Thursday, August 14, 2008

Thursday Afternoon Emerald City News Roundup

Professor Schroeder graciously fills in for the obviously overburdened Rudi

By Dan S.

Since Rudi has apparently been too busy to comment on today's news, let me point out a few interesting items.

Today's most entertaining article was this report by Scott Schwebke, on how Riverdale's mayor has complained about the Standard-Examiner's coverage of the Hansen foot-shooting incident. Be sure to read Don Porter's especially amusing remarks.

In this article we also learn that Managing Editor Andy Howell has some concerns over Mayor Burrows's use of a taxpayer-funded utility bill insert to voice his opinion. We can only hope that Howell will next turn his attention to the inappropriate uses of taxpayer-funded resources by another of our local mayors.

In other news, the Standard-Examiner has a localized version of a wire-service article on the increasing conflicts between motorized and nonmotorized trail users. Be sure to check out the terrific quote from the conservation chair of the Ogden Sierra Club!

Turning to the issue of mass transit, UTA has announced that the extension of the FrontRunner to Pleasant View will be in operation by the end of September. And the New York Times reports that cities across the U.S. are considering streetcars as an increasingly viable form of mass transit. The article mentions Salt Lake City as one of these cities, but not Ogden.

5 comments:

RudiZink said...

Danged fine article, Dan! and I offer my thanks.

Indeed your blogmeister has been buried in other endeavors: He spent the whole day compiling links to all candidates who'll appear on Weber County ballots in November, for posting in our sidebar.

Thanks for "filling in" with a most excellent writeup, whilst your blomgeister was otherwise busy with behind-the-scenes "grunt work."

Anonymous said...

Following up on the transit news, I heard yesterday from UTA that the FrontRunner's average daily ridership increased to 8500 in July.

Anonymous said...

dan s.
That is great news about FR ridership. I took it the other day and I believe it. The car I was on at 8 a.m. was crowded (with a number of people standing before we reached SLC). It was crowded and still very little space for bicycles (grrr). Hopefully UTA can get a hold of more dough to continue to improve and expand this and their other systems. Now that there is clearly a public interest and demand, maybe they could get the money that is earmarked for UDOT's misguided Legacy North Highway project (and other UDOT projects) funneled towards FrontRunner, TRAX, buses, etc.

Anonymous said...

joey,

There are various pots of money that are used for road construction and transit along the Wasatch Front. Most of these would be very difficult to move from one to the other. The one exception is the quarter-cent sales tax that Weber County passed last fall. That money is under the control of the Weber Area Council of Governments (WACOG) and they have a great deal of discretion in allocating it. WACOG consists of the three county commissioners, the mayor of each municipality, and the chair of the Ogden City Council. I would encourage you to contact these folks and express your views regarding transit to them.

Anonymous said...

That wacko Riverdale Mayor needs to have his head examined.
The wacko Mayor of Riverdale needs his head examined.

Accountability is the name of the game for public officials even if it was an accident. The Chief brought the loaded gun into the room, he pulled the trigger. He should get some time off without pay to drive that point home.

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