It’s been a busy and exciting year here at UTA. As 2017 comes to a close, we’d like to thank all of our riders. We recorded 41,626,507 boardings between Jan. 1 and Nov 30. Every one of you who chose to ride the bus or train instead of driving helped reduce vehicle emissions – pollution-creating particles that contribute to winter inversion and summer smog along the Wasatch Front.
We kicked off 2017 with improved ski bus service. This combination of more service and lots of snow meant a big increase in our ski bus ridership – 88 percent more riders on some routes. In March, we celebrated our 47th birthday with free passes and also tested new bus stop designs in Weber County.
As the year progressed, we worked to improve bus stop accessibility. We used Prop 1 funding to add benches and shelters to stops in Weber and Davis County. We also began live streaming UTA Board of Trustees meetings and conducted maintenance on our TRAX system to ensure it stays in good repair.
Fall and winter brought the launch of our eye-catching new safety campaign and our mobile ticketing app, UTA GoRide. We also extended our FAREPAY bus and rail discount, welcomed a new board chair and offered a free fare day to help improve air quality.
We’ve got big plans for 2018, too. We will finish construction and begin service on our new bus rapid transit (BRT) route in Utah County. All BYU and UVU students and employees will receive UTA transit passes at no charge starting in August. We also plan to increase TRAX security, add energy-efficient new vehicles to our fleet and make it easier for riders to navigate our system.
We hope that in your new year’s resolutions, you’ll include a goal to drive less and ride buses and trains more. It’s good for your wallet, it’s good for our roads, and most importantly, it’s good for our air. We look forward to seeing you on the bus/train/streetcar in 2018!