Air Quality/Inversions (Salt Lake City: retired, rank, cheap)

[dcisive]

The 1st step would be to bring down the hammer on the standards by which they pass a vehicle emissions. I'm willing to bet as much as a 1/3 or more of the vehicles tested would NOT meet a tougher standard at least along the lines of California. That is what it is going to take to have a significant impact. Those with old beater cars and pickups past their prime are going to be mighty upset if this happens, but so be it. As for the large battery of exhaust fans placed at "point of the mountain" that was MY idea but I suspect we could not get away with it. Idaho would sue Utah for shipping them all the bad air

[movingonagain777]

hahaha!! Decisive I like the fan idea!! If it were only that easy!!

[dcisive]

seems to me if there was a fan farm when they get rid of the "Point of the Mountain Prison" it just might have an impact. When those bad boys kicked on however it would make for some pretty good turbulance. Perhaps they could reserve it for late at night with the least amount of interference to daily living. I bet it would help at least. Every little bit counts.

[movingonagain777]

For those of you that can make the rally on Saturday, here is the link with the info.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1428...y_type=regular

UTA has offered a special service to the Capitol on Saturday. This is a great statement that our transit system is willing to help our cause. Thank you, UTA. If you are taking public transit on Saturday, please pack these buses. Here's the information:

http://www.rideuta.com/uploads/500schedulespecialflyerfinal.pdf
rideuta.com

[kletter1mann]

From SLT Trib, 1/19/14:

We know the strategies we implemented are working. The growing concern in the public is understandable. We know more, there is more health data, more studies showing the real and serious impacts of poor air quality," said Amanda Smith, director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. State air quality officials say industry contributes just 11 percent to Utah’s particulate pollution. A cost-benefit analysis goes into determining whether to require an industry to install a particular emission control.
<<<snip>>>
"There aren’t huge bites of that apple left and we have to compare it with the cost of each ton [of pollution] removed," Smith said. "People intuitively see these large sources and see they are emitting pollution and those large industries have large financial capacity. It seems easier to put a control on one source of pollution than to get a million people to take TRAX one day a week."

There it is in a nutshell, folks. The state knows it, the city knows it because the science supports it.

What she's saying OP, is that you're barking up the wrong tree. Of course it's easy enough run away and post provocative pictures and articles from hacks. Or for me to stir the pot from 2000 miles away. But to the extent that the problem is going to be solved it's going to be by individual action: influencing individual people to be willing to invest in a more robust mass transit system and being willing to use it. It would be interesting if the OP actually responded to the substance of the issue instead of prevaricating.

[movingonagain777]

I am optimistic that good will come from this rally and that it won't stop here until changes are made!!

Thousands expected at Saturday air quality rally in Salt Lake City | The Salt Lake Tribune[1400987050153588]&action_type_map=[%22og.likes%22]&action_ref_map=[]

[CCSLC]

Originally Posted by movingonagain777

I am optimistic that good will come from this rally and that it won't stop here until changes are made!!

And what changes, exactly, are you hoping for? I don't see a rally convincing all the motorists in the valley to suddenly start changing their habits. And "good will come" only from changing individual behavior.

[SusVelo]

Riding Trax is a mostly unpleasant experience for me, maybe I should move south so I can take Frontrunner instead.

[irman]

Originally Posted by simply1

Riding Trax is a mostly unpleasant experience for me, maybe I should move south so I can take Frontrunner instead.

Off topic but why is that ?

[SusVelo]

Originally Posted by irman

Off topic but why is that ?

I take the blue line and the cars they have are not great and sometimes smell pretty rank. When I can sit, it's okay even if knee to knee because I can read or work, but most mornings I stand my way on a pretty jerky train for the half hour ride. I can't imagine how bad it'd be if they actually got the numbers they want on those things. Also the same people seem to want to ask me for money at the stops or occasionally on the train, which I don't think is supposed to happen, but does and gets old. On the rare occasion I am unexpectedly stuck working late enough, I end up getting a ride with a co-worker because I missed the last train.

That said, I still ride it with the company paying for it in lieu of me having a parking spot, but I imagine a lot of people have tried and won't do it for some of the reasons I've said, and that doesn't do much to help the air quality (on topic, see!). I hope I don't come off as a whiny ahole!