Utah Transit Authority

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is a public transportation system that operates throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah. It runs fixed route busses, charter busses, and ski busses to nearby ski resorts. UTA also operates a light rail called TRAX that runs North and South through the Salt Lake Valley, and East from Downtown Salt Lake City to the University of Utah. In addition a commuter rail is to link Ogden to Salt Lake City in 2007.

History

The Utah Transit Authority traces its roots to 1953 when several bus companies united to form the organization. Ironically, among the constitutive companies of UTA was National City Lines, which bought out and decommissioned the trolleys from the Utah Light and Traction Company in the 1940s. The Traction company operated electric trolleys in Salt Lake neighborhoods like the Avenues.

Bus service in the 1950s became unpopular with low gas prices and subsidized construction of highways like Interstate 15. By 1960 bus ridership was only about one third the level of war-time Salt Lake, and the average age of riders was 14.

On March 3, 1970 the Utah Transit Authority incorporated as a publicly-owned company under authority of the Utah Public Transit District Act of 1969.

UTA strove to streamline the bus system and only in the 1970s connected the east and west sides of Salt Lake. In 1976 UTA began offering ski service to Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons which currently offers service to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton , and Solitude .

Moves to built a light rail system accompanied Salt Lake City's bid for the Olympics, but the prospects for light rail initially appeared dim. A 1993 initiative on light rail was overwhelmingly rejected by Salt Lake County voters. The County Commission opposed increasing taxes for light rail and even hired a lobbyist to these ends. Nonetheless, the Utah Transit Authority continued to lobby for funding and in August 1995 won $240 million from the federal government as part of funding for I-15 reconstruction. This federal grant amounted to over two thirds the cost of the Sandy line, and further bills would fund extensions to the University of Utah. Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña explained the funding as a result of winning the 2002 Winter Olympics, "The Winter Olympics in Salt Lake are not Just Salt Lake's Olympics. They are the nation's Olympics."

TRAX became operational on December 4, 1999 with a 17.3 mile route from Sandy, Utah to Downtown Salt Lake City. In celebration, UTA offered free rides on the new system all day, and local residents stood in long lines to be packed into the new light rail cars.

Thanks to federal support, the initial 2.3 mile University line was up by December 15, 2001, after 16 months construction and well ahead of the original schedule. Construction was expedited to be completed in time for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Thus, spectators and participants could take TRAX to the opening ceremonies at Rice-Eccles Stadium. A 1.5 mile extension to the University of Utah Medical Center was completed September 29, 2003.

The success of TRAX has lead city governments in Salt Lake County to ambitiously plan new expansion projects. There are currently several proposals, but none have thus far progressed beyond planning.

In 2002 UTA announced a deal with Union Pacific to a segment of track and right-of-way for the planned commuter rail to Ogden, Utah.

Routes

UTA operates in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Utah, Tooele and Box Elder Counties.

Fares

Currently UTA offers the following services:

• Full Fare Ticket - $1.35
• Reduced Fare Ticket - $0.75
• Premium or All Day Fare Ticket - $2.70
• Tokens - (10) for $12.50
• Eco Pass - Company payed for
• Ski Pass - $5.00
• Minor or Senior Monthly Pass - $33.00
• Adult Pass - $45.00
• Summer Youth Pass - $40.00

The above fares will increase effective May 1, 2005. [1]

Service holidays

UTA does not operate on the following days:

• New Year day
• Thanksgiving day
• Christmas day
• Labor Day
• Memorial Day
• July 4^th, unless Independence Day falls on a Sunday, in which case July 5^th is controversially the UTA holiday

Reference

• Stilltoe, Linda (1996). A History of Salt Lake County. Salt Lake City: Utah Historical Society. ISBN 0-913738-04-2

External links

• UTA homepage
• Postwar Salt Lake County — Utah History To Go, an except of Stilltoe's book
• Salt Lake City TRAX — Kavanagh Transit Systems Page