Because of a budget shortfall, the Utah Transit Authority is proposing $1.8 million in cuts to bus service in Salt Lake County.

The proposed cuts are the result of a review of transit services that the agency conducts every four months.

Beginning today, the agency will hold four public hearings to gather comment on routes proposed for elimination or restructuring. UTA said it will gauge whether to implement changes based on public comment.

Hearings are scheduled for:

• 5-7 p.m. today, Draper City Hall, 12441 S. 900 East.

• 5-7 p.m. Thursday, West Jordan City Hall, 8000 S. Redwood Road.

• 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, Riverton City Hall, 12765 W. 1400 East.

• 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, UTA board room, 3600 S. 700 West.

"We feel it's our responsibility to get the biggest bang for the taxpayer dollars. From our standpoint, that means looking at what's most effective and efficient," said Dave Huber, Salt Lake regional general manager for UTA. "We're looking at (eliminating) routes here that have continuously gone down in ridership."

Twelve routes are being proposed for elimination. Another dozen are proposed to be restructured. Details are available at www.rideuta.com.

In addition to cuts and restructuring, UTA is proposing improvements to bus service in Salt Lake County. The most significant improvement is the creation of "fast bus" routes in the southern portion of Salt Lake County, according to UTA officials.

Explosive growth in southern Salt Lake County is a top reason for the new fast bus service, which is proposed to have fewer stops and less ride time than current bus routes, according to UTA.

"That's a population that has obviously decided to live there, but still, most have to come into the city to work or go to school," Huber said. "Most of those people who live in those areas like to get where they want to go . . . without stopping 50 times between when you get on and off."

UTA could implement the fast bus service by April.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com