Carless Parenting

Resolutions and Goals Response

2011-02-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Over on Soul Questioner, one of my other projects, I posed the question yesterday of what goals I am currently working on and how I'm doing. This post is my (somewhat belated) response. I have lots of goals, varying from short term easy goals (get my homework done by Sunday) and medium length goals (improve my blogs and make them profitable) and really long term goals (finish school and move to

A Bus to Belize, Banning Cars, and Other Controversial Topics

2011-01-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

My brother is currently in Belize, working on an Organic Farm and doing some internet money magic stuff I don't fully understand. He took a bus to where he was headed in Belize, and other than a single bus line that was significantly longer than he had realized, things pretty much went according to plan. His full post about his bus adventures can be found here. If you aren't already following him

Culture Cookies!

2011-01-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Just one of the many reasons I love being in Salt Lake City is the endless supply of Culture. Yes, with a Capital C. The post about why I hate Salt Lake's culture is for another day. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't do it all. I'm not at every venue, I don't make it to every show. I barely skim across the surface of the burgeoning rebirth art scene here, and when I do dive in I'm often confused

I promise, a real post. But first...

2011-01-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

Before I get to a real post, which I fully intend to do tonight (by which I mean it'll be after midnight but before I retire to bed), you should check out my OTHER project (which is currently getting priority for some arcane reason). This is about freebies, giveaways, sweepstakes, contests, and other methods to win/score great loot. Legal methods. Ones that don't involve kneecaps. Or, you know, a

Considering Restarting

2011-01-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am considering restarting consistent posting on this blog, but I have to know: Does anyone want it? Part of blogging is sending my opinions out into the nethersphere of the internet, and it takes time to develop a following that cares, comments, and posts. So here are my questions: If I restart, would you read my posts? What would make you more likely to read my posts? Would things like

My Wife is Wonderful

2010-11-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have to start with a disclaimer. I don't normally get all gushy. I just want everyone to know that I'm deeply thankful for my wonderful wife. Not only is she beautiful and smart, but she has so much energy, and wants such great things for my little family. I know that the Holidays wouldn't be nearly the same without her around, as she does wonders when it comes to decorating, planning, cooking

Sugarhouse Trolley

2010-10-25T12:30:00.005-06:00

For those of you who haven't heard the news, UTA finally got clearance for the Sugarhouse Trolley line. By which I mean they already all the clearances they needed, they just didn't have enough money to pay for it. Fortunately, they just picked up a $26 Million grant from the Tiger II program, which covers well over half of the total amount needed.The trolley is estimated to be completed by 2012

Another Reason I'm Carless

2010-10-18T13:16:00.002-06:00

I walked to the grocery store this morning. At the bottom of the hill, the intersection can get pretty busy in the morning, so I stood there for a couple of minutes waiting for the light to turn. While there, a bus pulled up to the stop (as is common, this being a 15 minute route). I was suddenly overwhelmed with a deep, intense desire to simply climb aboard the bus and ride it to where it takes

Help me stop John McCain from gutting transit

2009-09-15T12:10:00.003-06:00

I just heard this alarming and outrageous news: Senator John McCain has just proposed 20 amendments to a transportation funding bill that have one common theme: breaking a federal promise to fund public transit projects.Longstanding plans by communities all over the country - both urban and rural - to provide safe, clean transit, walking and bicycling options will be destroyed.Senators will vote

A Trader Joe's in my town would be an unending miracle of healthy goodness

2009-09-15T07:40:00.001-06:00

They have healthy stuff, kinda like whole foods, only way yummier and for about half the price. You walk in, and the smell wafts over you... mmmm..... we need one in Utah. Desperately.

Love/Hate, Born Again

2009-09-08T16:18:00.000-06:00

I'm reviving the "Why I Love and Hate Salt Lake City" series, partly just because it gives me something to talk about once a week or so. Today we're going to be discussing the suburbs, in no small part because we recently moved there. For more details about recent changes, talk to my wife.Utah, in general, is primarily rural. Some 70% of the land is completely and totally undeveloped, for a

Not much to say today (and a FREEBIE!)

