FrontRunner South to begin service in December, will impact bus routes

SALT LAKE CITY — The FrontRunner South rail line, which goes from Salt Lake City to Provo, will be up and running on Dec. 10, according to the Utah Transit Authority.

The new service will likely cause a lot of changes to Utah County bus routes, and UTA wants the public's help in deciding what those changes should be.

Construction on the FrontRunner line to Provo is 90 percent completed, running parallel to I-15 from Salt Lake City to Provo. In addition to four stops in Utah County, FrontRunner South will also have stops in South Jordan and Murray. The agency projects 7,500 passengers will ride the train each day.

Modifications to bus routes may happen in Provo, Orem, American Fork and Lehi to accommodate the FrontRunner stations. 

"Any time we introduce a new service, we always need to make adjustments to the existing system,” said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said

But Carpenter said these route changes can't exceed UTA's current budget. "What we'll be looking at is how we can connect the local service to FrontRunner South and how that service will connect to our other services in the downtown area," he said.

UTA has eight months to implement the changes. 

One change that's very likely to happen will affect the express routes to Salt Lake City.  "They will either be modified in some form or replaced entirely by the commuter rail line," Carpenter said.

Open house meetings that to gather public input will be held:

• April 11 —  Saratoga Springs City Office, 1307 N. Commerce Drive, Saratoga Springs, 6:30 - 8 p.m. 

• April 12 — American Fork Senior Center, 54 E. Main, American Fork, 6:30 - 8 p.m. 

• April 18 — Spanish Fork City Hall, 40 S. Main, Spanish Fork, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

• April 19 — Orem City Offices, 56 N. State, Orem, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

• April 25 — Utah County Administration Building, 100 E. Center, Provo, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

People unable to attend a meeting can fill out an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/utahcountysurvey.

E-mail: pnelson@desnews.com