How Utah turned an unpopular transit system into a hit
How does a regional transit system go from angry protests and scorn to citizen's taxing themselves $2.5 billion to complete construction faster in just 10 years? With all the rancor aimed at developing local transit options, maybe there's something to be learned from Salt Lake City's build it and they will love it approach. Excerpt: "Oddly enough, one of UTA's most effective strategies for uniting people was targeting those who don't use public transit. The agency and its advocates pointed out that TRAX ridership saves 29,000 trips — or two full freeway lanes — in the Interstate-15 corridor every day. Road-reliant businesses like UPS ran ads explaining that FrontLines would help residents get their packages quicker by reducing traffic. UTA also worked hard to create what Meyer calls an "inter-local agreement" among cities up and down the Salt Lake Valley corridor. Transit officials explained the basic infrastructure that would be put in place in every city and told local officials that they would have to pay for any extra amenities themselves. That early clarity prevented cities from withholding support unless they got a better deal than others." Read the rest here.
