We find three interesting WCF-topical articles in this morning's northern Utah newspapers.
First, we'll shine the spotlight on this Standard-Examiner piece, in which Ace Reporter Schwebke informs us that the current city council has apparently passed the transit corridor selection baton to the newly elected city council:
OGDEN — Prioritization of potential transit corridors in Ogden may occur in January after two new city council members take office, says John Patterson, the city’s chief administrative officer.The article reports that the corridor selection process remains bogged down, with eight purported corridor options proposed by Boss Godfrey in October:
Newly elected council members Caitlin Gochnour and Blain Johnson will likely want to have a say in which corridors should be addressed, Patterson said.
“It will give them a chance to get on board.”
In October, Godfrey presented the city council with a proposal detailing eight possible transit-corridor destinations that could be linked with the city’s intermodal transit hub at 23rd Street and Wall Avenue, scheduled to be served by the Front-Runner commuter rail system.The eight purported corridor options were earlier set forth in an October 18 Std-Ex article; and we subsequently had a fairly robust blog comments discussion here on WCF re this topic on the same date.
That list will likely be whittled down to three destinations to be considered by the city council and administration, Godfrey has said.
With a little under six weeks lead time, we think it's time for all of us to bone up on the facts, and to begin preparing our persuasive arguments against those "options" which are plainly bogus, and in favor of the single one that's not.
In that connection we link a Smart Growth Ogden webpage on transit options. This page also has a link to the Baker Study, which we deem to contain the only reliable and non-speculative data on the subject.
We'll also direct our readers' attention to this morning's Std-Ex story, in which Sam Cooper reports that the city council has recommended securing the final link-ups for our trails system. Rather than spending money paving existing trails piecemeal, the council seems committed (wisely we think) to obtaining necessary easements and rights of way first.
Finally, we note this Deseret News article, wherein reporters Joseph M. Dougherty and Amy Choate-Nielsen report on the most recently publcized legislative effort to take the anger and angst out of the ongoing Ogden Valley Property Tax Revolt. As many of our readers are aware, our Weber County neighbors to the east (and select other places in Utah) were clobbered this year with massive property tax increases, resulting in large part from the sudden "gentrification" of that formerly semi-rural area. Although residents of Emerald City have so far been spared most of the pain that comes with sudden leaps in appraised property valuations, we think we all need to keep our eyes on this story, as Boss Godfrey continues to build-out our town, in his manic pro-development fervor. We believe property tax reform will be one of the biggest stories of the 2008 legislative session, and that every property owner in Utah needs to pay careful attention to property tax reform. We'll therefore definitely be closely following this story in the months to come.
That's it for this relatively slow news Sunday, gentle readers. Your ever-brilliant comments are encouraged, as always.
8 comments:
Rudi, a little clarification is necessary to your post:
First you state: "Ace Reporter Schwebke informs us that the current city council has apparently passed the transit corridor selection baton to the newly elected city council:
"OGDEN — Prioritization of potential transit corridors in Ogden may occur in January after two new city council members take office, says John Patterson, the city’s chief administrative officer." John Patterson speaks for the administration -- not the Council, therefore, I would think that this is an administrative decision, not a Council one.
Secondly, I was at that work meeting and all aspects of the transportation issue, including studies and costs were discussed. Jeske came up with a suggestion that the City and Council ask the Wasatch Regional Front Council for their opinion on combining the "Wall Corridor to the Newgate Mall" corridor and the "Weber State-McKay-Dee Hospital Corridor" to save taxpayer money. That corridor would be from the Intermodal Hub along Wall to 36th Street, with one leg continuing to the Newgate Mall and another leg traversing 36th St. east to Harrison with a drop-off station at WSU and then continuing to the hospital. Someone commented that the study that has been done already included that option as well as the option to traverse
26th St to Harrison and Harrison to WSU and the hospital so that a new study would not be needed. I had the feeling that the other Council members thought this a good compromise.
I believe that you should have caught that it is the Mayor who has set the "downtown loop" as the first priority, while the Council has opted for a corridor to WSU. It makes me wonder with the Mayor delaying discussion on this important issue if he feels that he will have the votes on the Council for his proposed "Downtown Loop."
You also state: "The article reports that the corridor selection process remains bogged down, with eight purported corridor options proposed by Boss Godfrey in October." That is YOUR negative perspective -- the article did NOT say that. YOU are implying that the current Council is ineffective (which may be) but I think that the bigger issue here is that the Mayor is making a decision WITHOUT consensus from the Council or following through on the suggestion that I think is a very feasible, doable solution and would save money, and asking for input from the Wasatch Front Regional Council. It looks like Godfrey is behaving in his usual manner of not wanting advice from the experts.
It will be interesting to see how the Council works with the two new members.
