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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.

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