On Thursday, Nov. 18, the UTA board of trustees unanimously approved Santaquin’s bid to join the transit district.  The resolution follows the November general election when a majority of Santaquin voters approved a local sales tax increase that will help fund the city’s annexation.

Santaquin is one of the few remaining Utah County communities not part of UTA’s service area to opt in.  Unlike Salt Lake, Davis and Weber Counties, which joined as a whole, Utah County cities have joined periodically over the last three decades.

Provo and Orem were the first cities in Utah County to join UTA in 1985.  American Fork, Lehi, Lindon, and Pleasant Grove joined the district in 1989, followed by Springville in 1990. Alpine, Cedar Hills and Highland joined in 1992, and Mapleton, Payson, Salem, and Spanish Fork entered in 1995.  The most recent communities to opt into UTA were Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs in 2008.

Following the Santaquin addition, the only communities not part of the transit district include Cedar Fort, Elk Ridge, Fairfield, Genoa, Goshen, Vineyard, Woodland Hills, and unincorporated portions of Utah County.

Bus service to Santaquin is not expected to begin until late 2011 to give time for tax revenues to accrue and for service plans to be developed.  The following steps also still need to take place:

  • UTA and Santaquin City will notify the Utah Lieutenant Governor and the state tax commission
  • UTA and the city will cooperatively agree on a service plan based on projected revenues

Initial service may include either an extension of local service from Payson or an extension of express service from Payson or some combination.

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