Bus Route Changes Nearing Final Approval

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Signs are going up on bus stops around the valley that warn of pending changes and route closures. However, the changes won't happen until August and the proposal has not been given final approval by the Utah Transit Authority's Board of Trustees. Bill Tibbitts of the Anti-Hunger Action Committee thinks UTA is jumping the gun:

"It's really troubling that the biggest route re-design in the history of their agency is not something that needs to be approved of by their board before they start implementing it," says Tibbitts.

Tibbitts has led grassroots opposition to many of the proposed route changes he believes will undercut low-income riders. UTA spokesman Justin Jones says some of the changes proposed by concerned citizens could be part of the redesign in August - if the board of trustees agrees to spend another $1.5 million over the next year. Tomorrow, the Board of Trustees will consider that request, but Board Chair Orrin Colby says it will not formally vote on the redesign. Rather, the board has left the paid staff at UTA to choose the routes:

"The board establishes policies - or guidelines - which the staff follows," says Colby. "And as long as they stay within their guidelines, then it becomes a funding issue as to what we approve or don't approve."

Colby says the Board has looked closely at the route changes and feels they are on the right track. He believes the bus re-design will benefit the majority of riders with more frequent and direct service. If the Board does not approve an additional $1.5 million for the next year, however, spokesman Justin Jones says many of the changes requested by community groups like Tibbitts' will not make the final cut.

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