2009-09-06T23:12:00.003-06:00

I don't really have a lot to say today... it has been a nice, quiet Sunday, with not a lot going on. I'm sure there are things I could be posting about, but I just don't care at the moment. I do have something cool, though....A FREEBIE!Partnering with Living Love Photos, we are able to offer a free 8' x 10' print for anyone who comes in, is patient, and helps the photographer learn his way around

A reason for a License

2009-09-04T22:03:00.004-06:00

I don't currently own a driver's license.It isn't that I never have; those who knew me in high school know that I drove constantly: dates, work, and so forth. I simply... well... I got in an accident. Didn't pay my ticket for a couple years. I got that cleared up, but pulling the suspension from the driver's license and getting a new card costs well over $100. So I never bothered.But now there

How to begin? (Part 1)

2009-09-02T20:19:00.003-06:00

Another Parenting/No Car Blog out there (Car Free with Kids) recently posted about how to go about 'taking the plunge' into being carless parents. Their emphasis was more on bicycles than mine has ever been (we don't own one of those, either), so their list of necessary gear was quite different than ours. Theirs includes the following:BikesTrailerBike HitchesRain GearGear to trouble-shoot

Changes at UTA

2009-09-01T08:52:00.004-06:00

Last week, starting Monday, August 24th, UTA rearranged things in their semi-annual change day. Nothing new here, except... two major things they changed are worth a closer look: flexible routes and a Murray-University line.Every half hour, Monday through Friday, a new route will run from Murray to the University. This doesn't alter the frequency of the other two lines, making it so a train flies

Rebirth: Volume II

2009-08-31T23:01:00.003-06:00

I got shiny things! Thanks Holly!For the official record, Holly, my lovely, amazing, talented (and in all other ways magnificent) wife, made a new header and a new background for me, perfect for a renaissance. I have all kinds of things I want to share, including UTA's development plans and their redrawn schedules, the birth of my second son (who is cuter than cute kittens), and massive plans for

Consider this a Renaissance

2009-08-24T17:51:00.002-06:00

So... I haven't posted in a while. Part of this is due to my newest son, "Jef," being born, and part of it is due to an attempt on my part to spend work time actually working on work (imagine!), but mostly it derives from me being unsure of the vision I had with this blog, how to best go about it, and what I really want to be blogging about.Ultimately, I think I really want to be working on what

News bits

2009-05-27T07:29:00.003-06:00

The National BRT Institute Workshop is being held at Rice Eccles on June 23. That's a Tuesday, so I would have to take work off, and it costs $30. Chances are good it isn't going to happen, but it sounds like it would be really interesting.The Provo Intermodal Center has had the environmental assessment released.This guy pretty much had the worst day ever. First his car rolls over. He gets out,

Holiday Weekend = Carless Fail

2009-05-26T08:19:00.002-06:00

When it comes to the holidays, it is really nice to have an extra day off, spend some extra time with family, and in general just enjoy life. Trouble is, doing those things without a car is extra difficult, as the mass transit system fails miserably on most holidays. In a lot of ways, this makes sense. Ridership is down, plus the drivers want to be grilling and chilling too. It is, however, very

Nothing but... Blind Hate?

2009-05-22T08:46:00.004-06:00

Today is another rendition of the things I hate about living in Salt Lake! In case you aren't familiar with it, there are tons of things I both love and hate about living here in Salt Lake! Today, we're going to talk about Followers. Particularly those of the conservative bent. I talked about leaders before, and how great they are, and would like to say this: Huntsman is awesome. Huntsman going

Grocery Shopping

2009-05-21T07:57:00.002-06:00

When discussing how to go about the process of grocery shopping without a vehicle, several things must be taken into consideration.First off, how far is the store? If your grocery store is more than a mile away, it is pretty impractical to get there without using a bus. This limits you significantly, as a stroller must be folder before getting on.Second, are you taking the kid(s)? If you are,

No (Real) Post Today

2009-05-20T10:52:00.001-06:00

Sorry, but I'm not going to be able to do a real post today.Between the fallout at work and the stuff from the last post, I just... can't.I'll have something tomorrow, though.

Call the (Transit) Police!

2009-05-19T08:11:00.004-06:00

Due to certain unpleasant circumstances involving my brother's fiancee, several questions regarding the Transit Police came up. Then, to complicate matters, over the weekend there was a report of serious issues with Transit Police in LA. Then, to make matters more confusing, the trial of a BART officer-related shooting is ongoing, with video evidence played in court yesterday. How much authority

Environmental Impact Study

2009-05-18T09:00:00.006-06:00

As promised, I read through the Environmental Impact Study that UTA released for the Airport TRAX line, which is pretty much already under construction. I won't bore you with too many details, I just wanted to comment on a few things.First, the location of the Airport line, and the nature of the area it is building through, fundamentally makes the line problem free when it comes to environmental

Uninspired?

