The key to bringing mass-transit bus service to south Utah County was held by Spanish Fork voters, and they unanimously turned the key in favor of annexing into the Utah Transit Authority.
More than 70 percent of Spanish Fork voters cast ballots in favor of joining UTA. The results in Spanish Fork mirrored UTA sentiment in Salem, Payson and Mapleton. Voters in all three cities also approved annexing into UTA by huge margins. The closest margin was in Mapleton, where 57 percent of voters approved the annexation.Had Spanish Fork voters rejected the proposition, however, the votes in the other cities would have been meaningless because of a lack of connecting routes. The issues in Payson and Mapleton were contingent on approval in Spanish Fork. Salem had to get approval from Spanish Fork and Payson.
Those who voted for the annexations can rest easy because voter approval means all four communities will soon have UTA bus service connecting them to the cities to the north. The new service will cost taxpayers one-quarter of 1 percent on sales tax.
UTA officials estimate that 93 percent of the sales-tax proceeds needed to fund south Utah County bus service will come from Spanish Fork and Payson. More than half of that will come from Spanish Fork. However, the bus service likely will benefit Spanish Fork businesses the most as it will bring in shoppers from southern communities.
UTA plans to extend three commuter express routes to Salt Lake City and create two new express routes. More than three dozen current routes will be extended into the south part of Utah County.
Fares likely will be about 75 cents for most routes. Commuter express routes to Salt Lake City likely will be about $1.70. Senior citizens will receive a substantial discount.
Another voting district also approved annexing into UTA Tuesday night. About 70 percent of voters in Provo Canyon voted to bring UTA bus service up the canyon, which means Sundance Ski Resort will finally get the public transit bus service it's been seeking for several years.
Sundance officials, and many canyon residents, hope the bus service will reduce traffic in the canyon during ski season. Also, Sundance says bus service is essential to its resort because of a parking shortage.
For bus service to begin in Provo Canyon, however, improvements must first be made to widen some parts of the North Fork Canyon Road and to provide adequate turnarounds. Sundance officials also have agreed to help purchase special buses used to transport skiers up the canyon.
UTA officials say service to most of the newly approved areas could begin as soon as January.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A `yes' to UTA
Five Utah County areas voted Tuesday on joining the Utah Transit Authority and adding a quarter-cent sales tax to fund bus service.
Spanish Fork
For 2,035 71%
Against 826 29%
Payson
For 1,556 77%
Against 471 23%
Mapleton
For 679 58%
Against 495 42%
Salem
For 449 68%
Against 210 32%
Provo Canyon, Sundance
For 74 71%
Against 30 29%