Whats in the Future for Utah Public Transportation?
Mathis says he has met with UTA and they are open to alternatives. “One option I suggested was that there be one last train that leaves [Sandybound] when bars are closing down, thus still providing a valuable service,” Mathis says. Minimizing service comes down to cost savings. “We don’t have the revenue to run the same service we have in the past,” says UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter. A majority of UTA funding comes from local sales-tax revenue, which is down $38 million from projections two years ago. Cutting light-rail service and other adjustments trims $500,000 in expenses, which will save jobs, unlike other transit systems that are laying off workers. Carpenter can’t say, however, if or when service will be reinstated. Salt Lake City Councilman and urban planner Soren Simonsen says UTA does an admirable job of leveraging federal dollars, and it does well in terms of service. However, it could be more efficient in enforcing ticket usage and implementing pricing that encourages more
