Bike Utah Valley

If you have driven on I-15 north of Salt Lake City may have noticed the new FrontRunner trains. The commuter trains were installed to help ease rush hour traffic in Davis County. Ogden’s Standard Examiner ran this editorial on Thursday.

Before commuter rail opened for business, the Utah Transit Authority simply did not foresee more than a couple of cyclists boarding each of the trains’ three passenger cars during peak commute hours. The transit agency’s estimates were off. Way off. The numbers vary, but it’s typical to see more than two bikes per train car…UTA says [it sees] between 30 and 60 bikes per day. 

While not directly related to Orem or Provo, this has the potential to affect those of us living in Utah Valley in the near future. UTA’s FrontRunner South project, currently in the planning phase, could be started as early as next year. Mixed commuting is an appealing option for many of us, especially if our jobs require travel into Salt Lake Valley.

If enough interest and awareness are generated before FrontRunner South is implemented, we can avoid some of the problems now experienced in Davis County. The FrontRunner South website has an Event Calendar that is empty at the time of writing, but any future events should provide an opportunity for us to speak out and make sure adequate accommodations are made for cyclists interested in mixed commuting.