Utah finds itself in a unique situation, with money to spend on expanding transit capacity at a time when many transit agencies are plotting layoffs and service reductions.
Bryan Schott report from Utah, where officials from the State Legislature are planning a spate of bond-financed capital investments into transit, including a project to double-track the FrontRunner line that connects Ogden and Provo. The double tracking would allow trains to run every 15 minutes during peak hours, reports Schott. FrontRunner trains now arrive every 30 minutes, at most.
"About 70% of the 90-mile FrontRunner system from Provo to Ogden now runs on a single, shared track, so trains may pass each other only at stations and a few sidings. A delay at one station, for example, can cause a ripple effect of delays down the entire line," according to Schott.
According to the article, the state of Utah was flush with cash because of "booming income tax collections and healthy sales tax revenue," but budget cuts due to the coronavirus in June are now paying off, with the state finding money for investments in transit and the state's education system.
FULL STORY: FrontRunner double-tracking could see big infusion of state funding
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University of Cincinnati Online
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Journal of the American Planning Association