"Patterson speaks for the administration -- not the Council, therefore, I would think that this is an administrative decision, not a Council one."
Seems to us you're making a distinction without a difference, John. If the council has allowed John Patterson to set the council's agenda, and forego a decision on transit corridor priorization until after the new council has been sworn in, that's a willful and voluntary act of acquiescence on the council's own part, and not something that can be blamed on the administration.
If the council on the other hand were to choose to move consideration of these issues forward to some date certain in December, such a decision is entirely within the council's power. A forebearance to do this, once again, would be necessarily a choice on the council's own part.
We'll add in passing one element of the current council's behavior which we've found to be particulaly disappointing within the past two years, i.e., the council's demonstrated propensity to sit back passively, letting the administration control the council's agenda.
As to the viability of the eight so-called "options," we believe we were quite clear on this issue. There exists a single viable transit corridor option, in our opinion... the one recommended by the Baker Study, which we cited.
In that connection, we have no doubt that the administration's inclusion of the seven other "bogus" options represents Boss Godfrey's intention to "muddy the waters."
And yes. We agree. It will indeed "be interesting to see how the Council works with the two new members."
Your comment is appreciated, however.
Hopefully we'll hear from a few other gentle readers on this topic.
Rudi, I have to agree with your assessment: “the current council’s behavior which we've found to be particularly disappointing within the past two years, i.e., the council's demonstrated propensity to sit back passively, letting the administration control the council's agenda.” Since the agenda is supposed to be set by the Council Chairman, I would hope that this next year, they vote in a strong person who will stand up to the Mayor which definitely leaves out Stephenson. I hope this second year as Vice Chair has given Wicks the training that she needs to confidently move to the Chair position. Garcia has definitely been a disappointment as Chair. I think that he was stronger as a council member than he has been as chair.
As for the transit corridor, I tend to agree with Jeske that combining the Wall Avenue to the Newgate Mall with the corridor to Weber State and the hospital should be considered. This option could save the Ogden taxpayers at least a couple of million dollars and probably a lot more. There should be different buses or street cars (whichever mode is chosen) for each route so that commuter needs are met. Another advantage of using only one north and south street is minimal impact on north and south traffic. Harrison does not have a lane to give to a BRT or a street car corridor. Since the first study included this route, an additional study would not have to be done. So let’s be open minded about the corridor and consider all options.
What are the benefits of using Harrison over Wall, Rudi?
John,
I think the idea of a loop around the downtown area is silly and nothing other than another gimmick. That said I too have my thoughts as to what might be logical.
My thoughts for the routing of a BRT (and I suggest that a BRT system is better suited for Ogden’s needs and terrain) would be to benefit the whole city rather than serving a point A to B type of move.
I think the entire city would be better served by a loop that left the Frontrunner station, went down Wall to the Newgate Mall then up 40th to the Hospital, then over to WSU then down 36th St to Monroe, across Monroe to 23rd and then back to the Frontrunner.
People could get to shopping, to work, to school, to the hospital, to downtown and to the Frontrunner all on one system, a system that is one lane wide and that cuts through all parts of the community. Parts of the community would benefit from the economic development along this route as well. Additionally this routing would better accommodate future spur laterals to other locations or cities.
If we had enough buses or trolley cars on this loop route, transit time could be reasonable even if your destination was ¾ of the way around the loop. You could add or remove buses or trolley cars on this system as demands moved up or down on the system by the hour of the day, by the day of the week or by the season of the year.
Hey guys, you're obviously missing the point of having transit, get out of your cars. Going from the hub to 36th or 40th on wall is a no go for one very real reason. It goes thru hardly any residential areas. Where are you going to get your riders from?
Going thru the middle of town to Harrison creates a coridor thru almost all residential. The downtown loop is a real joke, as far as mass transit. Almost as big a joke as an urban gondola.
Bill c,
Going down 36 to Monroe and Monroe to 23rd and then on to downtown is a real transit route with several workers and customers using the system plus it will create economic development and revitaliaztion on that same route. It would help inter-city Ogden revitalize.
I really need to do a better job at clarifying the facts regarding the transit issue. I'll try to write something on the subject soon. Meanwhile, this pre-election commentary may still be of some interest.
It's simply a fact that the experts have already taken a very careful look at every reasonably promising corridor for a major transit investment in Weber County. The best corridor is from downtown to WSU and McKay-Dee Hospital by way of the east-central neighborhood. Minor variations are worthy of further investigation but major ones are not. I'd be happy to sit down with anyone who believes otherwise and explain in detail why alternative destinations, and major variations in the route, are not as viable. Or for those who won't listen to me, call Greg Scott at the Wasatch Front Regional Council and ask him.
Rudi:
How are your Big Government Republicans going to squirm their way out of these tax increases?
answer... They won't...
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