For those of you who don’t know, the enacting clause is the portion of any bill that basically says that it is a law if passed, specifically it says “be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah.” If it is removed, it means that it is not enacted and is not, therefore, a law. To have an enacting clause struck is, quite possibly, one of the most dishonorable ways to kill a bill, as it is worse than just not voting on it – having the clause struck it is sort of like the legislature saying to the bill sponsor “we don’t like this idea so much, we are going to spend extra time just to kill it.”

Thankfully, Senator Robles is back with SB 117 – Pete Suazo Memorial Highway. The bill, again, would make Redwood road (from 2100 South to 1700 North officially the Pete Suazo Memorial Highway (see below).

I went to school with the Suazo children, and I remember how vivid the events of his tragic death were to the west side – a strong and passionate leader was removed from us so quickly.  Senator Suazo was the first Hispanic legislator and was a great inspiration to those who often felt disenfranchised – he truly represented what government could and should be about.

I hope this bill passes, it has already made it out of the Senate at the time of writing, and I hope it makes it to the Governors desk.

Click here to contact Senator Robles.

Well, last year I said it was a good bill, and this year I will say the same.

Teenage drivers are already the most likely to be hurt or killed in car accidents, and the addition of cell phones only adds one more distraction. Even experienced drivers are more distracted when using a phone, let alone those who have been driving for two years or less. Those found guilty would be charged with a class C misdemeanor if an individual is found using a cell phone at the time of an accident and the driver could, potentially, loose their license.

Now this bill should not be confused with the text messaging bill that passed last year.  The ban on text messaging applies to all drivers, this would simply make any use of a cell phone illegal to minors.

I would also like to point out that this bill is an example of how lawmakers constantly modify bills from year to year in order to reach a desired goal.  Earlier today I discussed how Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck is expanding her bill due to its successful passage last year, well this bill is the opposite. Riesen, hoping to pass a bill that he feels does some good, is scaling his original bill in hopes that he can get some of his ideas on the books. Both of these actions are common in lawmaking as everything is a give or take – this is the process in action.

Hopefully this bill will pass and Riesen will be able to expand the law in the future.

Click here to contact Representative Riesen.

Now, I must admit that I originally supported this bill when I first wrote about it, however I received an email from my friend Deb Henry over at the aptly named Hey Deb Henry (who also happens to work for UDOT) that this bill actually goes counter to UDOT’s plan for the lane.

In my original post, I basically said that our carpool lanes are a joke, and indeed, I still feel that they do. But UDOT is addressing this through some innovative plans that take advantage of modern technology. Take a look by clicking here since UDOT is dumb and won’t allow me to embed videos.

For those of you thinking I am rickrolling you, just know that the video talks about how UDOT has a plan to implement variable tolls in four zones across I-15. Now, although I understand that there is a chance for cheaters, the video does address how law enforcement can monitor activity on the toll road while still giving emphasis to carpoolers. Plus, lets not pretend that there are not already cheaters now. I do say that this bill should go further in increasing the fine for carpool lane/toll road violations…but that is another story.

Henry also point out to me that this bill would create extra trips because drivers would normally have to deal with congestion.  Now I don’t fully agree with that argument as I suspect people would just delay their trip, but even that would reduce emissions as people would not have to be in as much stop and go traffic.

In the end, I my original post that none of you saw should serve as a message to many legislators – don’t be afraid to change your opinion when you get more information.

Click here to contact Senator Morgan.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the Salt Lake-Sandy line of Trax and it is interesting what a difference a decade makes.

This time ten years ago, the average price for a gallon of gas in the US was $1.46, adjusted for inflation and you are looking at $1.94 in today’s dollars. At the time people naysayed the high price of a round trip ticket at $2.00 that would only succeed at going from one mall to the next. Today a $4.00 round trip ticket means you don’t have to hassle with parking downtown while the price of gas makes mass transit far more appealing.  Furthermore, cities across the Wasatch Front now clamor for lines in their neighborhoods and the system is only scheduled to grow.

