The
Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates a public transportation system throughout the
Wasatch FrontThe Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Santaquin in the south to Brigham City in the north...
of
UtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It operates fixed route buses, express buses, ski buses, three light rail lines (
TRAXTRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
), and a commuter rail line (
FrontRunnerFrontRunner is a commuter rail system operated by the Utah Transit Authority , serving the northern portion of the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake Central Station to Ogden Union Station. The system opened 26 April 2008...
) from
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
to
Pleasant ViewPleasant View is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 5,632 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, north of
OgdenOgden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. UTA is based in
South Salt LakeSouth Salt Lake is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 23,617 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, where it also maintains a bus garage. Light rail vehicles are stored and maintained at yards at another location in South Salt Lake and in
MidvaleMidvale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 27,029 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midvale is located at ....
. The Authority’s commuter rail equipment is stored and serviced at a facility in Salt Lake City.
Bus service
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 LinesNational City Lines, Inc. , was a controversial company founded in Minnesota, United States in 1920 as a modest local transport company operating two buses which was reorganized into a holding company in 1936 with equity funding from General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California and...
, which bought out and decommissioned the
trolleysA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
from the Utah Light and Traction Company in the 1940s. The Traction company operated electric trolleys in Salt Lake City 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.
In 1969, the Utah State Legislature passed the Utah Public Transit District Act, which allows individual communities to address transportation needs by forming local transit districts.
UTA was founded in March 1970 when the cities of Sandy, Salt Lake and Murray voted to form a transit district. Today, UTA’s service area is over 1400 square miles (3,626 km²) and covers six counties:
Box ElderBox Elder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It lies on the north end of the Great Salt Lake, covering a large area north to the Idaho border and west to the Nevada border. Included in this area are large tracts of barren desert, contrasted by high, forested mountains. The...
,
DavisDavis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 306,479, a 28.2% increase over the 2000 figure of 238,994. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county is part of the Ogden–Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area as...
,
Salt LakeSalt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
,
TooeleTooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
,
UtahUtah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
and
WeberWeber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
.
UTA strove to streamline the bus system and only in the 1970s connected the east and west sides of the Salt Lake Valley. In 1976 UTA began offering ski service to Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Today, UTA offers "ski service" buses to the
AltaAlta is a ski area located in the Wasatch Mountains, just east of Salt Lake City, Utah. With a skiable area of 2200 acres , beginning at a base elevation of 8530 ft and rising to 10,550 ft for a vertical gain of 2020 ft . Alta is one of the oldest ski resorts in the country,...
, Snowbird,
BrightonBrighton Ski Resort is a ski area located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Brighton Ski Resort was the first ski resort in Utah, and one of the first in the United States. Brighton was started in 1936 when members of the Alpine Ski Club built a rope tow from wire and...
, and Solitude ski resorts.
In March 2007, UTA began holding open houses to receive community input on a plan to completely overhaul the bus system in Salt Lake County. The final redesign plan was approved on May 23, 2007, and was implemented on August 26. The plan has received widespread praise, as well as widespread criticism.
http://www.utabus.com/projects/2007routeChanges/default.aspx
Bus Rapid Transit (MAX)
UTA's first
Bus Rapid TransitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) line (called MAX) runs along 3500 South in Salt Lake County, starting in
MagnaMagna is a census-designated place and township in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 26,505 at the 2010 census, a moderate increase over the 2000 figure of 22,770...
, goes through
West Valley CityWest Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,...
and ends at the Millcreek
TRAXTRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
station. Construction on a MAX line in Utah County is currently in the planning phase.
Light Rail (TRAX)
Population growth and accompanying congestion led to the study of the feasibility of
light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
in the Salt Lake Valley in the early 1990s. A 1993 initiative to use tax revenues to purchase an underutilized rail corridor for potential light rail use was rejected by
Salt Lake CountySalt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
voters. The County Commission opposed increasing taxes for light rail and even hired a lobbyist to this end. Nonetheless, the Utah Transit Authority moved forward and was able to make the purchase using other available funds.
