum of 35-75 fewer cars on the road for each trip its takes at capacity. Is this really hard to understand?

How does a single rail work without a loop? How do trolleys going in opposite directions get past each other?

This is great! I can't wait for it. Many of us in Sugar house who are college students have been hit hard by the economic downturn and we no longer can afford to own a car. Additionally readily available transportation helps community members feel more connected to the community and explore more. This would be a great gain in our tax base. My only question is will it run late at night for the grown ups and on weekends? Bus service is non-existant at night.

Will the streetcar replace cars?

There is no way that this could ever be worth the cost.

Of course it would reduce traffic, because it would narrow down the street and force vehicles to use other routes.

We keep electing people who believe we have nothing better to do than wait for public transportation and nothing more to transport than what we can carry. Then they give us public transportation that doesn't go where we need to go when we need to go there and costs more than driving.

This is great news indeed. Now how long do we have to wait for the service to be extended south from Sandy to Draper, Orem, American Fork and Provo?

Q. How does a single rail work without a loop?

A. Streetcars are often built with driving positions at both ends. The operator walks to the other end and off it goes!

Q. How do trolleys going in opposite directions get past each other?

A. Passing tracks will be built where the streetcars are scheduled to meet.

re: Very Elementary Concept
modern streetcars usually have about 50 seats, but can hold a hundred or more standing passengers for short trips.

Is this going to cost more than driving your own car? That would be stupid? I mean the average UTA trip meets or exceeds what it would cost to take your own car now. All this was supposed to be "Cheaper" and "Cost Effective", but guess what, IT ISN'T! For the person in Sugar House, if you can't afford a car, MOVE!!! Why do we all expect the government to solve all our problems??? I want the government to pay for my childs education, make retirement age 30, and pay for all my food, clothing and morgage too! Oh, I want a new car every 3 years and I want them to pay for the insurance, maintainance and gas too while they are taking care of everyone else! I personally am sick of it!

Instead of pumping $ into another transporation boondoggle, Why don't we continue to expand TRAX.

See how that works and go from there.

re: CougarKeith | 3:49 p.m. May 29, 2009

//Why do we all expect the government to solve all our problems???... I personally am sick of it!//

Thank you. I agree completely.

What you pro streetcar people forget is that people will have to drive to the streetcar pickup spots, wait, then drive back home once their trip is complete.

Public transit is a joke.

I think that if they do have a streetcar I would only ride on it if it were named Desire. Also, my friend works in the refinery industry and they are hurting real bad right now, how would these streetcars impact those poor souls? I am just not sure about this. Plus sometimes, when I ride trax the smell reminds me of homeless people and mayonnaise, and I think both of those things are gross. How can we be sure that the streetcar won't be more of the same. Boo public transportation!

I will only support this endeavor if we bring back old school trolley cars... otherwise its a complete and utter waste!

Re: Very Elementary

Yeah, the thing will be filled to capacity with people riding the street car instead of cars. Seriously, ivory tower projects like this need to be put down before lots and lots of money is wasted.

just one more thing to make the rest of us wait even longer at stoplights. why don't they invest in overpasses--the simple concrete beam type-- that allow drivers continuing straight to bypass the intersection completely. if you've ever lived abroad or in really large cities, you know the first rule of traffic is to keep it moving. but i suppose an overpass would be as distracting and block the view as much as the much-disputed skybridge over Main St. at the new City Creek Center so we shouldn't do it.

I don't understand why they want it on 2300 E instead of 2100 E where all the businesses (and traffic) are (is). Plus if it was on 2100 E then the neighborhoods on both sides of the street would have easy access. If you look on google maps, you can see that the tracks are already there so maybe that's why? I'm excited for it though, its not really a park and ride deal, more for commuters that live somewhere along the route (trax included). Its just a start, hopefully they'll expand it further east so I can walk to it. Right now it would be about a 3.5 mile walk for me. A little far for commuting. Bring it straight up 2100 S all the way to K mart and we are talking.

So check this out, go to google, then click "map," then enter "Mcclelland and sugarmont salt lake city utah." You can already see the existing rail alignment. Zoom in, click the "satellite" button, and you can follow the exact rail line and see what houses and businesses the rail goes past.

Its probably 10 years out, but I can definately see how development would change and spring up around the line. I think it would be very cool to live right along the line, or maybe a half block off of it. In New Orleans the St. Charles street car goes right through one of the fancyist neighborhoods in the whole city on the way to Loyola and Tulane. There are mansions built all along that street (Maybe thats why its a property in the board game "monopoly").

I think this is very cool. Time to go house hunting?

There are some drivers making comments here who are very self-centered.
Don't you realize not everyone has a car or can drive a vehicle, including elderly, blind, disabled, pre-license age, temporarily ill or prevented from driving, those who can't afford a car, etc. Add to that people who prefer not to drive, and you have a lot of people using public transportation.

One question, where does all this money come from ? Can't even convince the citizens of SLC to build a new police station to replace the antique, falling-down, cracker box they are in now ! Most cities seem to be tearing out old, unused tracks..but here, " Let's build an antiquated out dated system just for the fun of it, and people will come from miles around to ride it and spend money at outlets close. " DUH BUT this caution...if it is a done deal.. DON'T LET UTA GET THEIR MONEY GRABBING HANDS ON IT....or it will pay for more big raises for their management and less service for the few who do ride....