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Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub

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The Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, also called Salt Lake Central station by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), is a multi-modal transportation hub in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States served by the Blue Line of UTA's TRAX light rail system that operates in Salt Lake County and by the FrontRunner, UTA's commuter rail train that operates along the Wasatch Front with service from Ogden in central Weber County through Davis County, Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake County to Provo in central Utah County. Service at the intermodal hub is also provided by Amtrak (with the California Zephyr), and Greyhound Lines, as well as UTA local bus service.

Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub
The Intermodal Hub looking north along 600 West
General information
Other namesSalt Lake Central
Location600 West 300 South
Salt Lake City, Utah
United States
Coordinates40°45′46″N 111°54′30″W / 40.76278°N 111.90833°W / 40.76278; -111.90833
Owned byUtah Transit Authority (UTA)[1]
Line(s)Lynndyl Subdivision
Platforms1 island platform (Amtrak)
1 island and 1 side platform (FrontRunner)
1 island and 1 side platform (TRAX)
Tracks6
Connections
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Bicycle facilitiesGreenbike Bikeshare
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code
Fare zoneFree Fare Zone (UTA buses & TRAX)[6]
History
OpenedAugust 5, 1999; 25 years ago (1999-08-05) (Amtrak)[7]
July 26, 2005; 19 years ago (2005-07-26) (Greyhound)[8]
April 27, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-04-27) (UTA TRAX & FrontRunner)[9]
Passengers
FY 202331,004[10] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Elko
toward Emeryville
 California Zephyr Provo
toward Chicago
Preceding station Utah Transit Authority Following station
North Temple
toward Ogden
 FrontRunner Murray
toward Provo Central
Terminus Blue Line Old GreekTown
toward Draper Town Center
Former services
Preceding station Utah Transit Authority Following station
Terminus Green Line
2011-2013
 Old GreekTown
toward West Valley Central
University Line
2008-2011
 Old GreekTown
toward University Medical Center
Location
Map

Location

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The Salt Lake Intermodal Hub has several official addresses, depending on the service provider:

  • 250 South 600 West – FrontRunner commuter rail[11]
  • 325 South 600 West – TRAX light rail[12]
  • 340 South 600 West – Amtrak inter-city passenger rail[13]

However, passengers for all services at the intermodal hub can be dropped off in the cul-de-sac at the west end of 300 South off 600 West.

Site history

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The site of the hub is the former location of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) in Salt Lake City. This location housed the maintenance buildings, a roundhouse, and freight houses for the railroad. It also included D&RGW's original passenger depot prior to the construction of the 1910 depot on nearby Rio Grande Street.

The main hub building, along 600 West, opened in 2005.[14] This building consists of a rehabilitated D&RGW freight house, with a modern round-shaped addition on the south end.[15] The freight house originally extended further north, but was cut in half during the construction of the hub. The southern half became the main hub building, while the northern half was meant for rehabilitation as well.[16] This did not occur, and the northern half of the freight house was torn down in 2012.[15]

Until the 2010s, several large locomotive maintenance buildings remained on the west side of the railroad tracks.[17] This changed on October 22, 2018 when UTA broke ground on a new bus maintenance facility at the site,[18] which replaced the remaining D&RGW buildings on the west side of the tracks. Initially, the large circa 1900 boiler and engine shop was planned to be rehabilitated and used as a part of the new bus facility.[19][20] However, the boiler and engine shop was torn down the following year, as a new building was more cost-effective and efficient.[21]

The railroad tracks at the western edge of the hub, originally built as the mainline of the D&RGW, now serve as the mainline for the Union Pacific Railroad. The FrontRunner line shares this rail corridor.

Services

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Utah Transit Authority (UTA)

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Main article: Utah Transit Authority

Salt Lake Central is the name of UTA portion of the Salt Lake Intermodal Hub and that is the station name used on all route maps and schedules (bus, the FrontRunner, and TRAX).[11][12] The intermodal hub is in the Free Fare Zone of Downtown Salt Lake City which allows transportation patrons that both enter and exit bus or TRAX service within the Zone to ride fare free.[6] The intermodal hub is also located within the Quiet Zone, so all trains (including Amtrak's) do not routinely sound their horns when approaching public crossings within this corridor.[22][23] Unlike most FrontRunner and TRAX stations, there is only a small Park and Ride lot in close proximity to Salt Lake Central.[11][12]

Local bus

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There are also multiple UTA Bus service routes that include Salt Lake Central as one of their stops. Local bus service is provided to all areas of Salt Lake City, as well as a few other cities within Salt Lake County. Bus service is also provided to the Kimball Junction Transit Center in Summit County via High Valley Transit, where connections with Park City Transit can be made.[24] Previously UTA offered service from the hub to Park City via the PC-SLC Connect, but ended that service on December 11, 2022.[25]

FrontRunner

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FrontRunner platforms
Main article: FrontRunner

