Routes Eliminated:
Route 17-Route 16 will be changed to basically follow the original loop route of the 16/17 except with service to the 1300 South TRAX station. This should have been done in the first place as the restructured routes made little since and apparently ridership pointed that way.
Route 25-Canceling a route that services Discover Card, ACS, Harmon's Music, and a low income area of Sandy? While some trips on this route do have low ridership, I have been on many trips with good loads. One idea would be to put the 90 back on its pre-TRAX days route that serviced the Discover Card area but then again, the 90 is being mutilated too and will be useless for those who work odd shifts.
Route 35-This route was very outdated for the amount of development taking place in the area. This is probably the one part of the proposal that makes since. Only a few blocks in Kearns will loose service and there is bus service just a couple of blocks away.
Routes 46/345-The Draper Service has always been a failure. Of course it doesn't help that the service is basically useless for anyone doing anything besides heading to TRAX in the morning. More service was needed to make useful service.
Route 47-I will have to say that the fast bus proposal makes since here instead of making people travel all the way to TRAX then take the TRAX train. Running the 43 from 123rd over to State and up to TRAX would have made since, although a long route but then again their cutting the 43 too.
Route 66-Route 66 services a fast growing area but its service is too limited to be of much good. Some of the replacement service will give parts of the 66 area better service but out in far West Valley and Magna they are getting the shaft.
Route 81-One of the best changes they made to the 81 was running to the 3900 South TRAX station, the only problem was the 16/17 service which made intergration make no sense. This route had opportunity but it and the 16/17 where poorly designed by the UTA Planners.
Changes to Routes:
Route 16: Mentioned it with route 17 above, this is how the route should have been designed in the first place. A connection to Redwood Road at California would also improve usefulness of service.
I will cover routes 30/31 in a seperate post by tomorrow.
Route 34: This is one of the proposals that actually makes since. It gives Jordan Landing better bus service and eliminates all the duplication in the west. However, with the western area growing at the rate it is a transit center at 5600 south and 5600 West would have made since.
Route 36: This is another proposal that actually makes some since. The route will replace part of the 66 that serves the LakeParke area plus the industrial area to the north of 201, and gives the area full time service. Now make it every 30-minutes and it will be useful.
Route 41: It will replace route 35's Decker Lake service and also runs up 900 West from 2100 South which captures the 81's busiest section. Question will it be coordinated with the 16? Also instead of running to 12300 South it will cut across 7800 South to the Midvale Center TRAX station giving 7800 South much needed service. However with the Fast bus only providing limited service on 2700 West, some service should have continued all the way to Riverton.
Route 42: OK last change they start serving SLCC, this change SLCC goes bye bye. They extend the service north along 3200 West, cover part of the 30 route then head into downtown also picking up pieces of the 16/17 fiasco. Once again will service be coordinated with the 16/17 and 41 or will we have buses on top of each other like general UTA practice? Also the bus will run directly down 3200 west and not service Dixie Valley. Once again this shows how UTA has no concept of servicing destinations. Why not run the bus through Jordan Landing?
Route 43: The poor ridership section south of 10600 South is being eliminated and rerouted to service 10600, the mall and TRAX. This means the Riverton/Bluffdale area will have only peak hour service. Does this mean they are cutting Paratransit down to peak hours only?
Route 56: Will be extended to service 3900 South TRAX station.
Route 88: Goodbye Cooperton. Will the rest of the 88 be next?
Fast Bus Proposals:
313: This goes back to the fact that they should have never truncated the 33 at the TRAX station. The route is too far east. Heck, by the time people board TRAX they could have been in downtown if it went through. I'm sure that the 33 will be next on the chopping block since there is fast bus so it will make no since to run the 33 peak hours only.
327 (old route 48): The bus is reroute to service the booming Daybreak Area which makes since. I just hope they are planning additional bus service as they buses are already running standing room only.
346: See if this service does any better than running service to TRAX. Bus will suffer from congestion along 90th South and I-15 which will give it issues.
The biggest problem I have with the Fast Bus program is that once again its peak hour service only which is a waste of capital investment.
Routes 82, 90, and 94 reduced to peak service only. Reduces the usability of service, reduces ridership on other routes, waste of capital equipment. There will be no cross valley bus service off peak south of 4500 South further reducing the ridership potential.
Once again while a few of this changes makes since, a vast majority are short sighted, and shows that UTA has no concept of a systematic systems approach. How will cutting one route effect other routes?
If UTA wants to cut off peak service how about the ski buses. I see ski bus routes all the time and during off peak hours they are empty. Why should every day riders loose their service when this service which is a waste of capital assets run?
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