UTA = Unreliable Service

It has been a while since I posted anything, but something has really gotten to the point where I have to say something about it. The metropolitan area of Salt Lake City has a mass transit system named Utah Transit Authority (UTA). I have used the system for the last seven years commuting between Ogden and Salt Lake City every day.

Last Monday, December 14, 2009, was what they call “Change Day”. This is the day that they implement any route changes that they feel would improve service. Well, this time they got it WRONG!

They have an express bus route from Ogden to Salt Lake City that has been quite successful in transporting its passengers on time. Well, UTA decided to cut several runs of that route to “encourage” passengers to use the newer, “better” FrontRunner. This is the new commuter heavy rail service between those two cities with plans to expand further south to Provo.

They changed the major routes in the downtown Salt Lake area to confuse even the longest time riders beyond belief, and the timetable is ridiculous.

OK, about the FrontRunner. For the last few months they had three passenger cars that were pretty full both northbound and southbound. Well this last Monday, they cut the trains to only two cars. Remember earlier that they also cut a good portion of express busses to encourage passengers to ride the FrontRunner? Well, now the FrontRunner is pretty much jam packed and usually passengers left standing. Standing on a train traveling up to 80 mph with NO hand holds. Hmmmm, I wonder what happens when the train operator puts the breaks on……I smell lawsuit!

UTA has had many years of providing adequate service, but at $162.00 a month for their “premium” pass, they are leaving MUCH to be desired.

Posted Dec 17 2009, 05:58 PM by ThomP45
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Comments

mefree wrote re: UTA = Unreliable Service
on 12-19-2009 8:45 AM

I can't wait for Government to make our health care more efficient!

Desechado wrote re: UTA = Unreliable Service
on 01-08-2010 7:16 AM

Yeh! I can just see the efficiency now. Less doctors, less waiting room space, fewer Medical Assistants. Less sick people (because they die before treatment). Looks great on paper to me. Saves us lots of money.

Desechado wrote re: UTA = Unreliable Service
on 01-08-2010 7:20 AM

I drive to work everyday instead of taking "mass transit" because It would take me an hour and a half. This doesn't include the 10 minute walk to a bus stop or the 8 minute drive to a UTA park and ride.

Driving my own car takes me 20 minutes, I can stop anywhere and buy a coke. I can run errands on the way to and way home from work. Also, I don't have any car payments and haven't for quite a while. I spend half as much in gas and upkeep of my car than if I had a monthly UTA pass.

Goosedyou wrote re: UTA = Unreliable Service
on 01-22-2010 6:04 PM

UTA is floundering with FrontRunner right now.  Last I heard, it costs UTA roughly $950 for one FR trip.  Pretty ridiculous.  Unfortunately, public transit will always run in the red, but I'm wondering what options they had other than a diesel train that gets 8 gallons/mile (no, that's not backwards).  Could they have gone with electric?  

Now they're going to try and force people onto the train by stopping what they call "redundant" service (the express buses are redundant because they follow similar, regular bus routes).  More people will start to drive unless UTA can remain convenient.  

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