UTA Says It Remains Committed to Bus Service
Mar 26, 2008 by Jeff Robinson
(KCPW News) The Utah Transit Authority says it continues to analyze its bus system and improve service wherever possible. This comes in light of advocates' complaints that UTA cut service to many people who rely on public transportation when it changed its bus routes last August. UTA's Manager of Government Relations, Justin Jones, says UTA knows that people are going to be affected when changes are made, but that creating effective service routes is a balancing act."We're working, but we're always constrained by income and money and how much we can put out there," said Jones. "Of course if we had unlimited amounts, we'd have buses everywhere."
Jones says UTA has not forgotten that it is "first and foremost" a bus company while it continues with its plans to expand TRAX service to the airport and to the whole county. He says UTA poured an additional $1.5 million dollars into the bus system last August during the changes.
The Transit Riders Union, an advocacy group for poorer workers, says UTA should add smaller buses to accommodate routes that draw fewer commuters instead of cutting service to them. Jones says UTA has added at least thirty of these buses in the past three years.
"They get a little better gas mileage, they're more efficient, certainly much better on our air quality as far as higher standards," said Jones. "These things are improving our system, but it takes time. Those buses last for 15 years, and we can't just replace them overnight. It's a process that will take us the next 10 to 15 years to do."
Tonight, UTA is holding a public hearing on the Airport TRAX line from 5 to 8 p.m. at the state fairpark. You can look at the project's Draft Environmental Study Report online. You can listen to a conversation with Jones and Linda Parsons, director of Utah Jobs with Justice, on the Midday Metro page.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Michael T Packard said:
What a crock of propaganda UTA continues to pour out.
They redesigned the bus system to give more service to areas that already have good service as they discontinued most service in areas that have the least.
UTA implemented a redesign that is paradigm shift away from the traditional, all day service along the road/arterial network, 85% within 1/4 mile walk of a bus stop.
Now, large areas of the southwest and southeast Salt Lake valley have no service or only a little service in peak hours, for those who have a car to drive to park and ride lots. Others may have to walk miles to get a ride. This makes daily round-trip use virtually impossible for most purposes.
This is a violation of Federal law as it leaves large areas with no walkable service for low income, seniors, and mildly handicapped potentioal riders.
The small bus idea is a red-herring. These buses cost the same to buy and run as the large buses, except for getting an extra one mile per gallon in fuel efficiency.
UTA's foolish answer to failing bus service is, for example, to replace the Draper 346 Fast bus, the third worst bus route in the UTA system with a light rail extension. This route has been recommended by the Legislative auditor, in itsa audit of UTA, for future discontinuation for its huge inefficiency.
Claerly, smarter, more adaptable, less costly, and efficient solutions are needed to provide for the needs of these groups than the big-bucks plans of UTA empire builders.
Add your comment: