Gas Prices

Sitting in a presentation for the Wasatch Choices 2040 consortium. Chris Nelson is presenting, and just noted that 'Gas prices increasing at 3 times the rate of inflation, at a very predictable rate. Gas will be about $8 a gallon in 2020'. He argues against peak oil, but says the exponential increase in demand from China and India will continue to generate increasing price increases. Assuming MPG increases, with hybrids becoming 'standard', and 30 MPG becoming the 'low' acceptable end. Still: big, powerful muscle cars may again become a luxury item

How many people want to be able to ride transit?

From the Wasatch Choices 2040: "One quarter of people want to ABLE to use transit". Just did a quick estimate for Salt Lake County, and the proportion of the population within a half mile of TRAX. It was about ten percent of the county population. Thus, to match the desire demand, we need an enormous number of new houses in proximity to TRAX.

Now, that makes the logical jump that everyone who wants to be able to ride transit lives within a half mile to TRAX. That makes a certain amount of sense. I now live more than a mile from TRAX, and I never walk to TRAX. I also recently remeasured my daily walk to TRAX from my parents house, and it was far shorter than I had expected--about 2/3 of a mile, not the mile I had expected.

Schedule Change and Hiatus

Greetings,

My apologies for the lack of updates/sporadic updates of late. I've been so busy doing things I haven't had time to write about things. That said, I'm reducing the rate of updates to three times a week, rather than every other day.

Dynamic Bus Map

I know UTA has an RFP out for this, but the U of U already has one operating. Check it out!