2009-05-15T08:54:00.002-06:00

For some reason this week, I've been feeling particularly uninspired in regards to this blog. Sorry if my posts have suffered for it! I will do better next week.I plan to discuss the following (at least):UTA's Environmental Impact Study.The breadth of power available to Transit Police.The first System Rank, with 3 benchmarks (small town, large city, true metropolis) so that Bus Envy/Transit Pride

On Money

2009-05-14T08:08:00.003-06:00

UTA sold a ton of bonds yesterday ($306 Million) in order to pay for construction of the lines.The trouble with bonds is, someday they come due. Now, this sounds obvious, but when it comes down to it, Mass Transit faces a different profitability standard than Individual Transit does, particularly out here in the West. There have been tons of emails and blog posts flying around right now, with

No Left Turns?

2009-05-13T08:08:00.003-06:00

So... it seems that UTA and the SLC Police have a deal.I was on the bus this morning, and they announced (over the driver's radio) that, in spite of there being a no left turn sign at a certain intersection, they were allowed. By special, direct mandate of the police department.I find this very interesting. I'm sure I have more to say on the subject, I just haven't figured out what it is yet.

I need Cheese...

2009-05-12T08:17:00.002-06:00

... to go with all my whining.Yesterday was awful.My first bus never showed up. At all. Like the route had suddenly shifted back to 30 minutes, and no one remembered to tell me. So the next one doesn't show until I had been at the stop for 25 minutes, which is really annoying.I had to go to Wal-Mart. Pick up a few things for around the house, and some food stuffs. No big deal, except that I

Airport TRAX and the Stimulus

2009-05-11T08:05:00.002-06:00

The TRAX line to the Salt Lake International Airport has had its environmental impact study completed. The full text can be found here. I will read through it and let you know if I find anything interesting.Also, Utah is one of only nine states to be receiving stimulus funds for their mass transit projects. Although it isn't "new" money (we'd have gotten it anyway), it is early, so UTA intends to

Attention Please?

2009-05-08T14:15:00.003-06:00

I think most people are aware, in truth, of the many problems out there. I think we're just too scared of acting, too scared of what the world could be like if people worked together. Too scared of a world that has never existed, to our (limited) knowledge. Too scared of Ponzi schemes and Communist bread lines.But the question remains, how do we get the word out? Observe:Is violence an answer?

Surcharge on Bikes

2009-05-08T08:13:00.002-06:00

Caltrain (the service that runs between San Francisco and San Jose) is going to start charging a bicycle surcharge fee, a major step that is going to anger a lot of people, but one that I think is actually a really good idea. Someone with a bicycle can easily ride almost as quickly as the bus, often playing leapfrog as the bus pulls ahead, then stops for passengers. They ride the bus, though,

Near Accident

2009-05-07T08:15:00.004-06:00

If you haven't voted in the poll yet, please do so? Here is the post.There is something fundamentally terrifying about the concept of a bus or train getting into a vehicular accident. You know that your vehicle will win (unless you go up a semi, and then the odds are less like a critical failure and more like a coin toss). You know that every single person on the bus will go flying, so the

Can I get a Press Pass?

2009-05-06T08:09:00.003-06:00

Where do you draw the line?In the amorphous world of blogs, journalism, and blog-o-journalism, where is the line between someone who blogs for a living and someone who writes articles for a living? Now, for some things, this is clear: blogs, no matter how factual, are written from a personal perspective. As a result, someone who runs a blog is less fact-oriented than you basic run-of-the-mill

Provo Whines about BRT

2009-05-05T10:06:00.004-06:00

UTA is working with Utah Valley officials to determine the route of the Bus Rapid Transit that they are setting up down there. Unfortunately... they aren't willing to be flexible with Provo, and you can see why. (Story here).Provo wants things rerouted, so that the BYU students go south, to their mall instead of North, to Orem's.But let's be honest... University Mall is far superior.So screw you,

Am I a raving lunatic?

2009-05-05T08:02:00.003-06:00

I was riding the bus home yesterday, minding my own business, when this guy gets on the bus, and screams at the driver, "You NEED to make SURE you stop at that STOP." The driver apologizes, but he isn't fluent in English, so it comes out feeling a bit half-hearted, and the guy stomps down the aisle to the back of the bus. Figuring that was that, I went back to my book. Not two minutes later, I

First LONG car trip

2009-05-04T08:43:00.004-06:00

So the Paladin took his long car trip, as we went down for a wedding in Manti (which was awesome and pretty and I got a super adorable picture of the Paladin in a suit, which makes him look three even though he is only 19 months). He drove down with his grandparents, and back home with us (and the photographer, my dad). Given how rarely he is in the car in the first place (generally to and from

