SLC International ranked 9th best regional airport in North America

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Salt Lake City International Airport is in rare air, both on a regional and international scale, according to the World Airport Awards.

Jumping up five spots from last year, Salt Lake City International Airport ranks as the 94th best airport in the world. The airport in the top spot for 2013 is Singapore Changi Airport.

In North America, however, SLC International ranks as the ninth best regional airport, securing its spot among the region’s most active and popular airports, such as Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Denver International Airport, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport among others.

Maureen Riley, executive director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports, suggested in a Salt Lake Tribune article that recent renovations in the restaurant and concession venues could have triggered the upswing of positive remarks about SLC International.

And now your help is needed to continue to improve our state’s international airport. Over the next several years, a new terminal will be built at Salt Lake City International Airport, and the Terminal Redevelopment Project wants your input to create the most efficient and functional terminal possible. Visit MyAirportSLC.com to share your thoughts about how to make our airport better.

The World Airport Awards are based on more than 12.1 million survey questionnaires completed by airline customers in 395 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates traveler experiences across 39 different airport service and key performance indicators – from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate.

The Airport of the Year survey is an independent Passenger study managed by Skytrax, and only airport survey that achieves a true worldwide participant base – known as the “Passenger’s Choice” awards.

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Posted in Chamber News, Transportation, Utah Rankings | 2 Comments »

Strengthening the connection of SLC to neighbor “island metros”

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Utah businesses compete in the global marketplace and one expert says we’ll have to increase our connection to western metropolitan areas to remain competitive.

Michael Gallis is an urban strategist based in Charlotte, N.C. He addressed a group of business leaders at the Salt Lake Chamber Monday morning.

“The west is very unlike the east,” says Gallis. “You have a lot of open space (in the west) and the metro areas function like islands. When you think of economic growth in a global economy, you think of creating access and interactions between the islands.”

Gallis says Utah has done a tremendous job connecting Ogden and Provo to Salt Lake City with investments in mobility–think the I-15 CORE project and UTA’s FrontRunner which connects into light rail in Salt Lake County. He says that same kind of connection between SLC and neighbor cities like Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles will be increasingly important in the years ahead.

Gallis cites the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1960s as the catalyst for the stingiest period of economic growth in U.S. history post-World War II. He says making that connection between cities in a way trains did not, made all the difference.

“This issue of creating levels of connectivity through which we can interact more freely is fundamental to economic growth,” says Gallis “Are we going to drop out of the grid or strengthen our connection to the grid? Thats’ the challenge and the opportunity for us today.”

The proliferation of the internet and the impact it has on communication and commerce, makes a physical connection between “island metros” even more critical.

“You can use eBay to sell your product to the world; you can be a global businessman yourself–in fact many people are,” says Gallis. “But that involves still the shipping and movement of goods. So we still have the importance of moving people and goods through the world.”

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Posted in Chamber News, Public Policy, Transportation | No Comments »

Google Maps teams up with UTA with real-time transit data

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

In a collaboration with Utah Transit Authority, Google Maps launched a new service at the end of March and Utah is one of the first places to experience it.

Now Utahns can get real-time public transportation data straight from Google Maps, whether on a computer or a cell phone. Through this service, users can see live updates about when a bus or train will arrive at any stop. To go a step further, the service will also keep track of delays and give live information about upcoming buses and trains.

Utah was chosen for this venture because UTA already had the information ready and wanted to make it available. UTA reports that it has GPS devices on many of its trains and buses so their location can be instantly pinpointed. And thanks to algorithms and history, UTA can deduce how long it takes for transit to get from stop to stop. This kind of information is what Google Maps hopes to use to make their maps as useful as possible.

UTA spokesman Chad Saley said, “We’re excited that they chose us to be part of this because it gives our riders another opportunity to find transit information.” It is anticipated these tools will help more riders plan trips and find more opportunities to take public transit.

Other areas that Google Maps has implemented real-time public transit data include New York City and Washington, D.C. Google hopes to expand this service worldwide.

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Posted in Chamber News, Transportation | No Comments »

An economy-strengthening legislative session

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

Editor’s note: this post was originally published as an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune. You can read the original post here. 

In early February, a high-level executive from General Electric met with Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and complimented him on Utah’s reputation as a well-managed state. Thinking the visiting executive had been given the information by his staff and was mentioning it to be polite, the Lt. Gov. thanked him and asked who had told him of our state’s reputation for prudent management. The GE executive assured Lt. Gov. Bell Utah’s solid management is widely acknowledged in the business world.

The 104 members of the Utah Legislature concluded a successful 45-day session last week and they deserve the thanks of all Utahns for their service. Utah’s business community also applauds them for the steps they took to strengthen our state economy and Utah’s reputation for being well managed.

