Salt Lake City Station discussion

[Paniolo Man]

In the last several months us Rio Grande Plan folks have begun hosting a monthly coffee hour. Dates and info can be found on our Linkedin or Instagram page.

Today I witnessed two cyclists risking their lives cutting in front of an oncoming Frontrunner train. This crossing would be eliminated under Salt Lake City's enlarged Rio Grande Plan.

 

[Paniolo Man]

The Updated Rio Grande Plan!

Via Rio Grande has released an updated Rio Grande Plan.

The new document incorporated data and perspective from Salt Lake City's Screening Analysis.

 

[Paniolo Man]

Yesterday the Salt Lake County Council, in an unexpected move, voted to officially endorse the Rio Grande Plan.

 

[Amtrak25]

Were they expected to not take up the matter, or just reject it ?

 

[Paniolo Man]

Were they expected to not take up the matter, or just reject it ?

We were just scheduled for an informational presentation. The motion to formally support the plan was a welcome surprise. It was bipartisan as well, with a pretty even split of party support.

 

[Cal]

I don't like that they're putting up the big cover over the station platforms. It'll block the beautiful station facade.

 

[Paniolo Man]

I don't like that they're putting up the big cover over the station platforms. It'll block the beautiful station facade.

The canopy isn't part of any official plan, it is just an artistic rendition of what could be built. Ideally a public process would occur to decide the final design.

 

[Willbridge]

The canopy isn't part of any official plan, it is just an artistic rendition of what could be built. Ideally a public process would occur to decide the final design.

The Denver canopy was designed to respect the station facade and people complain about it not covering everything.

 

[railiner]

The Denver canopy was designed to respect the station facade and people complain about it not covering everything.
View attachment 37394

View attachment 37395

I still prefer the old umbrella sheds…

 

[user 1215]

I was in SLC a couple months ago. Rode the FrontRunner and Trax around the region. When I transferred from Trax to the FrontRunner near downtown, I was wholly disappointed to realize that's where Amtrak loaded. I couldn't even see any sort of station house (it would have been closed anyway at the time I was there). There was no food, no entertainment, and barely any shade in the area which was pretty brutal for a hot summer day.

Same disappointment in Provo.

Think this will all get done before the Olympics?

 

[Barb Stout]

Yesterday the Salt Lake County Council, in an unexpected move, voted to officially endorse the Rio Grande Plan.

The article mentions the Olympics in SLC. That's in 2026, isn't it? Surely they don't expect it to be finished before then.

 

[Paniolo Man]

The article mentions the Olympics in SLC. That's in 2026, isn't it? Surely they don't expect it to be finished before then.

Thankfully the Olympics will actually be held here in 2034, there is plenty of time to get the Rio Grande Plan built by then.

 

[Cal]

I was in SLC a couple months ago. Rode the FrontRunner and Trax around the region. When I transferred from Trax to the FrontRunner near downtown, I was wholly disappointed to realize that's where Amtrak loaded. I couldn't even see any sort of station house (it would have been closed anyway at the time I was there). There was no food, no entertainment, and barely any shade in the area which was pretty brutal for a hot summer day.

I was watching a video about the platforms at SLC yesterday. I was surprised to learn that both the Frontrunner and Amtrak platforms are non-standard and built for level boarding for superliners and the bilevels. Probably the only place in the country to not only have two different, non-standard platform heights and level boarding for all passenger trains.

 

[user 1215]

Thankfully the Olympics will actually be held here in 2034, there is plenty of time to get the Rio Grande Plan built by then.

10 years? That's pushing it...

 

[Barb Stout]

Thankfully the Olympics will actually be held here in 2034, there is plenty of time to get the Rio Grande Plan built by then.

Oh, Miss Google lied to me! Or maybe my eyes tricked me.

 

[Paniolo Man]

Rio Grande Plan event this Thursday.

 

[jadebenn]

What's the current status of RGP advocacy?

 

[Paniolo Man]

What's the current status of RGP advocacy?

Presently the focus is on getting support from elected officials. Salt Lake City's Reconnecting Communities study will be kicking off early next year, presently the Rio Grande Plan is the only proposed means to address this divide and as such we believe the study will find that it is the ideal solution. Having officials on board will help expedite funding when the study concludes in 2 years. In the last few months myself and a few others have met with several State, County, and Local officials. We have also met with 3 of Utah's 4 house representatives and had a warm reception to the concept. There's a few other meetings and movements that I can reveal at a later date.

Christian Lenhart, coauthor of the original Rio Grande Plan also just released a great video talking about alternatives:

 

[Amtrak25]

I was watching a video about the platforms at SLC yesterday. I was surprised to learn that both the Frontrunner and Amtrak platforms are non-standard and built for level boarding for superliners and the bilevels. Probably the only place in the country to not only have two different, non-standard platform heights and level boarding for all passenger trains.

I got off a Superliner in SLC in 2012. While the platform is level, there is one hell of a gap between train and platform where anyone can easily step into, especially half-asleep at 1am. They should either close that gap or toss out threshold plates.