UTA also lobbied for funding and in August 1995 won $240 million from the federal government as part of the budget for I-15 reconstruction. This federal grant amounted to over two-thirds the cost of the Blue Line to
SandySandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah....
, and further bills would fund a
second lineThe Red Line is a light rail line in the Trax system in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. It originally opened in December 2001 as the Sandy/University Line, running from the University of Utah to the city of Sandy, and was later rerouted to South Jordan and renamed the Red Line in August 2011...
to the
University of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. Salt Lake City's successful bid to host the
2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
gave the light rail project some priority over transit projects in other cities competing for federal funds;
Secretary of TransportationThe United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
Federico PeñaFederico Fabian Peña is a former United States Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 1997 and United States Secretary of Energy from 1997 to 1998, during the presidency of Bill Clinton....
explained, "The Winter Olympics in Salt Lake are not just Salt Lake's Olympics. They are the nation's Olympics." Nonetheless, UTA's cost-effective light rail project merited the support of the
Federal Transit AdministrationThe Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
and would have been funded and constructed regardless of the Olympics.
TRAXTRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
became operational on December 4, 1999 with a 17.3-mile route—the Blue Line—from Sandy to Downtown Salt Lake City. In celebration, UTA offered free rides on the new line all day, and local residents stood in long lines to be packed into the new light rail cars. The Blue Line was expanded in April 2008 to the
Salt Lake City Intermodal HubSalt Lake City Intermodal Hub is a multi-modal transportation hub located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Amtrak, the national regional rail system, provides one train daily in each direction on the California Zephyr: west to Emeryville, California and east to Chicago, Illinois...
, and as part of UTA's
FrontLines 2015 project, an expansion of the line south to
DraperDraper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah Counties in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Between 1990 and 2000 Draper was Utah's fastest-growing city over 5,000 people . Its population in 1990 was 7,143 and had grown to 25,220 by the 2000 census...
is under construction.
Thanks to federal support, the initial 2.3-mile
Red LineThe Red Line is a light rail line in the Trax system in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. It originally opened in December 2001 as the Sandy/University Line, running from the University of Utah to the city of Sandy, and was later rerouted to South Jordan and renamed the Red Line in August 2011...
, from downtown Salt Lake to the University of Utah, was operational by December 15, 2001—after 16 months of construction and well ahead of the original schedule. Construction was expedited to be completed before the
2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, to enable spectators to take TRAX to the opening ceremonies at Rice–Eccles Stadium. In light of heightened security in the wake of the
9/11 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, however, light rail service was suspended during the opening and closing ceremonies. Buses were used instead, and though also vulnerable, transported attendees without incident. A 1.5-mile extension to the University of Utah Medical Center was completed September 29, 2003, and an expansion west to the
Daybreak CommunityDaybreak is a master-planned community over 4,000 acres in size being built by land development company Kennecott Land in South Jordan, Utah. Home construction began in 2004 and the community is expected to continue building for the next 18 to 20 years...
in
South JordanSouth Jordan is a city in the U.S. state of Utah. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley between the peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains and the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area...
opened August 7, 2011.
The success of TRAX led to the creation of a third line—the Green Line—which runs from downtown Salt Lake to the
West Valley Intermodal HubThe West Valley Intermodal Hub is a transportation hub located in West Valley City, Utah. It serves the Green Line of the Trax light rail system, the Max bus rapid transit line, and local buses.- Construction and opening :...
in
West Valley CityWest Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,...
. This line opened August 7, 2011, and services 15 stations. An expansion of the line, from downtown Salt Lake to the Salt Lake International Airport, is currently under construction, with a planned completion in 2013.
