OGDEN — For the past several years, the bus has stopped outside Lisa Farr's apartment in Ogden's St. Benedict's Manor — a haven for the elderly and disabled.
However, as the Utah Transit Authority restructures its Ogden bus routes in an attempt to increase ridership and profits, the St. Benedict's route is being phased out.
Instead, residents there will trek nearly three blocks to catch a bus. That's on top of the extended walk St. Benedict's riders may face when they get off the bus.
While that distance might not seem like much to some, it's an ocean for the immobile elderly and the disabled who rely on public transportation to get groceries, do errands and pay bills.
"A lot of elderly and disabled that take these routes are dependent on these buses," Farr said. "Now some people are going to have to walk six to eight blocks to a bus stop."
Farr — disabled with a bad back — is one of many expected to speak out Wednesday night at a public hearing at the Weber County Library at 2464 S. Jefferson Ave. concerning the proposed changes, which affect some 3,000 riders.
To some it seems odd that Ogden is losing bus routes, given the fact that voters in November 2000 approved a quarter-cent sales tax for increased transit within Weber County.
Under the restructuring that would eliminate Farr's route 615, UTA also plans to do away with lines 601, 602, 605, 607, 609, 612, 613 and 618. Those routes would be consolidated into four main lines that cross North Ogden, Ogden and South Ogden from north to south.
The lines that are being cut are east-west routes that have collectively experienced a 16 percent decline in ridership since 1996, UTA spokesman Kris McBride said.
UTA blames the decline on infrequent service, buses that are spread too thin across the county, buses that aren't traveling to desired destinations and buses that are conflicting with routes serviced by Ogden's new intermodal transit hub.
The new routes will have more frequent, more on-time and faster service to places people want to go, McBride said.
"It's a good thing," he said. "We're increasing frequency in heavily traveled areas. We need to service where people want to go."
Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey said while a minority might feel slighted by the changes, overall they will be beneficial for the city.
Godfrey expects most of the complaints to come from western Weber County where a major east-west line is being eliminated
"The few people living out in suburbia who were using the bus to come downtown are going to be upset, but mostly it will have a positive effect," he said.
UTA's board of trustees will vote on the proposed recommendations sometime after the public comment period expires. If approved by the board, McBride said UTA will implement the routes changes in November.
E-MAIL: bsnyder@desnews.com