Bike Utah Valley

For those not able to attend the Mountainland Open House last week, here are a few observations.  First, UDOT is still UDOT and they are still focused solely and completely on roads. UTA is UTA and focused on transit, though I really wish BRT wasn’t such a big focus.  Rail transit has so many other benefits for the communities through which it passes that I can’t believe that those communities aren’t raising a big fuss.  I was really pleased to see what Orem City is hoping to do for cyclists.  Look for more on that in the coming months.(I serve on Orem’s Transportation Advisory Commission so I kind of know in advance what is coming down the pipe, at least in Orem.) I was super impressed with what Provo is planning to do as far as redevelopment around their intermodal center based on the BRT and Frontrunner.  For those of you who know the area of Provo right next to the University Avenue viaduct, you know that it is pretty blighted.  The city is planning to rezone the are for Transit Oriented Development and mixed use.  That is such and awesome thing to see happen here, and I hope it goes well for them.  I spoke with Provo’s Community Development Director and was super impressed with the vision he outlined for me.  I look forward to seeing how things progress in that area over the next few years.   MAG is still MAG in that they have to do what the Fed’s want them to do. That means that they still are projecting $10 Billion in new roads and less than $1 Billon on transit and other alternative modes of transportation.  I really don’t have anything against roads and cars exactly, as long as they are used for what they are good for which is long distance travel, but I want to have a choice as to how I get to where I need to go, and right now I only have the choice of my car and my bikes.  I like those two choices, but would prefer to have the choice of better sidewalks and transit options. ( I don’t consider our current bus system an option because I can go anywhere the bus can take me faster by bike or by car, usually twice as fast.  I don’t consider that an option.)  All in all, it was a good open house and worth my time as it is every year.  I have been going to this open house for five years now and it is how I have learned the ropes in transportation planning, transit, and how to decipher what is going on in this world.  If you would like to have a discussion about any of these issues or ask me any questions, reply to this post.  I’m planning to do better.  Look for a review of a great bike tomorrow.  Thanks for sticking with us.