Letter from the Editor

Winter is upon us, and along with the joy of the season, it can bring increased traffic and winter inversions. This Winter Issue focuses on transportation, mobility, and environmental issues that affect Salt Lake City’s west side.

Getting around the city as a west-sider can be challenging – trains inevitably delay travel in multiple directions, bus service is less than adequate, and unless you live near North Temple, TRAX is not easily accessible.

However, public transit users will be pleased to know of the recent announcement of Salt Lake City and UTA’s partnership to bring increased bus routes to the city, and more specifically, to the city’s west side.

And, with the addition of new transportation options, such as e-scooters and bikes from companies Bird and Lime, that first (or last) mile between home and TRAX just got a little easier.

There are also some conveniences of living on the west side, such as the proximity to downtown and the airport, and convenient access to the Jordan River Parkway trail for transportation or recreational purposes.

With our valley’s winter inversions, transportation and air quality are inextricably related. Some community members are doing their part to reduce emissions into our air by using public transit or bicycles, or carpooling.

In this issue, you’ll read about a project that monitors air quality from the top of moving TRAX trains. You’ll also read about a huge planned industrial project called the inland port on Salt Lake City’s west side that has the potential to dramatically affect our air quality and the amount of traffic on our roads and rails. This future global distribution trade hub has been billed as the largest economic development project in Utah’s history.

It is our hope that this issue will get you thinking about transportation and how it relates to our quality of life and our environment.