In short, Trax is a case study in smart planning and successful public works projects. The system carries an average of 11 million people a year with daily ridership hovering around 40-50,000.  Assuming these are all round trips, that is 20-25,000 cars not on the road, allowing our freeways to last longer for those of us who can’t yet use the system to meet their needs. These same “non-cars” also improve our lackluster air quality…just imagine what our inversions would be like with that much more smog being pumped into the air daily.

And then there is the economic impact. As you go up and down the transit corridor, it is plain to see transit oriented housing and businesses springing up everywhere. Sandy, South Salt Lake, and Murray have seen dramatic growth around their stations as people learn to live, work, and play around rails.

Those who tend to poo-poo mass transit often forget these subtle, but long term, benefits. True, the $312 million (nearly $400 million in today’s dollars) investment was a tough pill to swallow, however the overall improvements to our infrastructure and health speak for themselves.

The simple fact of the matter is that mass transit needs to become more and more a part of our everyday life.  It has been less than 65 years since trolley cars crisscrossed the city, only to be replaced by then cheaper cars.  Now it is safe to say that the cost of oil will only rise over the years and make motorized transport much more expensive. By investing now, we are reducing the impact of a world with $5,6,7, even $10 a gallon gas.

So happy birthday Trax, I recall the first time I used you that cold December afternoon and I will be revisiting you tonight as I board at Murray Central and head Downtown to enjoy the symphony, sushi with friends, and the lights.

Indeed, the late Senator Suazo would pave the way for Latino legislators such as current Senator Luz Robles (D – Salt Lake, District 1),to prove to stodgy white Republicans that our state consists of more than one demographic.

As tribute, Robles has proposed S.B. 144. The bill would rename State Route 68 (Redwood Road) the “Pete Suazo Memorial Highway” from 2100 South to 1700 North – Basically all of Salt Lake City.

I think that this is a fantastic idea, though I would recommend that the route extend to at least the I-215 junction, just to accommodate traffic coming in from the north once the soccer complex is built in Northwest Salt Lake City – I dunno’ just a thought.

Killing a little time at work, I discovered this little chart:

As you can see, the price for gas in Salt Lake, on average, has held steady at around $4.14 for the past month. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that it is steadily as opposed to rising, but this is not my point. The national average for gas has dropped steady right after it peaked around the 15th. Why, then, is our local market not responding?

The Salt Lake Tribune reported three days ago that “although Utahns are driving less, the price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline in the state is still near its record high.” The excuse is that we have to drive further to get to destinations because we live in a large state; but the logic does not hold.

Gas prices, like just about everything else, are dictated by supply and demand. Supply is the same and demand has decreased, now if we open our economic textbooks to page 125 you will see that this would result in lower prices. But this is simply not the case. I put forth to you that gas prices are being held at artificially high rates because retailers are taking advantage of consumers. After all, it would not be the first time.

In an effort to make a quick buck, retailers are harming the state economy, and the sad thing is it is perfectly legal. The legislature must act to protect the citizens of Utah from this type of gouging because it is in the States (and citizens) best interest to keep collusion out of our energy market. As it stands, consumers are harmed because our state has been too pro-business; a change must be made to ensure that people are paying a fair price for the gas they consume.

Now I understand that it is opening day and that glitches are bound to happen (indeed they are almost destined to) but when opening up a new public work that a good majority of the public rejects simply because it is mass transit, it is not wise to upset any people who may be either on the fence about the new system or (like myself) a firm supporter who wants to make the service work.

Mass transit, unlike water, sewer, or power, is a public work that the vast majority of citizens can opt out of using. If I don’t think that the train is worth my time, I will simply not use it and drive, thereby validating the self fulfilling prophecy that people don’t use mass transit. Mass transit, therefore, must be inherently geared towards customer service.

