Higher fares, fewer routes

Around 8:15 a.m., Grace Goff makes the trek from her apartment, crossing the street to the parking lot where she has arranged to meet her Paratransit bus.

Her walker, striped red and white to identify her as blind, is stacked high with books to return to the library and a treat to share with friends.

For almost 45 minutes, she waits under the door frame of a nearby apartment. It has snowed the night before, and this morning, there is a light drizzle of rain but, thankfully, no wind.

"I'm not supposed to stand in the heat or cold," said Goff, who has poor vision, respiratory problems and severe joint pain as a result of coming in contact with a toxic fungus when she was 16.

At 8:56 a.m., Goff pulls a cell phone from her pocket to call the Utah Transit Authority to say her bus is late. Two minutes later, the bus comes around the corner.

Goff depends on the bus, and she worries about a proposed fare increase and redesign of UTA's Salt Lake County bus system. She's one of hundreds of riders impacted by the changes. They live along the east bench, out west in Kearns and in the heart of Salt Lake City.

The redesign is the largest in UTA history and consolidates 98 bus routes into 80. Buses will be moved out of neighborhoods onto high-traffic roads and will run with more frequency. Fares for buses and TRAX light rail will increase 50 cents to $2 for an adult one-way ride by 2009.

With the redesign, Goff worries she will no longer have weekend bus service. UTA wants to move its weekend buses more than three-quarters of a mile from her home. Federal disability law says a bus company does not have to provide Paratransit service if regular buses don't run within three-quarters of a mile from a person's home or destination. UTA said it ignores the three-quarters rule on weekdays, but Goff may not have a bus on weekends.

As for the fare increases, disabled riders — many on fixed incomes — also will end up paying more each month. Instead of an unlimited trip pass for $69, UTA is proposing a 30-trip punch card for $44 and a 60-trip card for $76. The punch cards expire at the end of each month.

Riders say it will be hard to make the cards last through a month. Going to and from work counts as two trips. A trip to the doctor is two trips. The same with a visit to the grocery store or a friend's house.

"The people who need transit the very most are not being considered, because they're not profitable," said Goff.

Serving commuters

UTA general manger John Inglish says the changes are intended to capture more riders such as businessmen, college students or downtown residents who want a bus system that is speedy, reliable and easy to access.