In a recent letter to the editor, West Jordan resident Chuck Newton offered his "10 reasons why UTA is so set on light rail." I would like to respond to each.
1. John Pingree's bonus. Coming aboard in the mid-'70s, at a time when public transit in the Salt Lake Valley - in its infancy - was pressed beyond its limits to meet the demand created by gas rationing, John Pingree inherited a disaster. During his 17-year tenure as general manager, John has transformed UTA into one of the top transit systems in the nation.His managerial skills have been sought by transit agencies across the country offering salaries far exceeding his UTA pay package. He stayed on because he values Utah's quality of life. He served public transit at the national level on the board of directors of the American Public Transit Association. All before light rail appeared on the ballot. John's compensation neither has nor will ever be tied to the local acquisition of light-rail transit.
2. So Utah can feel the effects of the recession like the rest of the country. Utah is experiencing excellent economic growth, expected to continue to attract increasing numbers of new residents. This will add to the stress already placed daily on our overburdened interstate freeway system and Salt Lake County roads. Without improved transit capability, the current growth rate of our local economy will very soon become its own worst enemy.
3. So gangs can have a place to hang out. Nothing about the proposed street level light-rail system resembles security challenges such as those posed by the cavernous New York subway system. A ride through Watts and Compton on the Long Beach light-rail system shows this claim is false.
4. What else is Salt Lake County going to spend $230 million on? Certainly not roads and education. Contrary to the implication of this claim, the Federal Transit Administration has earmarked $130 million for the project - new money to Utah's economy that will go elsewhere if not used here.
5. Business people need a daily joyride of 15 mph. This illustrates the kind of misinformation that confused and misled voters in November. The light-rail system would operate at up to 55 mph between stops, averaging 35 mph from Sandy to downtown Salt Lake City; the same time taken by a car on the freeway - on a good day without traffic tie-ups - right now in 1993.
6. Every city needs mobile graffiti. When is the last time you noticed graffiti on a UTA bus? Transit industry programs to counter this problem have realized excellent success. Graffiti is no longer a problem at most transit systems, including New York's, and is not evident on any system in Western America.
7. So West High School kids can ride to South Towne Center.
8. So Jordan High School kids can ride to Crossroads Plaza. Why not? Light rail in the Salt Lake Valley encourages north/south shopping trips, boosting commerce. Virtually everyone can take advantage of public transit to one extent or another.
9. Light-rail track is on sale for $5 million a mile. This, again, is incorrect and taints public perception of the proposal. The actual cost is $750,000 per mile - on the very low side of purchase prices negotiated by American cities with the vision to see an excellent investment in future mobility and economic health. San Diego, Denver, Austin and Dallas are just a few of the many cities buying transit rights-of-way right now, at a considerably higher cost per mile than the local figure.
10. A whopping three-tenths of 1 percent reduction in pollution. Compared to single-occupant driving, riding the bus reduces carbon monoxide emission by 80 percent; taking rail transit reduces the pollutant by 99.8 percent. The reduction becomes very significant over time. Each car on the road produces about a ton of carbon monoxide every year. Automobiles are not the only cause of air pollution in the Salt Lake Valley. But reducing tailpipe pollutants is an important step in addressing the pollution problem.
Who is trying to serve the public interest, and who is misleading the public about UTA and light rail? Uncertainties about the light-rail/expanded bus proposal on the November ballot were a major factor in its 57-43 percent defeat by Salt Lake County voters. Good decisions require good information.
Dr. Joan L. Burnside
President, Utah Transit Authority