Comments about ‘UTA wary of lagging sales-tax revenues’

UTA raised all of their fares, citing gas prices were the cause. Now that prices are down I don't see UTA lowering their fares. It's cheaper to drive any SUV nowdays than catch any of UTA's expensive trains, buses etc. UTA is losing ridership and it won't be long before they have their hands out to the government like everyone else. Here comes another BAILOUT!

They raised their fares but then if Gas prices go back down the you get the surcharge back

Perhaps we could put UTA under the control of the Public Service Commission; The PSC could set the fares and regulate or control how much UTA can Charge for riding the Bus; TRAX, and FrontRunner.

I wonder if John English's salary increased as part of the budget?

This information for article is part of UTA's pre-Legislative-Session propaganda blitz. They craft this junk each year.

Did anybody find it strange for UTA to be reporting the full 2008 ridership.... midway through December??? UTA won't know till the first week in January what December's actual ridership was.

Also, the claims of increased ridership are a bit disingenuous.

Of course, they are up.

1. We have seen $4.25 gas.

2. FrontRunner has added a couple of million boardings. The extension to the I.M. depot added, including the FrontRunner riders transferring onto TRAX, another million. So, theres three million added boardings due to the opening of new extensions with a total cost over $700 million.

3. We have been in recession for a year and are heading into much worse.

4. All this time UTA has the best-developed freeloader program of free/nearly-free rides of any transit system in America with over 200,000 pass holders. Easily a quarter of UTA rides are essentially free to the rider. (See legislative Audit)

To recap...

Free rides

$4 gas

Recession/depression.

Nearly a billion$ new investment for two new lines.

Given all these advantages, ridership should be MUCH HIGHER!

I stopped buying monthly passes because I can fill up my tank for $18 but pay $72.50 for a monthly pass, and it takes twice as long to get to work on the bus.

"The money we get from riders, the fare collection, is typically about 17 percent of what it costs to maintain the system" - This is one big white elephant gift for the tax payers every year.