Behind the scenes regarding UTA-university negotiations

There's an interesting Deseret News story about how UTA and Beehive State colleges and universities arrive at prices for students' transit passes. In the past, evidently, UTA negotiated yearly prices/contracts individually with each school -- which sunds great for UTA, but lousy for the schools who don't have tough negotiators.

But the really interesting tidbit was reporter Geoff Fattah's report that UTA's ridership is 25 percent students. Wow, that's a lot.


The story is packed with lots of terrific numbers and information. Here's a sampling:

Tribune news story: 'UTA looks to future transit growth'

A story at The Salt Lake Tribune today notes the UTA board is peering into the future, as best it can, in an effort to guide its planning in the years ahead.

Allegra said if the UTA and developers encourage more “transit-oriented development,” or building residences where people can walk to bus and train stops, it could fuel much of that growth in transit use. Land use plans adopted by regional planning agencies are pushing that idea more as a way to handle housing and transportation needs amid future growth.

Perlich encouraged UTA to reach out more to young people and ethnic groups as it plans its future to ensure that it meets their needs. Allegra said UTA is in good position to help handle that with plans for expanded TRAX, commuter rail, new streetcars, bus-rapid transit, express buses and traditional bus service.

Tribune: 'Bus from Salt Lake City to Park City — will it work financially?'

The Salt Lake Tribune has a piece on the possibility of UTA extending service to Park City.

For decades, folks in Park City have wished for mass transit over Parleys Summit and down into the Salt Lake Valley. But now that one is set to arrive in October, the financial outlook for the public bus route remains unclear.

Rail to Jeremy's Ranch?

The editorial board of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a wise position: Instead of adding a freeway lane up Parley's Canyon, why not work with UTA to create an express bus route or -- even better -- a rail line to Jeremy's Ranch?

"Summit County officials have said they would be open to putting a sales-tax measure on the ballot to fund UTA service. But nobody seems to be seriously considering that sensible approach to dealing with growth."