"stop the 11th east streetcar!" - Sugar House Streetcar
Do People Want it?
On April 23, 2013, hundreds of residents gathered at city hall to oppose the Sugar House streetcar running up 11th East. They even gathered 1,565 signatures to petition this proposed route! This city hall meeting created the biggest attendance of a council meeting in years. With all this public outcry you would think that the city would strongly consider the other options for the streetcar. But on May 7, 2013 the city decided to ignore the voice of the people and go ahead with the cities plan to erect the streetcar up 11th East. While a select few want the streetcar up 11th East, most people don't. Other alternatives should be reconsidered, if not the whole project.
Does it Help Traffic?
It depends. For the short term, no. For the long term, it is hard to know. We know it will add to congestion in the surrounding streets if a significant number of commuters don't ride the streetcar. To make things even more bleak for the future of the streetcar an article in the Salt Lake Tribune on June 14, 2013 states that despite UTA's big expansion efforts ridership on public transportation has taken a hit. The fact is, is that this streetcar doesn't take place of most commuters' plans and we will not see any decrease to automobile usage.
Does it help air quality?
Not very likely. Air quality is a significant problem in the Salt Lake Valley due to inversions. Wouldn't it be great if we could all ride public transit and ditch our cars? Sure. It would be great if we had an end all be all solution that worked for everyone. Although the trains are electric, the power to move the heavy rail cars comes from combustion power plant. If ridership is not enough, then pollution in the valley could be even worse with a rail car, despite that energy usage being more efficient than automobile engines. What about the added traffic from the congested streets during rush hour? In many cases we lose a lane due to the rail space. Stopped traffic = increased pollution.
On April 23, 2013, hundreds of residents gathered at city hall to oppose the Sugar House streetcar running up 11th East. They even gathered 1,565 signatures to petition this proposed route! This city hall meeting created the biggest attendance of a council meeting in years. With all this public outcry you would think that the city would strongly consider the other options for the streetcar. But on May 7, 2013 the city decided to ignore the voice of the people and go ahead with the cities plan to erect the streetcar up 11th East. While a select few want the streetcar up 11th East, most people don't. Other alternatives should be reconsidered, if not the whole project.
Does it Help Traffic?
It depends. For the short term, no. For the long term, it is hard to know. We know it will add to congestion in the surrounding streets if a significant number of commuters don't ride the streetcar. To make things even more bleak for the future of the streetcar an article in the Salt Lake Tribune on June 14, 2013 states that despite UTA's big expansion efforts ridership on public transportation has taken a hit. The fact is, is that this streetcar doesn't take place of most commuters' plans and we will not see any decrease to automobile usage.
Does it help air quality?
Not very likely. Air quality is a significant problem in the Salt Lake Valley due to inversions. Wouldn't it be great if we could all ride public transit and ditch our cars? Sure. It would be great if we had an end all be all solution that worked for everyone. Although the trains are electric, the power to move the heavy rail cars comes from combustion power plant. If ridership is not enough, then pollution in the valley could be even worse with a rail car, despite that energy usage being more efficient than automobile engines. What about the added traffic from the congested streets during rush hour? In many cases we lose a lane due to the rail space. Stopped traffic = increased pollution.
Safety
I fear that the city is so busy working on large scale novelty projects, that it may be forgetting the basics – street repair, lighting, sidewalks, fighting crime and fires… etc. Let’s make sure that expansion of the city doesn't negate the much more necessary fundamental maintenance that the city
has promised to upkeep. Growing problems with graffiti and pan handling are symptoms of the city's reduced focus on the basics. Let us
seek creative ways to streamline and make more efficient the way that we manage
the city resources. Waste is typical of
all government operations. I seek to minimize
this waste wherever possible and to make sure that city resources are not
wasted in efforts that are not wanted or needed. My stand on keeping to the fundamentals first has garnered the support of the local police association.
Traffic Congestion
Traffic is a significant problem in the Sugar House area. Streets are small, parking is limited, and it is a popular destination. Many efforts to encourage good behavior may be affecting us in a negative way. Alternative transportation is hampered in Salt Lake by a government imposed monopoly protecting the UTA (Utah Transit Authority). I want to break the monopoly and allow for market competition in alternative transportation services. This will reduce cost for riders and better fill the transportation gaps. It also costs the city nothing.
Another potentially negative effect is the expansion of bike lanes. Biking is a great sport and a great way to get around. Bike lanes should be applied with prudence. Some streets cannot tolerate a bike lane without congestion being created. These lanes should be reconsidered for streets that are better able to handle the narrowing that is done to the traffic lane. Added congestion is a negative, NOT a positive. I do not believe that creating congestion will increase bike ridership, but rather, I believe it will increase pollution and road rage, as drivers sit in stopped vehicles and wait for a break in the already increasing traffic jams.
Another potentially negative effect is the expansion of bike lanes. Biking is a great sport and a great way to get around. Bike lanes should be applied with prudence. Some streets cannot tolerate a bike lane without congestion being created. These lanes should be reconsidered for streets that are better able to handle the narrowing that is done to the traffic lane. Added congestion is a negative, NOT a positive. I do not believe that creating congestion will increase bike ridership, but rather, I believe it will increase pollution and road rage, as drivers sit in stopped vehicles and wait for a break in the already increasing traffic jams.
Innovative Organic Zoning
Traditional city zoning is essentially a monopoly run home owners association, where the only means of protecting your property is through the voting booth. It is ineffective at best. Many complaints from Sugar House residents stem from this top down approach to controlling land and property use (such as the 11th East extension of the street car). The critical item to remember is that when the local citizens are involved more in the planning process, community development tends to make more sense. It isn't that central planners don't mean well, it's just that centrally planned communities can't possibly account for all of the local concerns that organic, citizen led planning can.
I want to see more involvement and more power given to the residents to shape their communities as they see fit, rather than by the traditional top down approach.
I want to see more involvement and more power given to the residents to shape their communities as they see fit, rather than by the traditional top down approach.
Economy - city growth
I see economics as the science of how people interact. An economy is a representation of groups of people and their personal interaction. The maximum sustainable growth in the economy occurs when individuals are free to interact responsibly with one another without the use of force or coercion or deception. This interaction is healthy and allows for organic, sustainable growth to occur in the community. Force from government to either stimulate or deter this healthy interaction is not desirable. I will seek to maximize the liberty of the individual within Salt Lake City, while at the same time preserving the protection that government can provide against fraud and deception (forms of force). I want to see business permits streamlined. Waiting 6 months to get permission to open shop is inexcusable.