Mega Swag Bucks and a Poster Poll

2009-05-01T12:00:00.002-06:00

I won! I got ten swag bucks from one single search today!I don't have a ton yet, but I'm getting there: I have 91.I use this search function instead of google. Sometimes it doesn't work well enough, and I have to switch back to google for a minute, but for the most part, it works pretty well.I'm saving up enough to "buy" a PS3. Seriously.Today definitely helped.You should go sign up too! Here is

TRAX Wires, Bike Tires

2009-05-01T10:44:00.005-06:00

UTA is upgrading the wiring for TRAX between May 3rd and May 9th. Be aware of these changes, as they will affect you if you take the train this week.Special Schedules can be found here:Weekday ScheduleFriday ScheduleSaturday ScheduleSunday ScheduleAlso, the 14th Bike Bonanza party thing will be held at the Gallivan Center on May 15th, from 4-8 PM. It includes a fashion show, food, and free

HUD/DOT Partnership

2009-04-30T08:09:00.005-06:00

About a month ago, HUD and DOT decided that they needed to be working together a lot more (and a lot better) than they currently are. Most of it is bureaucratic nonsense, the kind of thing that says "Harmonize! Redefine! Change! Transparency!" You know, the usual rhetoric for a new administration's press release. One paragraph caught my eye though: The task force will redefine affordability to

Advantages of Lightrail.

2009-04-29T10:44:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Streetsblog Network for the heads up on this video.Although this was made for Kansas City, I think the point is pretty clear: Light Rail development is good for building your city. Studies throughout the country have proven this, particularly the one in Portland (I'll find a copy if anyone cares...).Imagine KC from Jonathan Arnold on Vimeo.

Holly - I Love You. Don't Read this Post.

2009-04-27T12:29:00.004-06:00

So, this post is one that I don't want my wife reading. If your name is Holly, and you aren't my wife, you can keep reading. If your name isn't Holly, please keep reading. If you are my wife, GO AWAY. Seriously.May you feel horribly guilty if you keep reading.Anyway, now that that's over with...I'm trying to raise money to buy my wife a kitchen-aid, tricked out with a bunch of accessories. I've

Tidbits in the news

2009-04-27T08:15:00.003-06:00

Just a couple tidbits I thought I'd share:UTA is hosting this year's National BRT Initiative Workshop, which has classes on Best Practices, future plans, methods and ideas, county-wide initiatives, and more. They don't have registration yet, but they should soon. I wonder if I could get a press pass... yeah...The city of San Francisco is trying to buy early Trolley museum pieces from a third

It's all in the Name

2009-04-23T07:53:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my parents babysat the Paladin, so Holly and I went out to dinner at her favorite restaurant, P.F. Chang's (the conversation went like this: "How does Chinese sound?" "Pei-wei sucks, they have lettuce wraps, but only chicken." "So? Let's hop on a bus and go to PF Chang's").The bus driver on the way down was named Timmy. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except that she was a girl.

Love, Love, Love (But don't tell anyone!)

2009-04-22T07:55:00.002-06:00

One of the reasons I absolutely love living in Salt Lake is that it is, pretty much, still a secret. Don't get me wrong, we've faced tremendous growth in the last decade, but we aren't a destination for anything other than tourism. Frankly, we should keep it that way. Seriously though, Utah is one of the best kept secrets in this country. It has every kind of terrain (except for ocean) that you

Overheard...

2009-04-21T08:01:00.004-06:00

Riding on the bus, I occasionally overhear random snippets of conversation. Sometimes they make sense, other times they don't, and about one in five isn't really publishable. Today's conversation wasn't too bad.A guy gets on the bus, with a book in hand, page marked early on in the book. The driver says "Starting a new book, huh?" A smiles, says something, and moves on. Sits down next to a girl,

Great Weekend!

2009-04-20T11:09:00.003-06:00

Friday I hung out with a close friend of mine, AJ; we played Wii and I helped him install the Character Builder, so he can do creation on his own and whatnot, which is a very good thing (it took forever, mostly because it uses some stupid microsoft app which screws up and takes three tries to install). Then I went home and did dishes, and I have (had) a clean kitchen. But cleaning it today should

Dad Blogs Giveaway

2009-04-20T08:53:00.002-06:00

I'm entering a contest to win this awesome swingset/playset thing. Growing up, we had this ghetto-awesome swingset, (which was really just a giant metal bar welded to two other giant medal bars which were bent and cemented into the ground. It wasn't rated, because it was homemade, and if you went to fast/high, the poles pulled out of the ground. It was great fun, though! My parent's moved, so the

A Familiar Face

2009-04-17T08:17:00.003-06:00

So I have ridden the bus long enough, on the same line, that I pretty much know all the regular drivers (some of them by name, all of them by face) on this line. Some of them are good, and some of them not so good, but they are getting to the point where they know and recognize me, which is kind of cool. Patty, for example, was my driver on every step of the journey of my Valentine's day fiasco,

Not in Utah

2009-04-16T13:19:00.007-06:00

No High Speed Rail lines here. Press release and all that jazz (see more here, here, and here), but there are not plans for enhancing anything in poor little old Utah. See map:And then I thought about it...Where would it go?High Speed Rail, the kind that goes upward of 100 mph? In Utah? To Where?Seriously:Wendover? Only if the Casinos pay for it.St. George? Not enough traffic to justify it.More

Whoops...

