Claims were made in Salt Lake City that those who opposed light-rail transit now support it. They were and still are a lie. Our light-rail transit still does not carry the same number of riders we carried when buses serviced that corridor. They did, however, force some 19,000 transfers a day to LRT, losing some bus riders in the process but increasing their so-called ridership by 20 percent. (Most transit agencies count boardings as ridership. Increase transfers and you magically increase ridership. I prefer USDOT census figures that actually count commuters.) Please be aware of this "transit shell game."
Salt Lake LRT stands after six months of operation with 19,000 daily boardings, increased commuting times, 13 accidents, two derailments, one fatality, millions in lawsuits and $1.5 million in LRT vehicle damage due to accidents. Only an educated public can make an intelligent decision.The data are clear. After spending 312 million taxpayer dollars, light rail is a failure in Salt Lake City.
Drew Chamberlain
South Jordan