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PDF version(UNEDITED) After meeting with citizens of Ogden and Weber County in two public open houses earlier this year, to gain feedback on possible streetcar alignments for a new public transportation corridor, our public representatives have rolled up the maps, folded up the comments, and apparently thrown them in the trash. These agencies are on auto-pilot, working against all rational arguments for a 25th street streetcar, and are instead pushing their own 36th street alignment.
There is a reason that the citizens, people who have an innate understanding of the landscape of the city, overwhelmingly favor a 25th Street Streetcar. This route capitalizes on an existing ridership base, adding FrontRunner and Downtown-WSU riders to drive economic development; simultaneously revitalizing both downtown and the Historic Trolley District. Not only does the 36th street alternative miss the Trolley District completely, it relies only on FrontRunner ridership, funneling passengers through a largely auto-oriented portion of the community. This route will require additional public subsidy to support the lack of community/passenger buy in, thereby resulting in significantly less economic development opportunity.
On November 19th the project Stakeholder's will meet to determine the final recommendation for a Preferred Alternative for the future of any streetcar alignment either integrating or ignoring the heart of Ogden.
We hope the representatives from the City of Ogden, Weber County, Weber State University, McKay Dee Hospital Center, and the Wasatch Front Regional Council understand that UDOT and UTA¬¹s sole purpose is to serve the public, not toss us out with the trash.
James Wilson
Ogden
Here's a good link
Sign the petition to wake up these UTA/UDOT coroporate zombies from their obvious taxpayer-hidden somnambulance. Sign the petition if you'd like to see Utah transporatation bureaucrtats blown to hell:
http://www.trolleydistrict.org/petition
The consultants have missed the train, - literally.
Subject: Progress Memo for Upcoming meeting...
All,
In preparation for the upcoming Policy-Management Committee meeting on November 19th the Project Team has put together a document (see attached) that includes a summary of progress to date and current project status and puts forth a recommendation of a preferred mode and alignment.
The meeting on the 19th will have two key objectives. The first objective is for the Project Team to understand the position of each stakeholder with regard to the recommended mode and alignment in order to objectively address their issues and concerns.
The meeting will begin with a formal presentation by the Project Team of the study findings, including the Project Team’s recommendation for Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). The presentation will also include a few scenarios for the financial feasibility of the LPA. Following these presentations, there will be a designated period provided to go around the table and for each stakeholder to provide specific comments regarding the material presented. These comments from each of the stakeholders are critical to meeting this first objective. This specific comment period will be followed by a general question and answer period for the stakeholders regarding the recommended LPA.
The second key objective to this meeting is coming to a determination of general consensus on the recommended mode and alignment. Based on the Purpose & Need, stakeholders input, impacts and costs the Project Team has put forth a recommendation that they feel will best meet the standards and requirements established by the Federal Transit Administration for a federally funded project. The Project Team is prepared to move forward with a public meeting in December to present the recommended alternative and subsequently begin the required environmental analysis, but without some general consensus, the team can not move forward on these next steps.
We look forward to your comments and participation. Please feel free to contact myself or any of the Project Team members with any questions or concerns.
Respectfully,
G.J. LaBonty
Administrator note: Address and phone number were removed from this post at the request of the author of the letter cited here.
Where is attachment?
JG: where is the attachment?
Attachment
http://trolleydistrict.org/stuffs/reccomendations.pdf
Attachment
Not sure I can post it here, but I know we will have it at TrolleyDistrict.org very shortly..... It is a piece of work, and UTA and UDOT hope their plan has enough legs to bypass our public display of displeasure. I'll get a link on here as soon as it is available!!
James
What's does the Mayor have to do with this?
Honestly folks, the Mayor has nothing to do with UTA and UDOT on this one. The Mayor is on the Shareholders committee yes, however it is not apparent to us at Trolleydistrict.org that he has a particular preference. The UTA is the agency that is pushing the 36th street alignment and as of yesterday, the official UTA alignment preference has been published. It is up to the citizens of Central Ogden (Trolley District) to make their voices heard and ask the shareholders to push UTA in the right direction. November 19th is critical if we are going to have any impact on the course blindly and poorly set by OUR transportation officials.
James
How stupid!
Thirty-sixth street is not only half South Ogden's, but it is a narrow little residential street. There is just room for two lanes of traffic with on-street parking. How can anyone even begin to think to squeeze a streetcar line in that tiny area? The streets are lined with houses, not businesses. Even if they were to become business structures, there would be no room for customer parking. Not everyone would be willing to take the streetcar to get to them.
There are so many good options, 25th, 26th, 30th streets. Streets that are wide enough to accomodate a streetcar and that go through the central district. To even consider thirty-sixth street is just demented.
I think it would be better to have no new streetcar at this time than to run it down 36th street. Better to go back to the end of the line for Federal funding than to waste money on this harebrained idea.
++
36th makes little sense for transit users
A trolley line on 25th [or one block N or S of that] hits many current transit rider destinations: the main library, the golden age center, the El Rodeo market [lots of people get on/off there; appts nearby serve people without cars in many cases], Ogden High, the main transfer pt at 30th and Harrison. A Washington/36th Street route comes within two blocks of a senior center. And a mortuary.
I ride the 603 a lot, and occasionally I do counts just to see how many get on and off where. On most runs downtown, more people get off along the way, and on along the way, than ride pt to pt, Frontrunner Station to WSU or the reverse. Many more. And UTA tells me if a trolley goes in, no matter where it goes in, they will cut service on the 603 route, probably in half. Which means all those people who use the 603 and do not ride it pt to pt, Frontrunner to WSU, will lose a substantial amount of the transit access they now have. And UTA tells me now the 603 is the heaviest travelled route in Ogden.
Were we heard?
Who turned over to UTA the information gathered from public meetings? Can we be sure that our voices were heard and not a substituted message from the mayor? What would be our next option is the 36th Street route is selected?
Godfrey's vision
Good letter Mr. Wilson. However, it really doesn't matter what you or any of the citizens of Ogden see as logical or good policy. What really counts is Mayor Godfrey's vision of the way it's supposed to be. He doesn't care about you, or making sense, or anything else except his Gondola obsession. He is saving the routes through central Ogden for this infernal Gondola idea, that is the reason he is pushing for, and most likely will get, the 36ths Street route. Hopefully the new city council will finally put a stake through the heart of this Gondola business and the voters will finally turn this absolutely horrid excuse for a mayor out of office. Only then will sensibility and intergrity reign in the city administration.
Many want a 25th Street streecar
Very well said James. Count me in as supporting your opinion's. I will add mine as well.
How does sending the streetcar up 36th revitalize inner and central Ogden? As we all know mass transit of this nature does wonders for where the tracks are laid as well as the areas in close proximitry. Why the interest to help revitalize South Ogden? I have nothing against South Ogden but wonder if they wish to help foot a portion of the bill for the streetcar as it will indeed revitalive areas surrounding the route. Looks like they could get a freebie courtesy of Ogden taxpayers. I also wonder if there is more to it behind the scenes as this route does little to help where the actuall help is needed in cetral Ogden. As we were both involved in the recent citizen's input committee to stear central Ogden, apparently our message was not heard. Streetcars for central Ogden through central Ogden paid for in part by Ogdenites must be our battle cry. We can not let outsiders or those with special interests dictate to us where our trolley system will go. Cental Ogden needs revitalization. Past administrations have let it deteriorate to its present state. Does the present administration wish to be noted as one who helped revitalize and practice what it preaches, or one who had the opportunity to rebuild but gave it to South Ogden?