Reader comments
Customers are upset as UTA considers raising fares

RAF | 7:04 a.m. May 14, 2008

Here's an idea that would make Inglish go screaming from the room.

Cut his obscenely high salary (which he isnt worth anyway). It may not eliminate the need for an increase, but the increase might not have to be so much.

Inglish is always shedding crocadile tears and claiming he feels our pain, so let's see him put his money where his mouth is. He claims he tries to spread the increases around fairly, then let's see him take a hit too. Especially since he doesnt take his own buses to work. I'm sure he has a fuel guzzling personal vehicle, most likely paid for by UTA, to drive around in.

Frontpolluter | 7:15 a.m. May 14, 2008

UTA is buying 6.1 million extra gallons of diesel fuel this year after cutting bus service last year? How much fuel is their new diesel train, Frontpolluter, using? Is there a way to get more fuel efficient trains? If it wastes that much fuel maybe it should only run for a couple hours in the morning and evening each day. Why didn't the tell us that this train was going to make the air quality worse before we spent hundreds of millions of dollars building it? Stop the Provo line before it is too late!

Tammi Diaz | 7:49 a.m. May 14, 2008

The Fuel Surcharge will be more Destruction of the Bus System. UTA Executives only CARE about their HUGE SALARIES and HUGE BONUSES. John Inglish SALARY is $266,614 BONUS $39,860 OTHER INCENTIVES $60,526 TOTAL $100,386, there 9 more HIGH PAID EXECUTIVES that Receive HUGE SALARIES and HUGE BONUSES, all at TAX PAYER EXPENSE. PLEASE HELP UDOT!

Comments continue below

What? | 8:33 a.m. May 14, 2008

Doesn't Trax run on electricity? I don't see why diesel costs would require a fare increase on Trax.

As a quasi-governmental agency UTA brings the worst of the private sector and the worst of government to the table. Their bus routes are a joke unless you are trying to get to the U of U or downtown. UTA wouldn't last six months if it weren't funded in part by tax dollars.

It is ridiculous that a city the size of Salt Lake has such a poor bus system. UTA gets away with it because the majority of people drive cars to get around. People may start to care a lot more if gasoline hits $6-$8/gallon by the end of the year like many analysts are predicting.

The internal struggle of whether to get to work in a car that gets 15 miles to the gallon, or take a 1.5 hour bus ride with several 1/4 mile walks will be a tough decision.

Reader | 8:56 a.m. May 14, 2008

I agree that Inglish's obscene salary should be cut. Or at least spread it around other people at UTA who actually do something worthwhile. At the same time, I get kind of tired of the low-income constantly screaming about fare increases. All business are having to raise their prices because of the cost of fuel. Are the low-income people out protesting in front of grocery stores, which have had to hike food prices because of energy costs? I don't think so. Businesses can't go broke just to serve the poor and their (some of them, not all) sense of entitlement. I am much more sympathetic to the disabled in this case. Hey, we are all feeling the pain from rising costs.

Anonymous | 9:31 a.m. May 14, 2008

Let's see: UTA has a $5 million shortfall. We want to see people use public transportation. We don't want more freeways built. Could the state government redistribute some funds to take care of UTA's shortfall? IT is running a surplus. BTW: I'm planning to use Frontrunner as soon as it gets to Provo.

Hey Frontpolluter | 12:23 p.m. May 14, 2008

Re-read the article. It doesn't say that UTA will purchase an extra 6.1 million gallons of fuel this year. That's the total it takes to operate the system.

mogman | 1:34 p.m. May 14, 2008

It is crazy that UTA executives are getting over $200,000 annually, and then the public has to take the hit when fuel costs rise. In response to What? about the poor transit service in Salt Lake, you have to realize that Salt Lake CIty doesn't have the kind of density required to support an effective system found in places like san fran, new york and chicago. Salt Lake does compare better than most cities with simular densities like Las Vegas.

Z | 1:51 p.m. May 14, 2008

I really hate to burst the bubble of all the math-impaired out there, but dropping a pay cut on John Inglish and the other administrators isn't going to make much of a dent in the budget shortfall. The simple truth is this: Oil prices are going up. Every section of the economy that depends on oil (and that's pretty much everything), will become more expensive as those costs get spread around.

UTA has only two options in this scenario: raise more revenue to cover expenses, or cut costs. In general, the only way they can cut costs is to cut back on service. And we all remember how popular service cutbacks are with the community.

Bus service is not provided by magic; it must be paid for somehow. Unless you want to raise taxes again, it will have to be at the farebox.

'bout time | 2:23 p.m. May 14, 2008

People who use the "system" should pay for it - end the taxpayer contributions and let it live or die on the effectiveness of UTA.

How much fuel was used in the month before riders were on Frontrunner but it was running all day long?

Tammi Diaz | 3:02 p.m. May 14, 2008

Hold off on CONSTRUCTION on LIGHT RAIL and FRONTRUNNER and CUT OUT the GREED! Restore all the ELIMINATED BUS ROUTES. UDOT can have UTA SALE TAX.

Ben Hughes | 4:00 p.m. May 14, 2008

Cut the number of FrontRunner trains! I'm taking it from Layton as often as I can, but the overwhelming majority of riders only need trains to Salt Lake in the morning and to Ogden in the evening. Think of the savings if we reduced the schedule to truly focus on commuters. The current FrontRunner schedule runs more trains per weekday (37 to SLC) than those used daily in Seattle (9 to Seattle), Orange County (22 inbound). Don't you think our commuter population would require fewer trains than these cities?

Raising fares, again, places the burden on the companies who buy passes for employees, students, and low-income workers who rely on public transportation to maintain or improve their lifestyle. These are not trivial needs. Public funding should support public transportation and transportation services should be more adequately matched to public needs.

Responsible Citizen | 9:45 a.m. May 15, 2008

There is no Santa Clause. When prices go up dramatically either fares have to go up or service has to go down. UTA has already absorbed more than half the increase by internal cost cutting. Cutting contruction of the new rail lines would be a tremendous breach of the trust put in UTA when taxpayers voted to increase the sales tax. Also,UTA's increase does not even apply to the poor if they are able to prove they are poor by presenting a State Horizon Card. Without that UTA has no way of knowing who is poor and who is not.

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Deseret News Graphicmichael Brandy, Deseret News

Ricki Landers, left, and others from the Disabled Rights Action Committee protest possible Utah Transit Authority price increases — due to fuel costs — outside UTA offices in South Salt Lake Tuesday.