The Utah Transit Authority's biggest critic has nothing but praise for the new University of Utah-UTA deal that will give free bus passes to 37,000 students, faculty and staff.
"This is the closest thing to no fare that UTA is going to support," an emotional Sam Taylor told the U. Board of Trustees Monday.For years, Taylor, a long-time public transportation crusader and former legislator, has advocated that the tax-supported UTA initiate a no-fare system.
Taylor whole-heartedly endorsed the experimental program, but he urged the U. trustees to give it longer than the proposed one-year trial.
"What you have here is the real solution to parking problems not only here at the U. but throughout the business community of Salt Lake County," Taylor said.
The trustees approved the deal that is cut under UTA's "deep discount program" for employers and institutions. The U. will pay $512,000 out of its parking reserves for the bus passes, but the students, faculty and staff will receive them free.
Faculty and staff will continue to pay $50 for an "A" parking sticker and students will pay $25 for a "U" parking sticker.
"For many years, we've been labeled a streetcar campus. Now we're going to find out if we really are," said Louis Callister, trustee vice chairman.
Walter P. Gnemi, vice president for administrative services, said U. officials aren't kidding themselves into thinking that the bus passes will magically solve the U.'s parking hassles.
But the free passes may convert enough car drivers to bus riders to prevent parking woes from escalating, he said.
Over the next year, U. parking lots, which are near capacity on school days, will lose approximately 600 parking spaces. At peak periods during the school day, the U. has only 300 vacant slots out of 14,000 parking stalls - with most of the open stalls located in Guardsman's Way parking lots that U. commuters find inconvenient.
The alternative to more bus riders - the creation of more parking spaces - would be costly. Gnemi said a new parking terrace would cost $10,000 per stall while surface-lot stalls would be $1,500 each. Additionally, no convenient sites are available, he said.
Gnemi said he thinks campus attitudes about bus ridership have improved in the past few years. There seems to be a greater environmental awareness that favors reduction in traffic, alternate forms of transportation that reduce emissions and maintenance of campus green space, he said.
Trustee Nancy Pace, who also sits on the Salt Lake City Council, said the U.'s neighbors "overwhelmingly support" the bus-pass plan, seeing it as a way to reduce congestion on nearby residential streets.
Andrew Cooley, president of the Associated Students of the University of Utah, said he will encourage students to take the bus, but he also hopes that UTA will make certain that bus routes are convenient for U. commuters.
He urged U. administrators and trustees to test accessibility by riding the bus themselves.
Leonard Romney, assistant vice president for administrative services, said UTA may consider adding express routes from the southern and western parts of the valley. But about 40 percent of UTA's daily bus trips already serve the campus, he said.
The U. also plans to expand its campus shuttle service, increasing its shuttle buses from three to five, to help students get around the sprawling campus. "It's a five-minute wait at the most," Romney said of the shuttle service.
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(Additional information)
Where to get 'em:
University of Utah students, faculty and staff can pick up their free UTA bus passes beginning Monday, Sept. 23. Student passes are issued each quarter. Faculty/staff passes are valid for one year. The passes, which will be attached to a U. identification card, are good for free fare on all UTA routes except the ski-bus service. Bus passes will be available at:
Olpin Union
Parking Services (Building 436)
Student Services Building
U. Bookstore
University Hospital