Writer, biker, ukulele player, cinephile, YIMBY. Connoisseur of all things interesting. Pick my brain @bikelakecity or pitch me a story at [email protected]

SLC, UT
Joined May 2009
Friends! A new @CityWeekly is out NOW online and heading to newsstands. This week, @journomm investigates a $224 million federal contract recently awarded to Our Rescue and how it ties into a network of questionable "anti-trafficking" efforts. #slc #utpol cityweekly.net/news/tim-ball…
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More than a week ago, I tweeted about how trains *force* my family to bike on 1300 South. This guy has been on me ever since and still can’t comprehend what I’m saying. It’s remarkable how hard this is for east-siders and drivers to understand. #slc
Replying to @BjaminWood
It's hard to traverse while in a car and is poorly designed, but why would anyone not in a car try to traverse it when you don't have to and then complain about it?
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Periodic reminder that the Green Line Trax drops off and picks up directly outside the airport terminal and fare is $2.50. #slc
Somebody is going to be in a world of shock when they get back to their car at the SLC Airport. Damn!
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The Provo 4th District Court doesn’t allow laptops but also has no lockers for storage. They expect you to have a car to store things in and if you don’t you can kick rocks.
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Benjamin Wood retweeted
You know what actually this sucks. "The Point" simultaneously ruined the Blue line extension, and is now putting huge financial strain on FrontRunner 2X
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The city of Ogden had similar conversations with UDOT about building a grade-separated pedestrian crossing in front of Ogden Union Station. The best UDOT would argee to is a landscaped median in Wall Avenue, to break up the cross walk into 2 parts, as seen in the render:
I finally have a clearer answer to this from various sources and, yes, the pedestrian plaza has been replaced with a connection to an underground parking system similar to City Creek. 300 West will be left at grade, with tunnel entry points in the center (as seen here)
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BTW, if anyone would like more information on Vision Zero and how Hoboken and other cities have fully eliminated traffic violence from their streets, you can find more here visionzeronetwork.org/ SLC was supposed to be VZ, but @slcmayor largely dropped the effort. #slc #utpol
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UDOT is a machine that builds surface highways. We put money in, ever-larger surface highways shoot out. Over nearly 100 years, they've become very efficient at it. Until someone in authority MAKES them change direction, UDOT has little reason to do so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #slc #utpol
Replying to @BjaminWood
Even when we proved that the state stood to gain over $12 billion of economic returns by burying the train tracks and removing blocked railroad crossings from public roads, UDOT still wouldn't listen. They have a strong aversion to burying things.
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UDOT has absolutely no ambition. No matter what you think of the Salt Palace project overall, it’s a generational opportunity to reconfigure 300 West. We should be burying several blocks of the highway. Instead we’re building a ramp for parking. Pathetic #utpol #slc
I finally have a clearer answer to this from various sources and, yes, the pedestrian plaza has been replaced with a connection to an underground parking system similar to City Creek. 300 West will be left at grade, with tunnel entry points in the center (as seen here)
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Also, anybody remember when @sltrib noticed the funding for this and thought they had cracked some huge scoop? Good times
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My wife is in Seattle and sent me this pic of the sunken highway outside her hotel. Best UDOT can do is a crosswalk and a parking ramp #slc #utpol
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Benjamin Wood retweeted
It’s easy to tell when you’ve left the boundaries of SLC and entered Millcreek when you see things like this
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Many people are saying
Replying to @BjaminWood
If UDOT didnt waste so much money we could have the nicest mass transit system in the country!
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Speaking of UDOT’s failures, they’ve already had to tear up the brand new roundabout on Capitol Hill that was built just last year. #slc #utpol
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Also this week, Mr. Downtown @SaltLakeTom writes about how the small details of his apartment's built environment bring his family closer together. #slc #utpl cityweekly.net/news/small-ho…
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And in this week's Opinion, John Saltas reports from the annual @CityWeely Greece Trip, and how seemingly every international traveler wants to know if Americans are "OK." #slc #utpol cityweekly.net/opinion/on-ci…
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Jay Fox, ED of @rideUTA: "If you look at the number of transit miles per capita in the country, [Utah is] number 4. New York, Washington, San Francisco are the only ones above us. We’re more than Chicago, Philadelphia, in terms of transit trips per capita." #utpol #slc
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The press release The "journalism" #utpol
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson proposed a 2027 budget focused on changes to the county’s criminal justice system. Under the proposal, eligible people would be sent to supervised treatment instead of jail. The budget would also modernize and consolidate jail facilities and expand mental health treatment in the jail. kutv.com/news/local/salt-lak…
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Benjamin Wood retweeted
SLC Council will be discussing a proposed e-bike ordinance during today's work session. The ordinance balances the transportation needs of cyclists with the need to keep our urban trails family & pedestrian (and horse) friendly. Meeting details linked. slc.primegov.com/Portal/Meet…
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