UTA unveils smaller, sleeker minibus

It's smaller, sleeker and more fuel-friendly than the 40- to 60-foot buses that lumber along Utah roads.

It's also a glimpse of what could be the future of the bus in parts of the state, starting in downtown Salt Lake City. Meet the compact, 29-foot bus. It will roam neighborhoods, shuttle passengers to TRAX and be a downtown circulator.

Cost: $285,000.

On Friday, the Utah Transit Authority revealed one of the new minibuses. Over the summer, the authority will receive 30 others, shipped one at a time from Wichita, Kan.

The compact buses will replace older, larger members of the UTA fleet that service downtown Salt Lake City. The first buses will be replaced in early June.

"This is diversifying our product," said UTA spokesman Justin Jones. "There are different needs in every community, and we want to purchase a vehicle that will meet their needs."

Added driver Wayne Benton: "It's passenger-accessible for seniors or even the youngest." The bus does not have stairs for boarding, instead using a hydraulic system to move up and down for wheelchair-bound passengers.

While not specifically purchased for a proposed redesign of the Salt Lake County bus system, the new minibus is "ideal" for the redesign, Jones said.

UTA has been planning for years to adjust its bus systems in Salt Lake, Tooele and South Davis counties by realigning routes and increasing the frequency of buses to high-traffic areas. Smaller, more efficient buses are key parts of the plan.

The redesign was supposed to be implemented by August 2005, but last October the authority decided to postpone the project. That postponement prompted criticism by public officials and some within UTA.

John Inglish, UTA general manager, said then that it was necessary because of new development in downtown Salt Lake City.

Now the authority is seeking funds for a $600,000 study of transit in Salt Lake City. UTA pledged $200,000 to the study, and the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency Board agreed Thursday to give $200,000.

No announcement has been made about the remaining $200,000, although Jones said pledges have been secured.

Salt Lake City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton calls the study and requests for money "worrisome." UTA has yet to present a plan, and "they're asking us to help them design that," said Saxton, a frequent UTA critic.

Other worries: whether money for the study will be used be be for something new and "visionary" or just a repeat of past studies. Public involvement is also a concern.

"There is no real muscle with UTA," she said. "Unfortunately with the public-private status, the public tends to be left out of UTA until they want money."

Once all money is obtained for the study, UTA will begin a bid process to hire a consultant. Saxton hopes the work goes quickly. "Oh please, I hope so," she said. "We've been waiting so long for the redo for the buses busses because every time they change, they take more buses out of Salt Lake."

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com