Protesters want UTA free-fare zone in all of S.L. County

In advance of a possible fare hike, about two dozen people rallied in front of the Salt Lake City Library on Monday afternoon to urge the Utah Transit Authority to extend the downtown free-fare zone to all of Salt Lake County.

Providing free transportation on TRAX trains and buses would give people a service for which they already pay with sales tax, said Bill Germundson, who organized the rally and works at Crossroads Urban Center.

"We pay taxes at the store, why should we pay any more?" the crowd chanted as midday traffic on 400 South buzzed pass without pause.

UTA is not considering a free-fare zone for Salt Lake County, said Justin Jones, the organization's spokesman. UTA collects tax dollars but also charges fares because, "we need to be fiscally responsible in that people who use the system should pay for the system," Jones said.

UTA collects approximately 30 percent of its budget from fares and the other 70 percent from sales tax, Jones said. The mixture of revenue comes from a voter referendum in 1970 that established UTA, with voters agreeing the agency has to collect fares to pay for part of its services.

Protesters cited Logan as a good example why fares aren't necessary. Logan Transit District offers free transit to the public, but pays for it with one-quarter of a cent sales tax. The level of service in Logan, however, is lower than what UTA offers, said Ron Bushman, transit manager for the district.

"If we wanted to provide more service, we could institute a fare," Bushman said. "We're just living with the revenue that we get."

Jones echoed Bushman's assessment.

"We have 800 buses. We have 69 light rail vehicles," he said. "Our geographical jurisdiction is completely different. The level of service we provide is far different. We would have to make extreme cutbacks in our level of service" to offer a free-fare zone in Salt Lake County.

Participants suggested the free-fare zone because they want UTA to think of unique solutions to old funding problems, said Elizabeth Matthews, who also works at Crossroads Urban Center.

People who live on fixed incomes struggle with any change to their budget. With payments for medication and rent, and no extra money coming in, many tenants in Faina Raik's apartment complex can't afford another rate hike.

"The buses are their only way to be connected with ordinary life," Raik said. "This is the only transportation that they have."

UTA will hold a board meeting Wednesday to vote on fare increases for the next two years. One-way adult fares are slated to increase 15 cents to $1.50, and one-way senior and disabled fares are expected to go up 15 cents to 75 cents.

Several of Monday's protesters vowed to attend Wednesday's meeting.

"The UTA people didn't come," said Hildegard Ahlstrom as she left the gathering at the library. "We wanted to give them a piece of our minds."

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E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com