When I read the master transportation plan from Sandy city Utah, I get a nice warm feeling. However you only need to look at the details to realize they want an autocentric city.
"Multi-Modal Streets – Design roadways to maximize use for all modes
of transportation including: personal vehicles, trucks, transit, bicycles,
and pedestrians. Encourage a practical balance between multiple
modes while realizing that private passenger vehicles will continue to
be an important means of transportation." Transportation Master Plan Link to pdf
From the front webpage.
http://www.southtowneexpo.com/
"The South Towne Expo Center offers 1,600 free parking
stalls. All parking is located on property in front of
South Towne. The TRAX stop located across the street
also makes attending events at South Towne even easier."
I Read there is no way to walk or ride a bike here. So take transit and walk across the street, or drive yourself and park in front.
What multi model looks to them.
Expo Center
Look at the placement on this building. They place the building as far away from the light rail station as possible. Pedestrians will need to walk a quarter of a mile to get to the main entrance. Map
Acording to them they made it easy to walk.
This 1/4 mile trek, could have been avoided by simply utilizing the space reserved for cars to the north. Instead they place the building in a corner far from any street. As though it will add to the ascetics. That this place is buried in a sea of parking.
The yellow line indicates there is no way to get to the Expo center from there. You can see the connectivity by any other means of a car centric stroad simply vanish. You need to utilize both stroads 9400 south and or State streets to cycle to the building.
I placed a fire maker just south of the expo. Map There is no crosswalk on a trail. You need to exit the trail walk down a hill and then come back up. Which will take you an extra 800 feet. The trail becomes absolutely useless with out a crosswalk.
Furthermore it's just an Expo center. Where is the commercial pads sitting around this building? Certainly a few business would want to park their doors right outside this tourism magnet. Sandy believes surface parking or wide open spaces, is a better way to generate tax revenue.
A real Transit plan would have allocated a trail that went through school property and then hooked up into the Expo center.
If Sandy was serious about creating walking and cycling spaces. They would remove the fence along the trail and add a gate so I don't have to use a stroad to get to the main entrance coming from the south. Of course they would need to do the unthinkable and add a crosswalk so I could use the trail in the first place.
Adding a tunnel under the trax line, for the residential neighbourhood to the east is beyond comprehensible. And besides why would they want to use a trial or Expo center that doesn't connect to anything?
This post highlights the lip service our public officials give us in their master plan.
