Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
The KSL Editorial Board in recent years has consistently voiced its support for mass transit, including Commuter Rail thru Davis County.
Michael T. Packard, an engineer and safety consultant wrote to offer another viewpoint. He suggests that Commuter Rail is an “unjustifiable waste” of taxpayer money.
What is needed, instead, writes Mr. Packard is a more “complete user-paid freeway grid. But we’re wasting the money to pay for it.”
“A . . . recent GAO report has stated that the Federal Transportation Administration would refuse projects with ‘low’ cost justification, i.e., with incremental cost per new boarding of over $25. This Commuter Rail has a cost of $25.32 per boarding and rising.”
“Utah should ask the Federal Transportation Administration to deny UTA a Full Funding Grant Agreement for it.”
“For whatever high principles of government Utah lays claim to, it should repudiate this wasteful anachronistic train.”
Moreover Mr. Packard believes “this train would have absolutely no impact on (traffic) congestion. It’s impact, off-peak, would be like having a stagecoach line operating along Sheeps road, under the power lines, to supplement freeway travel on Legacy and I-15.”
As always, a more complete text of Michael Packard’s comments can be found under the “Editorial” link on our website at www.ksl.com.