The FrontRunner has 23 weekday Ogden–Provo round trips via Salt Lake City with five additional round trips between Ogden and Downtown Salt Lake City. Saturdays consist of 15 Odgen–Provo round trips. Trains operate hourly between approximately 5:00 am and midnight on weekdays (increasing to half-hour runs during morning and evening commutes), with slightly later service on Fridays. Saturdays consist of hourly runs between approximately 6:00 AM and 1:30 AM. As of 2022, the system does not operate on Sundays and some holidays.[26]

Formerly the FrontRunner provided service further north of Ogden, to Pleasant View, before that service was cut in 2018.[27]

TRAX

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TRAX platforms
Main articles: TRAX (light rail) and Blue Line (TRAX)

Service by TRAX and the FrontRunner commenced on April 27, 2008,[9] with the opening ceremony on April 26 at 12:30 pm. Salt Lake Central is the northern terminus of the TRAX Blue Line and the former northern terminus of the Green Line. There is no direct connection at the hub with the Red Line, nor the Green Line (following its reroute to the Salt Lake City International Airport). The Blue Line provides service to Draper in southern Salt Lake County as well as connections with the Green and Red lines at other stations (with the Red Line providing service between University of Utah and the Daybreak Community in South Jordan in southwest Salt Lake County and the Green Line providing service from West Valley City to the Salt Lake City International Airport (via Downtown Salt Lake City).

Amtrak

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Salt Lake Central Station with the California Zephyr

The intermodal hub is served by the California Zephyr, which provides once-daily service to Emeryville, California (in the San Francisco Bay Area), to the west and Chicago, Illinois, to the east on Union Pacific trackage in both directions. (The next westbound stop is Elko, Nevada and the next eastbound stop is Provo.)[28] Amtrak's official listings (for train service) refer to the intermodal hub as Salt Lake City, UT (SLC).[13] Amtrak was the first tenant of the intermodal hub, constructing a "shack" (initially meant to be temporary) in 1999.[7] In addition to the California Zephyr, Amtrak offers its Amtrak Thruway connections with service to Boise, Idaho (including stops in Odgen and Twin Falls) and to Las Vegas, Nevada (including stops in Provo and St, George.) Service for both Amtrak Thruway routes is provided by Greyhound Lines.)[29] Amtrak's official listings (for bus service) refer to the intermodal hub as Salt Lake City, UT – Bus Station (SLB).[30]

Intercity bus

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Greyhound Lines provide bus service to points all across the United States. Some of its routes are operated in partnership with Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach. The Greyhound station has been closed.

Other transportation companies that serve the hub include Mountain States Express.[31]

Greenbike

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Greenbike[Note 1] is a bicycle sharing system (differentiated from bicycle rental)[33] within Downtown Salt Lake City operated by SLC Bike Share (affiliated with B-cycle). The Greenbike program is intended for short bicycle trips and allows members to pick up any of the available bicycles at any of the many docking stations and then drop it off at any docking station (does not have to be the same docking station where the bicycle was picked up). Greenbike offers 7-day and annual memberships, but 24-hour passes are also available for non-members. Greenbike members are allowed unlimited short trips, with a trip being defined as the time between when the bicycle is removed from a docking station and when it is returned to a docking station. However bicycles may be kept longer than 30 minutes between dockings for additional charges.[34] In addition, members can start a "new trip" immediately after returning the bicycle to any docking station.[32] The bicycles provided by Greenbike are equipped with GPS tracking system that records and provides the member with the miles ridden (and calories burned). Greenbike is seasonal and, depending on weather conditions, shuts down operations in November–December and starts up again in March–April.[32] Other Greenbike docking stations are located near the City Center TRAX, Gallivan Plaza, and Library stations.

Service history

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A view of the hub in 2017

Before moving to the intermodal hub in 1999, Amtrak trains provided service at the Union Pacific Depot at 400 West and South Temple, and in 1986 moved to the Rio Grande Depot at 300 South Rio Grande Street. Original plans did not have TRAX serving the intermodal hub, only Amtrak, Greyhound, the FrontRunner, and UTA buses.[35] However, by 2004, UTA decided to extend TRAX to the intermodal hub.[36] By 2005, a three-station extension from Arena to the intermodal hub was selected, and construction began in 2007.[37][38]

Future plans

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Future expansion of the FrontRunner is anticipated to include service north to Brigham City and south to Payson.[39]

There have been studies regarding the feasibility of resuming Amtrak's Desert Wind and Pioneer routes.[40][41] In 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration began a study to identify intercity passenger routes for further evaluation and funding. Out of the 15 routes identified, two routes that ran through Salt Lake City were featured. Included is a Los Angeles, California to Denver, Colorado; and a Seattle, Washington to Denver, Colorado route. Further evaluation and funding would be required to proceed with creating such routes.[42]

UTA eventually plans to relocate its nearby headquarters to a new building adjacent to the Intermodal Hub. This would coincide with redevelopment of the area between the Intermodal Hub and the Rio Grande Depot by the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) of Salt Lake City, a project known as Station Center.[43] Plans call for large amounts of new housing and office development, and in 2021 the University of Utah entered into an agreement with the RDA to acquire land in the Station Center project area for a satellite campus.[44] While current plans label the historic Rio Grande Depot as a "barrier to development" because of the way it blocks 300 South street, some citizens are calling for it to once again become the city's principal train station by diverting rail traffic along the still-existing 500 West right-of-way.[45][46]