2009-04-16T08:20:00.002-06:00

So, yesterday I swung by Wal-Mart on the way home, mostly to pick up an envelope just in case my Dad didn't end up bringing one by, so we could file our tax thingamabob. Now, I have the worst luck with Wal-Mart. Invariably, regardless of how carefully I give myself an extra ten minutes, something goes wrong, or takes too long, or the bus is super early, such that I end up getting into the parking

Meme? Really?

2009-04-15T11:01:00.003-06:00

Yes, it is, sad to say, a meme. However, I thought it might be fun. It is an interview; the questions come from over at Majority of Two, one of the blogs I regularly follow (her interview is here).Here are the questions:1. Have you ever been influenced by a work of art – music, painting, book – and if so, how?Most of the work that influences me is music; I listen to all kinds of music, and it

Grocery Shopping

2009-04-13T08:10:00.002-06:00

On my list, grocery shopping is pretty high up there on the Dreaded Tasks list. Mind you, I’m not talking about the quick trip to the store to get milk and bread, I’m talking about the stocking up for the week trips, the ones where you have to figure out what you need to get through the week, without a) wasting money and b) getting too much stuff to get home. Saturday was a particularly

Basic Division

2009-04-10T08:05:00.002-06:00

This should technically be called "Why I love/hate blah blah blah blah #4, blah blah" but I got bored of that format. It does link back to the original Love/Hate list, though. Also, I don't know how detailed this particular post will be, so I may come back to this topic again.Those of you who have talked local politics are aware of this particular frustration of mine, but I doubt I've fully gone

Guest Postings?

2009-04-10T07:59:00.002-06:00

I am looking for people to guest post now and then (although I'm considering making it a regular feature on Thursdays, a day I can't post most of the time due to other time constraints). If you would like to, please let me know.I plan on writing a few bits for guest posting other places as well, so if you want me to return the favor, let me know that as well.

A Few Numbers

2009-04-08T07:44:00.004-06:00

First, let's consider that for 14 months straight, mass transit use has increased. At first, this was attributed simply to gas prices, but now that a gallon of gas is cheaper than a bus ticket, that's just silly.Of course, if mass transit use is up, that means highway use is down, right?Right.In Utah, what that means is that traffic congestion has decreased a total of 45% from last year. This is

One Bus Away - A Modern Solution

2009-04-07T08:00:00.003-06:00

One of UTA's single greatest difficulties is finding out information. I'm sure this is the case other places, but here they have a singularly moronic problem: although the buses run from 5:30 AM until 12:15 AM, customer service is only open from 9 AM to 5 PM. There is no other number to call, so if you need information and are in the middle of nowhere, all you can do is call a friend and get them

A Serious Case of Bus Envy

2009-04-06T11:42:00.002-06:00

Not much to say right this second, I'll try to post later tonight, work is just... work. Lots of it.So I don't have as much fun blog time here, I'll have to do it later. No biggie.In the mean time, to tide you over, there is Barack Obama's serious case of bus envy. He just can't get over wishing we had a decent rail system like the rest of the world.

Why I Love/Hate Salt Lake (Detail 3) - Weather

2009-04-03T08:25:00.002-06:00

Why I absolutely HATE the weather in Utah:It isn't the snow, honestly (although it gets old, eventually). I like autumn/winter clothing better than spring/summer stuff, so the snow is a nice excuse.It isn't the heat, either. I don't mind staying inside until it cools down a bit, and I love the warm summer nights.What I absolutely hate, more than anything else about Utah's weather?How much it

UTA Raising Rates?

