Murray Taylorsville MAX

Murray Taylorsville MAX
Overview
Type	Bus rapid transit (BRT)
System	UTA MAX
Status	Planned
Locale	Murray & Taylorsviille, Utah  United States
Termini	Salt Lake Community College's Taylorsville Redwood Campus Murray City Center
Stations	8
Daily ridership	2,200 (anticipated)
Operation
Opened	2016 (anticipated)
Owner	Utah Transit Authority (UTA)
Operator(s)	UTA
Technical
Line length	4.4 miles (7.1 km)[1]
Operating speed	50 miles per hour (80 km/h) (maximum posted speed limit)
Route number	Not yet announced

Murray Taylorsville MAX is a planned MAX (bus rapid transit [BRT]) line anticipated to run between Murray and Taylorsville, Utah, United States that will be operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). It will connect the Murray City Center and the main campus of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) in Taylorsville with both the TRAX light rail system and the FrontRunner commuter rail. It is the fourth of several BRT lines that UTA is planning in Utah County and the Salt Lake Valley. MAX is described by UTA as "light rail on rubber tires".^[2]

Description

The Murray Taylorsville MAX will connect the planned Murray City Center District with the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville Redwood Campus, connecting with the Murray Central TRAX and FrontRunner station, the Sorensen Research Park, and the Intermountain Medical Center along the way. About a third of the route will be along West 4500/4700 South (Taylorsville Expressway/SR 266) with the other two-thirds running along various city streets.^[1] The 1.5 miles (2.4 km) section along West 4500/4700 South will have dedicated lanes (between South Atherton Drive and South Redwood Road [South 1700 West/SR 68]), while rest of the line will share lanes with other traffic. There are eight planned stops for the line with plans for an additional stop to be added later as well as for the stop in Murray City Center to be replaced by another stop nearby. The cost of the BRT line is projected to be $33 million, all of which is anticipated to be locally funded.^[3] It is anticipated to cut the current bus travel time (for the length of the route) in half (from 26 minutes to 13 minutes). Planned headway will be every 15 minutes.^[4] It is anticipated to begin initial service by late 2016.

Route

UTA has not yet assigned a route number to the Murry Taylorsville MAX.

Taylorsville

The Murray Tayorsville MAX will begin its route a the SLCC Transit Hub, located just south of the existing Jay L. Nelson Administration Building^{[Note 1]} and east of the Construction Trades Building on the southeast corner of the Taylorsville Redwood campus of Salt Lake Community College. From this single (one direction only) stop, it will head south across the parking lot. After crossing Bruin Boulevard (formerly known as Community Boulevard) it continues south on South 1780 West. (This segment of this road, about two-third of which will have been newly constructed just for the Murray Taylorsville MAX, will be a transit-only road, as opposed to just a BRT dedicated lane.^[6]) After crossing West 4620 South it will reach West 4700 South and turn east in shared traffic. After crossing South Redwood Road it will begin running in dedicated lanes in the median of the road as it continues east, to cross the North Jordan Canal, and then northeast along West 4700 South. After passing just north of the Fore Lake Golf Course, it will cross South 1175 West and South Atherton Drive as it continues northeast (and the road become West 4570 South and then West 4530 South). At about 1300 West another stop, Fore Lakes, will be added to the route, but at a later date. Just after crossing South Atherdon Drive, it will reach the next stop, Atherton Drive West. This stop will be located in the median of West 4530 South. (South Atherton Drive crosses West 4530 South and then loops around on the south to reconnect with, but end at, West 4430 South.)

Upon reaching the intersection with Riverboat Road/South Atherton Drive at about 825 West, the Murray Taylorsville MAX will leave its dedicated lanes and turn south on South Atherton Drive. (For the remainder of its route it will used shared traffic lanes.) Just after turning it will reach the Atherton Drive East stop, which will be located in the median of that road. Continuing south through a residential neighborhood, it will reach the intersection with Sunstone Road, whereupon it will turn to head east along that road. It will continue southeast along Sunstone Road through a residential neighborhood until it reaches West 4800 South. Along the way there will be stops near the intersection with Monte Grande Road at about 700 West. Unlike nearly all the other stops along the route which have a single stop, this "stop" will have separate stops for each direction of travel. After reaching West 4800 South it will turn east along that road to cross over the Jordan River and the Jordan River Parkway Trail.

Murray

Upon crossing over the Jordan River Parkway Trail, the Murray Taylorsville MAX will leave Taylorsville and enter Murray. Continuing east along West 4800 South it will immediately cross over the Jordan River Parkway Trail and then the intersection with Murray Boulevard/Riverside Drive at about 500 West. It will then turn south on Murray Boulevard and, after crossing over the Little Cottonwood Creek, it continue in that direction until it reaches the Murray Boulevard stops. Like the Sunstone stops, this "stop" will include stops will also have separate stops for each direction of travel. After that stop, it will continue south until it reaches West Vine Street at about 5100 South. Turning east on West Vine Street, it will cross over I-15 and then over Commerce Drive (South 300 West) and the railroad tracks for FrontRunner and TRAX. After crossing the tracks it will reach the Vine Street stop, which will be located in the median of that road. Just after that stop, it turn south on Cottonwood Drive, passing by the Intermountain Medical Center, and connect with the Murray Central Station. The new stop for the Murray Taylorville MAX will be just north of the existing bus stop. After connecting at the new stop, it will head south to pass through the existing bus stops and return to Cottonwood Street at the intersection with South 100 West and then head north again.

After that station the Murray Taylorsville MAX will head north to return to West Vine Street. Continuing further north on Cottonwood Drive/Vine Street, the road and route will both cross over Little Cotttonwood Creek and then curve to head east until they reach the intersection with Poplar Street (South 45 East). Turning north onto Poplar Street, the Murray Taylorsville MAX will enter the area of the planned Murray City Center District. Continuing north it will cross East 5th Avenue reach the Murray City Center Stop just south of East 4800 South. From this single (one direction only) stop, it will turn west on East 4800 South. After briefly heading west on that road (as it becomes West 4800 South), it will turn south on Box Elder Drive (about 35 West). Heading south on Box Elder Drive, it will cross West 5th Avenue before connecting back with West Vine Street once again and completing its one way loop through area of the planned Murray City Center District. Heading south-southeast on Vine Street it will return to the Murray Central Station and then retrace its route back to the Salt Lake Community College campus.

Sometime in the future, the existing Hanauer Street (South 50 East) will be extended south through the Murray City Center District to connect with Vine Street and the existing Poplar Street will be eliminated. The Murray City Center stop and Murray Taylorsville route will then both move west to this road, with the stop being located just north of the intersection with East 5th Avenue. The new alignment will slightly reduce the length of the one way loop through the Murray City Center District.

Stops

Initially eight stops are planned for the Murray Taylorsville MAX.

Future stops

Two additional stations are anticipated to be added along the route at a later date.

See also

• MAX
• FrontRunner
• TRAX Blue Line
• TRAX Red Line

Notes

References

External links

• Bus Rapid Transit fact sheet
• Official UTA website
• Official UTA MAX website