Notes

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  1. ^ GREENbike is a collaborative program between the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency, the Salt Lake City Transportation Division, the Salt Lake Chamber, The Downtown Alliance, Select Health, Rio Tinto, Utah Transit Authority, and Visit Salt Lake.[32]

References

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  1. ^ Hancock, Laura (September 20, 2009). "UTA sues Greyhound over injured woman". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  2. ^ "Weber & Davis County System Map" (Map). Utah Transit Authority. August 7, 2022.
  3. ^ "UTA On Demand". Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Salt Lake City, UT". www.greyhound.com. Greyhound Lines, Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  5. ^ "107 Commuter to Park City". High Valley Transit. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Free Fare Zone" (Map). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Archived from the original (JPG) on January 9, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Van Eyck, Zach (August 7, 1999). "S.L. transit center gets its first tenant Amtrak service begins at the temporary hub". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  8. ^ "Greyhound Relocates Facility to New Downtown Intermodal Passenger Hub in Salt Lake City, Utah". www.greyhound.com (Press release). Greyhound Lines. July 25, 2005. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Raymond, Arthur (April 18, 2008). "UTA to celebrate TRAX extension: Becker to talk today during event at new Planetarium Station". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  10. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Utah" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "FrontRunner Stations". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c "TRAX Parking and Stops". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Salt Lake City, UT (SLC)". amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  14. ^ Snyder, Brady (July 4, 2005). "Intermodal hub is ready for prime time". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Another one bites the dust". The Desert Empire Project. December 12, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  16. ^ Page, Jared (May 22, 2008). "UTA holds off on razing warehouse". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "Denver & Rio Grande Freight House and Boiler/Engine Shop". utahheritagefoundation.org. Utah Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  18. ^ @RideUTA (October 22, 2018). "UTA broke ground today on our Depot District Clean Fuels Technology Center" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Burt, Spencer (October 23, 2018). "UTA unveils plans to build new clean air depot out of former train spot". KSL News. Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  20. ^ Ellis, Sheri Murray (November 29, 2010). "Utah Transit Authority Central Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility Historic Buildings Survey, Salt Lake City, Utah" (PDF). rideuta.com. SWCA Environmental Consultants. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. ^ Garrott, Luke (September 17, 2019). "Salt Lake City's Depot District: an update". buildingsaltlake.com. Building Salt Lake. Retrieved October 23, 2022. Yet because it became "price prohibitive and less efficient" than a new design, "it became less expensive to bring it down," Carl Arky from UTA told Building Salt Lake.
  22. ^ Hesterman, Billy (November 29, 2012). "No more horns: Quiet zone now in effect for trains". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah: Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  23. ^ "Front Runner South FAQs". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  24. ^ "107 Park City to Salt Lake City". highvalleytransit.org. High Valley Transit. August 6, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  25. ^ Malatesta, Parker (October 6, 2022). "Longtime commuters who use the Park City - Salt Lake City Connect bus say the new route scheduled to take effect in December does not work for them". KPCW. Park City, Utah. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  26. ^ "FrontRunner: 750". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. August 7, 2022. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. ^ Williams, Carter (March 8, 2018). "UTA to suspend FrontRunner service to Pleasant View". KSL. Salt Lake City. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  28. ^ "California Zephyr" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. January 13, 2014. p. 2. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  29. ^ "California Zephyr" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. July 15, 2013. p. 3. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  30. ^ "Salt Lake City, UT – Bus Station (SLB)". amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  31. ^ "Mountain States Express". Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  32. ^ a b c "Greenbike FAQs". greenbikeslc.org. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  33. ^ "What is Greebike". greenbikeslc.org. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  34. ^ "Rates". greenbikeslc.org. Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  35. ^ Snyder, Brady (July 4, 2005). "Intermodal hub is ready for prime time: But it still must wait for commuter and light rail". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  36. ^ Arave, Lynn (January 11, 2004). "TRAX extension to new hub is unveiled". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  37. ^ "S.L. Council OKs proposal for 2 light-rail stations". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. October 17, 2005. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  38. ^ "TRAX work to start Monday". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. January 4, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  39. ^ "FrontRunner Forward". www.rideuta.com. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  40. ^ "Pioneer Restoration Organization". Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  41. ^ "Pioneer Route Passenger Rail Study" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. October 16, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  42. ^ "Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study – Study to evaluate the restoration of daily long-distance intercity rail passenger service and the potential for new Amtrak long-distance routes". fralongdistancerailstudy.org. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  43. ^ "SLC Station Area Planning Testing Workshop" (PDF). Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  44. ^ "University of Utah and SLC to electrify the Depot District with an 'innovation district'". Building Salt Lake. June 11, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  45. ^ "New plan explores what's possible with new approach to Rio Grande". Building Salt Lake. December 31, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  46. ^ Garrott, Luke (September 27, 2021). "The Rio Grande Plan, updated: Putting trains underground in Depot and Granary Districts gets Salt Lake City's attention". Building Salt Lake. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
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