Commuter Rail (FrontRunner)
In 2002, UTA announced a deal with Union Pacific to purchase a segment of track and right-of-way for a commuter rail line from
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
to
Pleasant ViewPleasant View is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 5,632 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, just northwest of
OgdenOgden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. Construction on FrontRunner began on August 10, 2005, and has opened eight stations running from Pleasant View to Salt Lake City. As part of UTA's
FrontLines 2015 project, the commuter rail system is being expanded south 44 miles (70.8 km) to Provo, in Utah County. Future expansion is planned to extend the line north to
Brigham CityBrigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Box Elder County. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon...
in Box Elder County, and possibly as far south as
NephiNephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
in
Juab CountyJuab County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,238, and by 2005 had been estimated at 9,113. It was named from an Indian word meaning thirsty valley, or possibly only valley. Its county seat and largest city is Nephi.Juab County is part of the...
.
Routes
UTA operates in
Salt LakeSalt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
,
DavisDavis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 306,479, a 28.2% increase over the 2000 figure of 238,994. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county is part of the Ogden–Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area as...
,
WeberWeber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
,
UtahUtah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
,
TooeleTooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
and
Box ElderBox Elder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It lies on the north end of the Great Salt Lake, covering a large area north to the Idaho border and west to the Nevada border. Included in this area are large tracts of barren desert, contrasted by high, forested mountains. The...
counties. Access extends from
Brigham CityBrigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Box Elder County. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon...
in the north to
PaysonPayson is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,716 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Rick Moore, who in the 2009 election was the first write-in candidate ever to defeat an incumbent mayor in...
in the south. Service consists of all cities in between, heading as far west as
GrantsvilleGrantsville is the second most populous city in Tooele County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,015 at the 2000 census. The city has grown slowly and steadily throughout most of its existence, but rapid increases in...
in Tooele County.
Fares & Fare Collection
UTA's bus fares are fixed price, based on the service type. Paper transfers are issued and valid for use on other buses and TRAX. TRAX fares are similarly fixed price, with the option to buy a 2-ride ticket. FrontRunner fares are distance-based.
Numerous fare products are available, including monthly passes purchased at local stores, passes for university students and employer-sponsored passes. A variety of discounts and discount passes are available for eligible riders.
On January 1, 2009, UTA launched an
Automated Fare Collection SystemThe Sydney automated fare collection system is the name given to three interoperable automated ticketing systems for buses, trains and government-run ferries in and around Sydney, Australia.The system was introduced between 1988 and 1993...
to collect fares with
contactless smart cardsA contactless smart card is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits that can process and store data, and communicate with a terminal via radio waves. There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps...
.
As the first full AFC System in the USA to accept contactless bank cards (ExpressPay, Zip from
DiscoverThe Discover Card is a major credit card, issued primarily in the United States. It was originally introduced by Sears in 1985, and was part of Dean Witter, and then Morgan Stanley, until 2007, when Discover Financial Services became an independent company. Novus, a major processing center, used to...
, PayPass and PayWave), the UTA system, implemented in conjunction with Vix Technology, received the 2009 Innovation Award from the
American Public Transportation AssociationThe American Public Transportation Association is a non-profit organization which serves as an advocate for the advancement of public transportation programs and initiatives in the United States. Since its founding in 1882, APTA has educated the public about the benefits of public transportation...
and the 2009 Sesames Transportation Award.
Leadership and operation
UTA is governed by a 19-member Board of Trustees that continually directs agency staff to improve public transit along the Wasatch Front. Trustees are appointed by the city and county governments that fund UTA with a local option sales taxes. Board members work with their appointing local representatives to direct UTA so the agency can best meet the needs of individual communities.
Local-elected officials may also serve on the UTA Board, and one seat is reserved for a member of the State Transportation Commission, which is part of the Utah Department of Transportation. The President of the Senate, Speaker of the House and Governor of the State of Utah each appoint one seat as well.
UTA Public Safety
The Utah Transit Authority Public Safety Department is the law enforcement arm of UTA. The Department conducts law enforcement services, criminal investigations and public safety throughout the light rail, commuter rail and bus transit systems. The UTA Police headquarters is located at the Central Pointe TRAX Station at 221 West 2100 South in South Salt Lake. The UTA Police Dispatch Center can be reached at (801)287-EYES(3937) or 911.
External links