The Legislature invested in Utah’s future workforce. Our elected officials heard the call for greater innovation, investment and accountability in education and took action. Their decision to adopt the dual goals of the Prosperity 2020 movement to have 90 percent of Utah’s elementary school children proficient in reading and mathematics, and 66 percent of all Utah adults earn a college degree or skilled trade certificate by the year 2020 is an important step in the right direction.

Goals alone will not improve educational performance in our state. The Legislature took practical, important steps toward achieving these goals. They fully funded growth in public and higher education. They ensured all high school students will be better prepared for and take the ACT exam. And they funded a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) action center that will help implement the best practices for teaching students subjects that will drive our economy in the decades ahead.

The Legislature also strengthened Utah’s economy by making smart decisions to improve our health system. By 2020, the U.S. will need 91,500 more doctors than we are projected to have, and Utah is among the states with the lowest number of doctors per capita in the country. Our elected officials funded an additional 40 seats at the University of Utah medical school. All the additional seats are required to be filled by students with Utah ties who are more likely to practice in our state when their training is complete.

The business community also supports action taken to strengthen the commercial insurance market by making it easier for families to utilize government premium subsidies to purchase private insurance.

Moving goods and services through our state is also vital to our economy. The Legislature continued its commitment to transportation infrastructure by approving $336 million for over 20 projects.

Our ability as a state to enhance community prosperity through innovation has set us apart. Legislators adopted an innovative plan to enhance Utah’s air quality by converting buses and state fleet vehicles to clean-burning CNG and building natural gas fueling and maintenance infrastructure. A general session that took place during extended inversions and poor air quality produced a pragmatic approach to convert the worst polluting vehicles into some of the cleanest. Each bus converted to CNG is the equivalent of converting 36 cars to the cleaner-burning fuel.

Our state constitution requires a balanced budget, but just because something is required doesn’t make it any less of a challenge. Our Legislature balanced the budget without a general tax increase and added some $50 million to the rainy day fund.

Utah has been recognized nationally as the best-managed state and the Legislature strengthened that reputation during this session. The business community thanks these elected officials for their dedicated service and we will continue to work in partnership with them to strengthen the Utah economy.

 

 

Ray Pickup is the chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors, and president and CEO of Workers Compensation Fund.

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Posted in Chamber News, Economic Development, Education, Health System Reform, Immigration, Public Policy, Transportation | No Comments »

Practical steps to cleaner air

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

Editor’s note: this post was originally published as an op-ed in the Deseret News, Sunday, March 10, 2013. You can find the original post here.  It is co-authored by Jonathan Johnson, acting CEO at Overstock.com and chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Clean Air Task Force, and Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.

Already in 2013, Utah has logged more than two-dozen red air days. With extended inversions trapping pollutants in our valley, Utahns have declared it is time to do something.

In addition to the adverse impact on public health, poor air quality endangers Utah’s federal highway funding, increases the risk of greater regulatory burdens and impairs economic development and corporate recruitment efforts.

Overall emissions in Salt Lake City are not that different from other Western cities our size, but because of our unique geography and meteorology, pollutants can’t escape into the atmosphere as they do elsewhere.  We all play a part in polluting the air to some extent and enhancing our air quality will require a collective effort—including some smart public policy.

We must encourage the behaviors that will protect the unsurpassed natural beauty of our state. We should drive less. We should drive cleaner. And businesses should continue to make clean air a priority. Clean air makes good business sense and the business community is determined to be a significant part of the solution.

Overstock.com incentivizes employees to participate in a carpool program, providing as much as $80 per month and preferred parking spaces to carpoolers. It also encourages carpools by listing carpoolers on the company intranet by geographical location so employees can find groups close to where they live. Overstock.com is just one of many great examples of businesses making Utah’s air quality a top priority.

Public policy should also continue to play an important role in preserving and enhancing our air quality. Over the past two decades Utah has increased capacity on our interstate highways, greatly reducing congestion and keeping cars from idling on our freeways. Later this year, UTA will complete a multi-year effort to add 70 miles of rail over a seven-year period. These investments in our mobility infrastructure play a significant role in our clean air efforts.

There is still more we can do. We support Senate Bill 275, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Stuart Adams. This bill facilitates fleet conversions to cleaner-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) throughout the state, improves and increases CNG refueling infrastructure and provides critical maintenance facilities.

Today there are 2,757 school buses throughout the state: 2,659 run on diesel and 37 run on gasoline.  Only 69 run on CNG. Considering each diesel school bus is the equivalent of 36 cars on the road, a determined effort to convert every bus—school buses and public transit buses—as well as heavy vehicles in the state fleet to CNG is a practical and pragmatic step that will greatly benefit our air quality.

Simple math makes this even more attractive. Today diesel fuel is $3.89 per gallon while CNG is $1.49 per gallon equivalent. Bus fleets that run on CNG will not only pollute less, they’ll cost less. Making CNG more readily available to the public also makes it sensible and financially rewarding for more of us to drive CNG-fueled vehicles.

Increasing the availability of CNG fueling stations is a win-win-win for Utah. Our state has an abundant supply of natural gas. Using more of it to fuel our vehicles and commerce reduces our dependence on foreign oil, improves our air quality and makes our state an even more attractive location for businesses and top talent looking for a place to do business.

# # #

Jonathan Johnson is the chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Clean Air Task Force and acting CEO of Overstock.com.

 

 


Jeff Edwards is the CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.

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Posted in Air Quality, Chamber News, Energy, Public Policy, Transportation | 3 Comments »

Chamber pres. preaches benefits of transit investment in Indianapolis

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

13 WTHR Indianapolis

Salt Lake Chamber President and CEO Lane Beattie was in Indianapolis yesterday to speak to business leaders and elected officials about the benefits of investment in mobility infrastructure.

 

Posted in Chamber News, Public Policy, Transportation | No Comments »

2013 Public Policy Guide outlines business community’s priorities

Monday, January 14th, 2013

(L to R) Wesley Smith, general counsel, Salt Lake Chamber; Lane Beattie, president and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber; Becky Lockhart, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives; Clark Ivory, CEO, Ivory Homes

With the 2013 General Legislative Session just two weeks away, the Salt Lake Chamber presented the business community’s legislative agenda this morning to legislative leadership.

You can read the official news release here. 

The 2013 Public Policy Guide outlines the business community’s position on issues including economic development, education, transportation, health reform, energy, clean air, immigration, Downtown Rising and international business.

Though it is a Salt Lake Chamber publication, the 2013 Public Policy Guide represents the broad-based support of chambers of commerce across the state as well as the other important business associations. As Utah’s largest and longest-serving statewide business association, we stand as the voice of business in our state. Our policies are well thought out and designed to strengthen the Utah economy today and over the long term.

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Posted in Air Quality, Chamber News, Economic Development, Education, Energy, Health System Reform, Immigration, Public Policy, Small Business, Transportation, Utah Jobs Agenda | No Comments »

Make way for the Bike Share program

Friday, January 4th, 2013

Earlier this week the Salt Lake Tribune proclaimed “Salt Lake City bike-sharing program to launch in April.” If this is the first you’ve heard about it, GREENbike (the SLC Bike Share program) is a partnership between the Salt Lake Chamber, Downtown Alliance, Salt Lake City and private sector sponsors.

A Bike Share program is a network of many Bike Share stations where members can take any bike from any station, as many times as they like, for a small membership fee.

Bike Share trips are short trips that get you from point A to point B (typically 30 minutes or less). The stations are near transit stops, popular destinations for food, entertainment and other Bike Share stations.

Bike share is not bike rental
Bike rental is renting a specific bike (mountain, road, cruiser), for a specific person (big/small, man/woman) for an extended amount of time (24 hours or more). You are responsible for that bike.

Bike Share bikes are designed for one job: short trips in the city by people wearing regular clothes and carrying ordinary belongings. The bikes are one-size-fits-all and the only thing you may need to adjust is the seat.

Bike Share focuses on convenience and removes the standard deterrents of riding in the city. No need to bring a lock because you don’t have to be concerned about theft (once you dock a bike, you’re not responsible for it). Clothes are protected (full chain guard, dress guard and fenders). Comfortable upright ride and step-thru frame (great for suits and skirts… no rolled up pants) and you’re not responsible for maintenance. It makes it easier for people to get out of their cars and navigate our city streets in a cost effective, fun and healthy way.

What do you think of the GREENbike coming to Salt Lake City? Will you use it?

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Posted in Air Quality, Chamber News, Transportation | 3 Comments »

Chamber issues statement on governor’s budget

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

Earlier today, Gov. Gary Herbert unveiled his budget proposal for FY2014. As he promised during the campaign, education is the top budget priority with $297.6 million of new money going to public, higher and technical education. But there were other highlights as well, including support for infrastructure investment and small business outreach. The Chamber issued the following statement:

Governor’s budget fiscally sound, future oriented

SALT LAKE CITY- (Dec. 12, 2012) The Salt Lake Chamber congratulates Gov. Gary R. Herbert for proposing a fiscally sound and future oriented budget focused on bolstering the economy and serving critical state needs.

The governor says he makes every public policy decision through the lens of the economy, and this budget shows he is a man of his word. With the nation’s fifth strongest economy, Utah now has the revenue needed to address vital economic needs like maintaining our transportation infrastructure and investing in the state’s goal to ensure 66 percent of Utah’s adult population acquires a post-secondary degree or certification by 2020.