2009-04-02T09:59:00.002-06:00

UTA is considering raising rates for the Handicapped service, Paratransit. These are currently the same as regular bus rates, which is (of course) absurd, considering the difference in service actually provided.From UTA:Since implementing paratransit service in 1988, UTA has gone above and beyond for its riders with disabilities, providing service beyond what is required by ADA. The agency

Mass Transit = Health

2009-03-31T13:10:00.003-06:00

According to a new study, published in the Journal of Public Health Policy indicates that merely taking mass transit instead of driving is enough to improve your health. The reason? Exercise. Walking to and from the bus stop multiple times a day increases the likelihood (3 times) of an individual getting the (minimum) exercise they need.I have definitely noticed this in my own life; when I was

How To Calm Your Screaming Infant (On the Bus)

2009-03-31T08:07:00.002-06:00

Consider this a basic tutorial to riding the bus with an infant. Please note that the following does not apply to Toddlers, Kids, or Teens, as the rules for them are very different.Try the basics first, of course. Has he been fed? Is she too hot or too cold? Some things should not be done on the bus. If he needs a diaper change, get off.Some things should only be done on the bus if you are

Possible Criteria

2009-03-30T08:24:00.003-06:00

I'm working on developing a system to compare the mass transit systems across the country (probably giving them a total school, although I don't know what the final system will look like just yet). I understand that some of this is going to take information from several sources, but I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what criteria they think I should be looking at when determining

Bus, Parenting, etc.

2009-03-27T10:44:00.002-06:00

I fell asleep on the bus this morning. Not something I do often, but it has been a particularly long week. So I was sleeping, and I dreamed that I was a Hip Hop star. Seriously bizarre, since I rarely ever listen to that stuff. But I was, and I was big. My stage name was something really lame, and all I did was make fun of other rappers for talking about stupid things instead of what's

Follow Up on Transportation Equity

2009-03-26T13:53:00.002-06:00

Friday I sat in on a conference call regarding the development of equitable transportation. Part of my notes mentioned (about four times) that a follow up "information packet" would be sent out to all those involved.What they didn't mention was that this "packet" was more like a "phone book" than a "brochure." Ok, so not quite that bad, but it is still pretty long, and not something I can sum up

Why I Love/Hate Salt Lake (Detail 2) - Nerds

2009-03-26T08:30:00.002-06:00

For whatever reason, being a nerd is socially acceptable in Utah. Maybe it is everywhere else, but it definitely is here. I mean, Utah Valley (the Whore of Babylon?) has what? Three game stores? Four? Despite Dungeons and Dragons being “Satan’s Game,” there is massive popular demand and backing for the game. We were over at Hastur (I HATE that store, for the record. They have everything, but

Penumbra v Suburbs - Where do you draw the line?

2009-03-25T12:35:00.002-06:00

Christopher Leinberger "Saw it Coming." So did I, really, I just didn't know how to tell anyone, and no one really listened to me. I'm sure, however, that if you interviewed various people from way back, I'd been predicting things like total economic meltdown and a housing/credit crisis, I just didn't have a date attached to it.Anyway, he defines the Penumbra as "Those places [that] are still

Siemens S70

2009-03-25T12:05:00.005-06:00

I know its a bit late for a tech post, but I'm doing one anyway. I have another idea for a post as well, so I'll try to finish it today, but if not it will be up tomorrow.UTA and Siemens just announced the (largest ever) purchase of new Light Rail vehicles for the new lines currently being built, and they are shiny:They ordered 77 of them, a massive investment in infrastructure (if you hadn't

Infrastructurist

2009-03-24T09:20:00.004-06:00

I found this amazing website, and after realizing that I wanted to quote off of at least three different articles (Big Box Reuse, Dealing with the Suburbs, and the significant decrease in driven miles and corresponding increase in mass transit use, month after month) I realized that this site was a treasure trove.So instead of quoting the individual pages and taking up a huge long post to go into

West Side Improvement!

2009-03-23T10:44:00.004-06:00

Examining mass transit on a local level, and comparing my regular bus to another route elsewhere, can be incredibly frustrating, and a bit misleading. Ultimately, the poor service out on the west side of the valley does affect me, and not just if I want to get out to visit family. It creates a situation where people look at UTA with a less than favorable opinion, or complain because the transit

"Transportation, Equity, and the Recovery"

2009-03-20T11:59:00.002-06:00

I attended a conference call this morning, hosted by Policy Link, in regards to Equitable Transportation and applying equitable principles during the recovery period, and these are my notes: Dwayne Marsh “Ensure that communities we care about are receiving funds from the enormous stimulus package sent down by the Federal Government during these troubling economic times” “Bridge

Here's to You!

