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Tuesday, January 13, 2009  |  8 Comments [ View ]

We need more freeway lanes, not mass transit

Last April, I wrote about this perfect test of mass transit, versus freeway construction in Utah. Now, the numbers are in. Legacy Parkway and FrontRunner cost about $650 million each, so we can compare dollar for dollar.

According to UDOT's Web site, in March of 2008, 141,877 vehicles traveled I-15 in Davis County per day. FrontRunner opened in April, and the effect in May was 142,030 cars per day (an increase of 153 cars per day).

Now, let's compare Legacy Parkway. In August of 2008, 137,553 vehicles traveled I-15 in Davis County per day. Legacy Parkway opened in September and the effect in October was 112,455 cars per day (a decrease of 25,098 cars per day).

FrontRunner had no impact on congestion and Legacy Parkway solved the problem!

We feel it is clear that building roads solves congestion problems, while building mass transit is simply a waste of both time and taxpayer money. This has real relevance for Utah and especially Utah County.

FrontRunner South is being built at a price tag of $1 billion. FrontRunner in Utah County will have no effect on congestion and should be stopped. The only way to relieve congestion in Utah County is to build freeway lanes. We have proved this is Davis county.

Roads verses mass transit? Roads by a knockout!

Drew Chamberlain
Layton





 8 Comments

By: stevo @ 01/14/2009, 10:59 PM

Are you kidding me? So Drew, what are we suppose to do in 10 years when the infamous "legacy highway" and I-15 are over populated with cars? build another rode? Where???? Get off your high horse and use mass transit, it works!

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By: Nick @ 01/14/2009, 1:03 PM

I saw the title for this letter and said to myself, "I'll bet that's a letter by Drew Chamberlain."

Ta-da! I'm psychic!

Good 'ol Drew.

You folks know he owns a car dealership, right? Or that he's a honcho in the local Republican party, which runs the state, which awards huge contracts to roadbuilders?

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By: John @ 01/14/2009, 10:42 AM

So a few months is supposed to change 70 years of auto centric policies?

By the way sim the highways did not build America the railroads did.

Also, how many are actually traveling in the corridor that the train runs, not just ALL highway traffic.

Finally how much will taxes have to be raised to make up for the lost tax dollars that highways cost. After all, highways pay not taxes, take up substantially more room than the FrontRunner line so area residents have to make up for the tax loses.

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By: Flatlander100 @ 01/14/2009, 10:08 AM

Ol Red: of course "we taxpayers" have a say. We elect the legislators who spend the money. And we tend to elect the same ones over and over again. Sorry, Red, but most times, we get the government in this state we deserve [God help us]. We elect it.

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By: Ol' Red @ 01/14/2009, 9:45 AM

Whether or not mass transit is practical for utahns is beside the point. Our legislators will spend our tax dollars the way they choose. We as taxpayers seem to have no say in the matter.

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By: sim @ 01/14/2009, 7:19 AM

america didnt built freeways...the freewasys built america....our culture will not allow for us to completely move toward mass transit...were just too independant...europe was built around the trains and subways..its apart of their culture...americans?...not so much.....its a waste of money these trains.....

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By: Zarnicki @ 01/14/2009, 7:06 AM

Well its like trying to get an alcoholic off booze. Unless he wants to, he never will. Same goes for mass transit.

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By: Zac @ 01/14/2009, 5:00 AM

How dare you use facts and data vs. feelings and good intentions.

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