Reader comments
Is free UTA transit on bad-air days a bad idea?

Giving free rides and costing tax payers more in subsidies to UTA and TRAX is not the answer or will is solve air quality. To solve air quality we as a state must do more to make busienesses do more to imporve it. First, there should be a milage based tax on all vehicles used in commerce and business use, including rental cars and trucks. Urge commerce to cut back on the use of their vehicles by reducing the number of daily miles they drive. Second, lower the speed limits and enforce it with higher fines and fees. Speeding cars and trucks (over 55 mph) waste gas and polute more. Third, make all commercial vehicles meet the same emission standards as cars and light trucks and idling unattened commercial vehicles subjected to fines. But I don't think Utah will ever see the day that business and commerce will ever be made accountable for their part in the bad air quality in Salt Lake County or Utah. Business can compensate for gas prices with product pricing to consumers. Saving gas, better air quality, less polutiion and losses in gas tax revenue, is not on the agenda of Utah legislators.

Only UTA would try to get away with saying that increased ridership on their buses would increase the cost for making bad air days free. Heaven forbid they expose more customers to their service. They like the buses empty.

UTA's revenue comes primarily from pass sales. Making bad air days free would cost them close to nothing. It is time to replace their management with people who care about the air we breathe.

After the realignment of this uta farce I no longer travel indepently. Very few times I travel with my family car polluting some more at no fault on my part. Giving free rides will do no good again where there is no bus coming to my main street in Sandy 13th east corrider. Free rides during red day might help a little but who want to walk around before and after getting on/off the bus? Even Paritrasit will do no good to me because they will not serve me at my front door becasue no fixed service within 3/4 miles ADA Compliance that UTA is using. I might as well move out of the state like Grass Valley, CA.
Government only cares about themselves and love their stupid cars. One day the world will end and start over with new life.

It sound like a good idea, a increase in the frequntly of buses to encourage motorist ride the
bus, lower fares also increase ridership. UTA need
work on barrier free, benches and shelters. UTA need to live up to there mission or it time for UDOT
to take over.

how about something even more simple. Close all the fast food/service drive up windows. I have often wondered how much gas and pooution is done by people too lazy to get out of their car and walk up to the counter.

It seems to me that the compromise in this air quality tool is to make transit free during the non-rush hours. Naturally, this would not help as much but it would also not cost UTA as much since most, if not all, the off-peak period service is currently underutilized. All these things are "tools", there is no silver bullet that will fix the air quality problems.

There you have it, breathing cleaner air on red days is not worth $6 million, (about $4 per person for the entire season)...