2009-03-20T09:19:00.002-06:00

I just want to make some things clear. I don’t drive a car. This is a conscious choice of mine, with significant rationale behind it. However, many (most) of my friends and family do use cars. If you see things on here that are about how cars cause problems, or how the suburbs are a major issue, please recognize that this is not a personal attack against you, simply a statement of my

Why I Love/Hate Salt Lake (Detail 1) - Leadership

2009-03-19T14:34:00.002-06:00

A couple of the items off my list have been questioned a bit, so what we are going to do is this: I’m going to link from the list in the previous post to wherever the actual text for that item happens to me. This accomplishes multiple things, as it allows me to keep individual entries shorter and maintain the alphabetical order of the list, even if I choose to add to it. As a result, I think I’

Car Costs v Mass Transit

2009-03-18T15:59:00.004-06:00

Over at the NYT, Jim Motavalli cites some interesting details about how much it costs to own a car. Average amount spent on a car: about $8,000.Average amount spent on "mass transit": $537.81However, the defintion for mass transit here includes taxis and even... Airplanes!If you figure that's an average of a round trip flight a year (which is pretty accurate, all told), with an average price of

Why Live in Salt Lake City, Utah?

2009-03-18T11:34:00.011-06:00

There are, ultimately, dozens of reasons why Salt Lake is a great place to live, and reasons why it can be a horrible place. I’m not going to say “ten reasons,” nor am I going to try to pass Utah off as the greatest place in the world. I do love my city, though, and have found quite a few pros and cons in my time as a resident. I have not lived outside of Utah, although I have resided in several

Privacy Policy

2009-03-17T15:57:00.003-06:00

We don't have a privacy policy, because we're just a blog, but I thought it might be good to give you a heads up about proposed changes on Google's end:We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to

The Trolley Option?

2009-03-17T14:43:00.005-06:00

In roughly recent news, Trolleys are being considered for several projects throughout Utah, from Bountiful to Sugarhouse to Provo (although they seem to have decided on BRT), which is making me curious. So I did some research on the nearest project, which is the most likely to affect me, and found the results quite interesting, so I thought I'd share.According to UTA, their transit study for

Always Room for Improvement.

2009-03-16T14:27:00.002-06:00

As if to remind me of how frustrating mass transit can be at times and that even with a system as decent as UTA is, we had an incident of monumental proportions on Friday evening. Friday… I was feeling icky again, so I skipped work. This is also why there were no posts on Thursday and Friday (sorry!). We decided to head down to Brickyard (by way of Highland, so we could go through the park

Poll Results

2009-03-11T13:54:00.003-06:00

From my last poll, only four people voted, and one of them chose "Other" and then didn't leave a comment as to what they thought the other should be.As a result, the opposite of Bus Envy will be referred to as Transit Pride from here on out. This is the idea that when you compare your bus/route/system/train/whatever to one that exists in a different area/region/city/state/country/wherever that

Sen. Chris Dodd's Planned Remarks to APTA

2009-03-10T13:20:00.006-06:00

DODD URGES WORLD-CLASS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMAT TRANSIT CONFERENCESays "2009 the Year to Put Transit in the Driver's Seat"Senator Chris Dodd is addressing the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Conference. Also, Senator Dodd will hold a hearing on Thursday entitled "Sustainable Transportation Solutions: Investing in Transit to Meet 21st Century Challenges."Among Senator Dodd's prepared

Interesting Stuff

2009-03-10T09:14:00.004-06:00

Today is Tuesday, so the focus is supposed to be on technology whatzits, but I’m not sure just how much I have to say about that today. I do have this to say: Daylight Savings Time = Doom. Also, one person somehow managed to get to my blog based on the search term “Christian Bale,” which is hilarious because I mentioned him in passing on Friday (he has one of the strollers we are looking at

Night Service: Needs Improvement.

2009-03-09T09:36:00.003-06:00

If I were to grade UTA (and I plan to, soon. I’m working on a method for comparing UTA to other mass-transit systems around the world as part of my Bus Envy series), they would get high marks on many things. Night service is not remotely close to being one of them, particularly on weekends. TRAX isn’t too bad, even running extra trains late at night, but all the buses which connect off that are

Response from UTA

2009-03-06T20:18:00.002-07:00

So I checked my email, and to my (extreme) surprise, I had a response from UTA sitting there. Turn around time was about 2 hours. I'm impressed! This is their response:Dear UTA Customer,Thank you for taking the time to contact us with you question or concernthrough our website at www.rideuta.com.We have received your request to update our website with Google Maps. I apologize for any

Dear UTA, please GOOGLE!

