Utah Transit Ridership Hits All-Time High
By LaVarr Webb
(Note: In light of legislative discussions about sales tax reform that could reduce revenues to public transportation and local governments, it is important to be reminded of the value of public transportation in our society, and the number of people who depend upon it.)
Public transportation in Utah has come of age. The vision and wisdom of the Utah Legislature and local government leaders in creating the framework for an aggressive public transportation program is being fulfilled in a remarkable way. Let's look at some of the facts:
In 2005, more Utahns than ever used public transit to get to work, school, special events and other daily activities. Figures from the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) report that over 36 million trips were taken last year on the agency’s local bus, express bus, light rail, paratransit and vanpool services. The last time transit ridership was at this level was post-World War II, when a record peak of 33 million trips was recorded in 1946. After taking a “back seat” in the following decades during the rise of the automobile, the Wasatch Front is now experiencing a transit renaissance. The 1946 ridership peak was finally reached again in 2003, and the upward trend continues.
Largely fueling these record-breaking ridership levels is the success of light rail. Since the first TRAX line opened in December 1999, light rail ridership has significantly exceeded projections. The Sandy/Salt Lake Line and the University Line were originally projected to carry a combined total of approximately 21,000 daily riders. In just five years, ridership has more than doubled those projections, with TRAX currently averaging more than 50,000 riders each weekday.
Light rail now accounts for about one-third of all trips taken on UTA. In 2005, TRAX provided nearly 13 million rides, a 13.5 percent increase over 2004. Ridership increases during the fourth quarter of 2005 were particularly impressive. The number of average weekday passengers on TRAX rose 20 percent in October, 45 percent in November and 46 percent in December, compared to the corresponding months the previous year.
UTA attributes the rise in ridership in part to high fuel prices. As the cost of gasoline skyrocketed last summer and fall, the agency immediately saw an increase in ridership as people turned to transit as a more cost-effective alternative to driving their vehicles. Trains that were already full during peak commute hours were stretched to capacity, and TRAX was more crowded during the day and on evenings and weekends. Even after fuel prices started to drop in October, the high ridership has continued.
The increasing transit ridership seems to be supported by research in the community. Recent surveys performed by Dan Jones and Associates showed that 67 percent of Salt Lake County residents, 56 percent of Utah County residents, 43 percent of Davis County residents and 42 percent of Weber County residents have used UTA in the last year. Not all of these individuals are frequent riders who take transit to work each day; they include occasional riders who may take TRAX to a Jazz game, the symphony or other special events. Nevertheless, surveys indicate that Wasatch Front residents are using and receiving a direct benefit from transit.
It can be difficult to recognize transit’s effect on mobility and congestion. A common argument is that transit only carries about 2 to 3 percent of all trips. That may be true when comparing 19 miles of TRAX with hundreds of miles of interstates, highways and local roads. But a closer evaluation of more comparable travel corridors reveals a more accurate picture. TRAX is currently carrying 18 percent of weekday work trips to downtown Salt Lake City. During peak commute hours, that equals one lane of traffic on I-15. TRAX has also had a significant impact at the University of Utah, accounting for 25 percent of weekday student trips to campus.
By helping alleviate congestion on our roads and highways, transit is also benefiting the community by strengthening our economic growth and vitality. Known as “The Crossroads of the West,” the movement of goods and services in Utah is a $100 billion-a-year industry. Reduced congestion strengthens the economy by allowing more efficient movement of these goods and services through the region.
Transit also provides a number of social benefits, such as improving air quality through reduced vehicle emissions, and by reducing the lost time and the personal stress that comes with waiting in traffic. Transit also benefits people with disabilities and individuals without access to an automobile by providing transportation options that allow them to work, go to school and actively participate in the community.
Elected officials and transportation planners are responding to the success of TRAX and are recognizing the benefits transit offers. The current 30-year transportation plan, adopted by the local elected officials from the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the Mountainland Association of Governments, promotes a “shared solution” approach that balances highway and transit projects. Transit projects in the plan include commuter rail from Weber County to Utah County, light rail extensions in Salt Lake County, bus rapid transit projects, and the expansion of local bus service.
Elected officials are now considering funding alternatives that could accelerate these projects and complete them in 10-15 years instead of 30 years. As the Wasatch Front faces a population boom, with another one million people projected in the next 25 years, these transit projects are an important part of the region’s transportation plan and will play a critical role in providing transportation options, supporting our economic growth, and maintaining Utah’s quality of life.
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