The Utah Transit Authority’s overriding goal is to provide users with more and better service while ensuring UTA’s long-term fiscal viability. In the agency’s proposed 2015 budget, UTA has included several service and customer improvements. These enhancements include restoring holiday service, improving WiFi on FrontRunner, and adding service miles and hours.
UTA’s proposed budget, which will be available for review and public comment beginning Oct. 23 and through the month of November, includes the restoration of holiday service to pre-recession levels by offering transit on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. The budget also calls for growth in UTA’s overall service levels with bus increasing 1.9
UTA President Michael Allegra and members of the UTA Board of Trustees accept the American Public Transportation Association’s 2014 Outstanding Transportation System of the Year award in Houston. Each year, the UTA Board is responsible for collecting public feedback on the agency’s annual budget proposal.
percent and rail increasing by 2 percent.
Additionally, UTA’s budget has set aside funds for the agency to improve its website and mobile information as well as explore mobile fare payment options for its riders.
UTA’s financial discipline is also on display in its budget where the agency intends to set aside $2.1 million into reserves to retire debt early. The budget also seeks to maximize UTA’s already sound financial footing by setting aside another $4.4 million from 2014 savings to create new contingency funds for fuel and parts. Future fuel and parts savings will be added to these reserves with the expectation they will swell to almost $9 million by 2019.
Current projections indicate UTA’s 2015 year-end reserves will be close to $160.8 million – or $9.4 million higher than earlier projections. Additionally, cash balances are now forecasted to begin building in 2020, two years sooner than projected.
More information on UTA’s 2015 proposed budget will be available at rideuta.com starting Oct. 23. Those wishing to provide comment on UTA’s proposed 2015 budget may provide feedback online or by attending a public hearing during the UTA Board of Trustees’ Nov. 19 board meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. at 669 West 200 South in Salt Lake City. All public comments on UTA’s proposed 2015 budget must be received by December 1, 2014.