Monday, June 28, 2010

Standard-Examiner Letter: UTA Is Making Changes to Routes

Who in Ogden City government decided to tell UTA its buses could no longer run on Historic 25th Street?

By: Curmudgeon

A very interesting letter has just appeared on the Standard-Examiner website. It says "Ogden City has decided to restrict UTA from using the 25th Street and Washington stop to pick up and drop off passengers":
UTA is making changes to routes
It says the city-decreed new routes will be as follows:

" The bus routes will soon be changing for the 603, 612, and 470 routes.
603: the new route will be as follows: Wall Ave. to 26th st., 26th to Adams Ave., and Adams Ave. to 25th, after which the route will remain the same.

470/612: the southbound stop on the west side of the street directly in front of the park area will be discontinued. The new southbound route will only stop at 24th and 26th on Washington. The northbound stop on Washington at 25th will remain."


Several issues here:

1. Who in Ogden City government decided, if the letter's report is true, to tell UTA its buses could no longer run on historic 25th Street? And what authorization did he, she or they have to do that? Was public input sought, and if so when and how?

2. I thought Ogden City had a commitment to try to increase public transit use to improve business downtown. How will moving the 603 off Historic 25th Street, where it now lets off passengers, and picks them up [often me] conveniently close to Great Harvest and Roosters and Grounds for Coffee and Two Bit Street Cafe and all the other businesses on Historic 25th Street, a block away to 26th Street make the downtown businesses more accessible by public transit?

3. Moving the 603 downtown stops to 26th Street means moving the stops to a street with much less pedestrian traffic, and so [particularly in the winter when dusk comes around 4:30 or so] to a street much less safe than the current stop on 25th Street in the evenings.

4. What impact will eliminating the Washington/25th Street stop for the 470 and 612 along Washington and pushing the stops a block north and south have on passengers who now conveniently change buses at the current 25th and Washington stop? Particularly handicapped passengers?

On first glance, this one ranks right up there with wanting to spend $50K to study sled riding in Mt. Ogden Park for lousy ideas. It is such an asinine idea --- except perhaps from the perspective of encouraging more people to drive downtown and so create a demand for the five count 'em five damned new parking garages the Mayor wants to build there --- that I suspect it came from the same muddle-headed source. But I do not know that for a fact so will forbear further comment until I know more.

I wonder how all the merchants on 25th Street and those at The Junction feel about the 603--- the most heavily used route in the city and one of the most heavily used UTA tells me in their whole system --- being moved another full block away from their businesses?

The letter writer included a number where people can get more information about the changes: 888-743-3882

9 comments:

curious 1 said...

It wasn't too long ago that a business on 25th and Lincoln that didn't want a bus stop in front because of the unkempt people waiting to ride.

Maybe he contributed to the Mayors election to get this change. I guess no one will own up to it. I'm sure they have a direct line to the politicians on the UTA Board.

Bob Becker said...

I heard the rumors a while ago too. Guess adjunct professors of history at WSU are not the kind of people they want catching a bus in front of their store, if the rumors are true. Probably only Associate Professors and higher welcome I guess.

But I don't know if the rumors were true. And I should have prefaced my main post above with "presuming what's reported in the letter is true." I did that in my letter to the Council and I should have done it here as well.

Street Pride said...

Indigo Sage and Jahohs! are the worst neighbors on that entire Lincoln to Wall south side stretch.
Blocking traffic, parking in handicapped zones, parking on landscaping, and flouting the Mayors name if anyone so much and suggests they act civil.

As for the new bus route, the most visible result for the average passerby will be the drying-up of the druggy loser park from just north of the mayors office. Maybe we can get the dope fiends and street trash to move their slutting around and pimping over to The Helena Building.
At least there, they would fit right in.

ozboy said...

Mr. Curmudgeon

You must have observed the large collection of riffraff hanging out at that bus stop night and day. Perhaps as "Street Pride" above suggested, that may be the rational for moving the stops - the mayor doesn't like being that close to the street people of Ogden, he would much rather hang out with his criminal friends and supporters in suits and BMW's.

Has anyone actually confirmed this with the UTA? It would be a hoot if it were not true but only a plant to pull our reactionary chains here on the WCF!

Bob Becker said...

Oz:

As I said above, I should have preceded my comments with "presuming this is so." I would be delighted for it to be not so.

RudiZink said...

Para 6: "if the letter's report is true"

Looks to me like you got it covered, Curm

Stantheman said...

Sounds like another typical poor UTA decision, it is their MO if you haven't noticed.

Biker Babe said...

ozboy,

when did the mayor start riding the bus? If he doesn't ride the bus, he would never get that "close to the street people of Ogden" to have to worry about it.

Street pride: not all street people are "druggy losers, dope fiends or street trash" - some just didn't get a day job on any given day, and need a place to rest out of the sun so they go to the park. Some are found frozen to death in the winter because of no place warm to stay. Say, maybe the new parking garages would just provide another "shelter from the storm" for those poor folks ....

js,
BB

ozboy said...

BB

The dumb little bastard's office overlooks the 25th & Washington bus stop. Even nine floors up is apparently to close to the hoi polloi for his royal arrogance. It most likely gripes his bony little ass to have to look down on their little heads from his high and mighty throne room in the sky. I doubt if he has ever ridden the bus, but it sure would be nice if someone threw him under one of them.

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