BEERS, QUEERS, TEARS FOR FEARS

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» Friday, January 21st

westbynorthwest:

Finally, a wheatpaste campaign I can get behind: Free rides on TRAX (SLC light rail) during dreaded “red air days.”
But the more I think about it, the more this campaign feels typical of the car-oriented culture here in Utah: public transportation as a last resort. If more residents rode TRAX (or biked, walked, took buses) in the first place, then SLC could reduce pollution before the air reaches red-alert levels. Why wait until a public health emergency to finally make public transport affordable, attractive and feasible?
That is not necessarily a critique—more an observation of how deeply ingrained car culture really is here. After all, knowing how far to push an issue is half the battle, and there is very little political will in Utah to sacrifice pickup trucks and SUVs for the public good.

Unfortunately but, most definitely, too true. At least SOME support of public transpo is being endorsed. I really, really hope that the FrontRunner extension makes a difference in this state because Utah is getting an opportunity that a lot of other states (cough, Ohio) really need and desire. Everybody faults UTA for its debt and its poor management. Really though, it’s like a case study of a public turning their backs on affordable and much needed state subsidies. QED, major educative institutions refusing to cooperate with subsidy programs offered through the authority (COUGH, Brigham Young University).
Any ways, this is a great thing because it is, at least, a thing.
Addendum: My overall point being that the UTA is so mismanaged and in debt because so many people refuse to support it. Perhaps I’m naive but I feel that if more people were willing to use the transportation provided, then the cheaper it would get. Right now ridership is disgustingly low (under 8% of my 30,000 student school, and under 15% of the 30,000+ student school a few miles up the road), and a lot of the fair increases seem to be stemming from such low numbers. That’s why we don’t have the option of affordable transportation at my university; the administration doesn’t see it fit to pay half a million dollars for the few hundred students and faculty who rely on the service. The rest of the students just drive everywhere, if they’re rich enough. And, usually, the majority of my school IS rich enough.

Finally, a wheatpaste campaign I can get behind: Free rides on TRAX (SLC light rail) during dreaded “red air days.”

But the more I think about it, the more this campaign feels typical of the car-oriented culture here in Utah: public transportation as a last resort. If more residents rode TRAX (or biked, walked, took buses) in the first place, then SLC could reduce pollution before the air reaches red-alert levels. Why wait until a public health emergency to finally make public transport affordable, attractive and feasible?

That is not necessarily a critique—more an observation of how deeply ingrained car culture really is here. After all, knowing how far to push an issue is half the battle, and there is very little political will in Utah to sacrifice pickup trucks and SUVs for the public good.

Unfortunately but, most definitely, too true. At least SOME support of public transpo is being endorsed. I really, really hope that the FrontRunner extension makes a difference in this state because Utah is getting an opportunity that a lot of other states (cough, Ohio) really need and desire. Everybody faults UTA for its debt and its poor management. Really though, it’s like a case study of a public turning their backs on affordable and much needed state subsidies. QED, major educative institutions refusing to cooperate with subsidy programs offered through the authority (COUGH, Brigham Young University).

Any ways, this is a great thing because it is, at least, a thing.

Addendum: My overall point being that the UTA is so mismanaged and in debt because so many people refuse to support it. Perhaps I’m naive but I feel that if more people were willing to use the transportation provided, then the cheaper it would get. Right now ridership is disgustingly low (under 8% of my 30,000 student school, and under 15% of the 30,000+ student school a few miles up the road), and a lot of the fair increases seem to be stemming from such low numbers. That’s why we don’t have the option of affordable transportation at my university; the administration doesn’t see it fit to pay half a million dollars for the few hundred students and faculty who rely on the service. The rest of the students just drive everywhere, if they’re rich enough. And, usually, the majority of my school IS rich enough.

(Source: westbynorthwest)

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