The business community applauds the governor’s commitment to education, infrastructure, a competitive tax environment, fiscal responsibility and other pivotal priorities to the state’s current and long-term economic success. Of particular importance to Utah’s business community are these priorities that the governor supported in his fiscal year 2014 recommendations:

Prosperity 2020/education – The governor delivers big for public, higher and technical education by recommending $297.6 million in new state funds. In doing so, the governor demonstrates by his actions support for the Governor’s Educational Excellence Commission and the desires of Prosperity 2020, the largest business-led movement to support education in state history.

Infrastructure investment – The governor supports Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan 2011-40. This budget reflects the commitment to the state’s stellar transportation system. The business community believes we must continue to stay in front of the growth curve by investing in new facilities and protecting current assets.

Science and technology investment – The governor proposes increased focus on science, technology, engineering and math by funding $39.3 million in public education and applied technology training in these fields. The business community has set a goal for the Salt Lake metro area to be a top ten center for science and technology. Utah must train a tech-savvy workforce to meet this goal. We also support the governor’s call for $8 million to fund the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative.

New buildings – The governor recommends $52.4 million for new buildings at Utah State, Utah Valley University and Dixie State University. These investments pay dividends by expanding educational opportunities and supporting construction jobs in the economy.

Medical school – The governor supports expanding the University of Utah Medical School by 20 openings. In an effort to forestall a physician shortage and provide opportunities for talented Utahns, the business community not only supports this funding, but also encourages the Legislature to look for additional funding for 20 additional students as new funds become available.

Economic development – The governor continues to support tourism marketing, sporting event promotion, business marketing incentives, small business outreach and the Industrial Assistance Fund. The state has a track record for using these economic development tools wisely and the business community supports this thoughtful economic development.

Fiscal prudence – The governor has not proposed any new tax increases. He has also stayed within the appropriations limitation and kept the state’s budget reserve accounts (rainy day funds) whole. These actions, combined with the governor and Legislature’s work in the last general legislative session to eliminate the structure deficit, continue to position Utah as the gold standard for fiscally responsible budget practices.

Sorenson Arts – The governor proposed $4 million to fund the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Elementary Arts program. The arts play an important role in facilitating learning and we recognize the important interplay of the arts, math, science and technology in the development of new ideas, products and services that improve our economy and advance our life quality.

You can download the entire budget here.

Posted in Chamber News, Economic Development, Education, Public Policy, Transportation | No Comments »

All aboard that southbound train

Thursday, December 6th, 2012

Opening FrontRunner South from Salt Lake Chamber on Vimeo.

UTA’s extension of FrontRunner from Salt Lake Central Station to Provo opens to the public this weekend. This morning’s inaugural ride marked an important milestone in Utah’s remarkable investment in our mobility infrastructure.

Investing in our state’s infrastructure (like the I-15 CORE project that recently brought much needed relief to commuters in  Utah County), expanding TRAX light rail and adding commuter rail became the Salt Lake Chamber’s top priority when Lane Beattie took over as president and CEO in 2003. From the beginning, the business community was at the forefront of the push for investment in our mobility infrastructure.

The 45 new miles of rail provide a stronger connection between the capital city and Utah County, home of  the booming technology hub with the businesses like Adobe and IM Flash Technologies growing rapidly. In fact, the area surrounding south Salt Lake County and north Utah County has a new nickname thanks to these technology companies: the Silicon Slopes.

This four-year mass transit project will allow passengers to travel from downtown Provo to Salt Lake within an hour, and connects to UTA’s TRAX system. At the Salt Lake Intermodal Center, FrontRunner South will also connect with the existing FrontRunner line that runs between Salt Lake and Pleasant View in Weber County.

The FrontRunner South project is two years ahead of schedule and the cost turned out to be 10 percent less than the anticipated budget. Based on funding and demand, more stations along the FrontRunner line may be added in the near future.

This Saturday, the public will be able to try out the new FrontRunner South for free (or with a donation of non-perishable food items for the Utah Food Bank) before the train starts officially running normal operations on Monday, Dec. 10.

The opening of the 45-mile line is a huge step in increasing mobility along the Wasatch Front, which is home to about 80 percent of Utah’s total population. FrontRunner South will operate with 30-minute inbound intervals to Salt Lake City during peak service hours, and 60-minutes outbound and during off-peak hours on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday service will be 90-minute service with shorter hours.

You can find a map and schedule for FrontRunner South by visiting RideUTA.com.

 

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Posted in Chamber News, Economic Development, Economic Development, Public Policy, Transportation | No Comments »

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