Monday, July 29, 2013

Clearfield FrontRunner Railstop

Council member Bush asked me Sunday (knowing that I am a regular FrontRunner rider) what I would like to see at the Clearfield Railstop for FrontRunner.
If you want an answer to how a railstop should look, hop on the train and go to Farmington (only $3.10 each way), where a private developer took an absurd station design from UTA and built around it the only viable business plot next to a FrontRunner station. (I won’t say that Farmington Station has cornered the market on inaccessibility from the outside--Layton and Roy certainly make it difficult for passengers to access.) However, the land at Clearfield’s station already belongs to UTA, so public development bidding is not an option. Unfortunate--a shopping park there (like what Clinton has developed at its main intersection) could have been a major boon to the city.
Council member Bush lamented to me that UTA’s plan is for housing and offices. While there is significant merit in that plan for businesses or individuals involved, it would do nothing to serve the hundreds of people like me who are already using the railstop. Bush suggested a convenience store where rail users could buy gasoline for the cars that are constantly filling the parking lot at the railstop. That would answer the need in my first thought: drinks. I don’t generally drive to the station--I take my bike, and the others like me would probably like to see something where we could buy a drink when we miss out train and have to wait an hour in the July heat. So let me brainstorm a few ideas of businesses I might like to see at the Clearfield FrontRunner station, that would serve the needs of the present riders:
  • A convenience store (that’s a really good idea, Kent!)
  • A juice bar
  • A newsstand/bookstore
  • A breakfast shop (as in bagels, coffee, doughnuts, or even a place that makes food)
  • A bike repair shop (there are a lot of thorns in Clearfield, and the bike car on the train is always full!)
  • A wireless retailer (because everybody on the train is already using that free WiFi)

Now, housing and offices are also a great idea. People would move into the housing units due to the convenience--probably not as many people as UTA thinks, but some. Businesses would locate in the offices, and may even subsidize train passes for their employees since they won’t have to maintain a parking lot. But smart building can put condominiums and businesses like I’ve suggested under the same roof.

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