First we hear that the new Salt Lake City Library has a $600,000 deficit, causing cutbacks in services at all branches. A reason given is the dwindling tax base in the downtown area. Then on May 15, UTA had a meeting to discuss another fare increase. One of the reasons given was lost revenue from Salt Lake City sales tax.
Let's talk about lost opportunity both by the Downtown Alliance and the UTA. I just happened to ride the University TRAX recently and saw the Living Traditions Festival being set up. When I called my daughter in Murray and friends in Kearns and West Valley, none of them had heard about the festival. I live in the downtown area and had not heard about it.
Signs at each TRAX station and UTA accepting "Rider Reward Dollars" as full one-way fare would have let people know what is happening and bring them downtown.
We should encourage the growth of such events instead of the current trend of them getting smaller.
Deena Fisher
Salt Lake City