Today I received the worst customer service I can remember in a long time.

Let us start with the train that was approximately 20 minutes late (though I honestly don’t recall and admit that my memory may be hazy due to my current rage). Now this train is, understandably, filled with people, so I will give you that it may take a little longer at every station.

Next let’s move to the cattle call that was getting on the train and having standing room only. Again understandable, everyone wants to ride when it is the newest thing in town so there is a greater than average number of people using the system, again bogging it down.

Finally, just for show, let’s throw in a gaggle of children who either: a) have no interest whatsoever about being there and just want to watch Sponge Bob, b) are super excited about being on a big machine, or c) are too young to appreciate any of this. What is the result of all this? Either whiney, hopped up, or shrieking children. Again, UTA has no control over this; however I state it to paint the picture.

Here is the scene: My girlfriend and I are standing outside for what seems like forever, finally see a train arrive, get compacted into a train car filled with children who are less than endearing, and then wait.

And wait…

And wait…

And wait…

Until another train not only arrives, but unloads, refills, and departs.

Now I am no expert, but people should not be booing your new-fangled railroad. Yet when that train departed there was audible chiding from the crowd.

But we continue to wait; after all, we were bound to be leaving soon. Surely they would tell us if something was wrong.

Ooooooh no. We continue to wait. In fact the only thing I did happen to hear over the intercom was “The train will be departing shortly,” before the other train had left. Well, a good thirty minutes later we finally hear a second message: “Please depart the train and board the one across the platform.”

At this point I am just relieved to hear that we can leave this awful place and am more than happy that I have the opportunity to go home. Problem is they only open up one side of the doors, the doors that face the platform.

So what is the scenario we have here? We have two trains, packed full of people, one side going east to exit the platform from the newly arrived train, and the other side going west to enter it. Mind you, many of these people are already upset and irritable. None the less, I would wager that 1,200 to 1,500 (a high school football stadium worth of people) were all moving on a platform that had the capacity of perhaps a fourth or a fifth as many people. There is one easy way to solve this problem: open the opposite doors on the now out-of-service train. This logical answer was actually suggested to one of the Orange Shirts running the operation; I overheard him saying that he could not do it due to “safety issues.”

We did eventually escape this nightmare, but not without me seriously questioning my faith in the system. UTA, it is not in your best interest to upset 600, maybe 800, people on opening day, and politically it makes you look unreliable at best and a waste of money at worst.

Just yesterday I had an appointment that would require me to drive from 1300 East and 2900 South to Clearfield and then back to my home. Round trip this was 61.8 miles and about an hour and twenty minutes long.

Now here is where the math comes in. My car is considered efficient; when I last filled up I discovered that I was getting 35 miles to the gallon, mostly highway. Now with gas at $3.18 a gallon at the local gas station I spend $5.65 every time I make the trip. Now, keep in mind that this math assumes that my car is running at the highest efficiency rate it can and that gas stays at $3.18 – facts that are inherently flawed. Now, my car sat in rush hour traffic, surrounded by cars and trucks that are far less efficient than mine. In fact, I would guess that most cars I saw were getting 20-25 miles to the gallon.

Allow me to make some reasonable assumptions: 1) my car averages 30 miles to the gallon, 2) gas will easily be $3.50 a gallon come summer, and 3) most people don’t have cars with as good mileage as mine. So 62 miles at $3.50 a gallon and 30 m.p.g., that equals almost $7.25. None of this, mind you, includes wear and tear on my car.

A Frontrunner ticket, round trip, would cost me $8.00 and the average person a maximum of $10.00.

So the question I have to ask myself: “Is being able to sit down, not worry about traffic, get work done, and get there faster worth $.75 to me?” I would say it is.

So, to all of you who shun mass transit, I encourage you to crunch the numbers and see if it is so far-fetched to charge $10.00 a day to ride compared to the cost of your own gas-guzzling SUV.