2009-03-06T14:08:00.004-07:00

UTA is somewhat behind the times, in that it takes them a few years after an idea is tried before they seriously start even considering it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (saves money, right?). In some instances, however, they need to jump on the bandwagon. This is one of those cases. And yes, I really did send this to UTA. You should too: Write UTA!Dear UTA,Please get your lazy website in

Stroller Choices

2009-03-06T08:59:00.004-07:00

Today’s post is brought to you by: Holly! I didn’t really know where to go with our shopping this week, as I haven’t gotten a chance to go down to the Stroller place and check out a ton of them yet, but Holly was online wandering yesterday, and what follows is a combination of several emails she sent me, edited for relevant content, of course. I am convinced that if we want a

Stimulating Mass Transit

2009-03-05T12:23:00.002-07:00

Not really a lot to say today; I'm very busy at work and have D&D tonight, so I'll keep this brief.The stimulus package that was recently passed is finally being allocated here in Utah, and there is very good news: $55 M is being dedicated specifically to the replacement of buses, fleet improvement, and other UTA specific goals.In addition, UDOT is looking at the long term plans needed across the

The Suburban Lifestyle is the Fundamental Cause of America's Current Dilemmas.

2009-03-04T14:08:00.006-07:00

I want to discuss the Philosophy of Suburbs, but in order to properly do so a common definition for Suburbs must be reached. This prevents confusion, and makes it so that during the discussion the reader and writer are both thinking about the same concept. Thus, we do two things: first, present the primary argument from which definitions must be taken; second, reach an acceptable definition

Tech Tuesday - MAX (BRT)

2009-03-03T08:27:00.011-07:00

Although the new "MAX" (Bus Rapid Transit) program has been in place for some time now, it is interesting to see the intended changes and proposed long term plans UTA has for BRT. For a little background, the first known instance of BRT in the United States was a line running between El Monte and Los Angeles, California. Most projects are far more recent, however, and modern technology is making

NYTimes.com: One Ride Forward, Two Steps Back

2009-03-02T13:19:00.003-07:00

OPINION | March 02, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor: One Ride Forward, Two Steps Back By M. SUZANNE ZEEDYK Why front-facing strollers might be bad for child development.This was an interesting article on strollers and child development, which basically indicates that a child learns better when facing the parent, which makes complete sense. Here's the trouble

How to get to the Doctor: Logistics

2009-03-02T10:25:00.002-07:00

There are several methods to reducing the difficulty of getting to a particular destination, the first of which is fairly simple and straightforward: Go to the closest one. In most cases, such as the grocery store, this is typically pretty straight forward, unless you have a particular preference for one store over another, or are looking for a specific item, such as a specific brand of tofu or

Bus Envy

2009-03-02T09:11:00.003-07:00

Since I brought up the concept of Bus Envy on Thursday, I thought I would explain and define the concept. Bus Envy is simple on the surface, simply the realization that someone's bus is better than yours, but it contains significant depth. Multiple situations arise which fall under the simple heading of Bus Envy, including local examples, interstate comparisons, and international train lust. In

Stroller Shop 1 - Evenflo Journey

2009-02-26T13:13:00.014-07:00

Total Grade: Safety: This uses only a three point harness, which can cause severe difficulty when the little terror leans out to grab things off shelves, or when he is straining to get out. It is also fairly large, which makes it difficult to lift when it is occupied. It doesn't tip, however, and the small plastic window on the top of the canopy allows for great child observation. The mosquito

Bus Envy - First International Example

2009-02-26T08:17:00.006-07:00

I picked this up from Treehugger. Bus Envy is that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you glance out the window of your friends house to see the third bus in an hour drive by, at 7 pm on a Sunday evening, when your bus stops service completely at 5. On a broader scale, it occurs when you are visiting another city, and realize that their mass transit system is better than yours

Why Go Carless?

2009-02-25T13:44:00.003-07:00

We are often asked, and very rarely have time to fully explain the answer, “Why don’t you have a car?” A portion of the reasons people ask this question, I suspect, is societal. It isn’t just an America thing, as many people go without a functioning vehicle in major cities across the nation, so much as it is a question that stems from living on the fringes of a city. Salt Lake County is

Weekly Format

2009-02-25T10:20:00.003-07:00

I'm working on establishing a regular format and trying to figure out what I have enough of to last over the course of several weeks/months before I run out of material on a given topic (this may not ever happen, as I learn more and more and constantly have new adventures). Part of the point of this blog is to present new information in a way that can't be found other places, with a perspective

Purpose behind the Blog

2009-02-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

H and I were looking for strollers in an attempt to find a reasonably priced Double Stroller for R and the Hatchling. We have time, and don't have money until June or July, but advance knowledge prevents stupid decisions, so we started looking into it, and we realized: We don't have a car, and this effects everything. Most parents, when shopping for a stroller, are looking for something for part