Comments about ‘UTA cutting back service to save $500K, keeps bonuses worth $600K’

I knew it. It just kept poking at me poking at me and I didn't listen. I first thought, how can a service that relies on plundering money from the public continue to provide service when they've plundered all the publics resources dry?

I thought I could get something for nothing but deep down I knew it was a lie. How could I have fallen for it. How can this be? What am I supposed to do now?

They cut back their service that I have become dependent upon. They led me to believe that they could take care of my transportation needs. They even ran ads implying that relying on my own transportation was just too difficult.

Now I'm lost. I don't know who to turn to. I am dependent on government transportation. They were supposed to take care of me. They lied. Someone help me!

It's bad that cuts have to be made but why does upper management and supervisors get there cut of the pie when trying to save money? Sounds very one sided if you ask me.

Misplaced priorities. Instead of serving the customers that depend on UTA for their transportation, the executives at UTA are serving themselves.

Too bad this headline didn't read "UTA Execs forgo bonuses to prevent service cuts"

How about both? No organization should get bonuses when it's cutting service to stay alive. But I also get annoyed knowing how much of UTA is subsidized by the government while buses drive around town almost empty.

Where is the pay Czar when you need him?

I am a UTA operator. Next week we vote on a new contract whick stinks. No pay raises except a 1% which won't even go into effect until two years and proposed drastic increases in health insurance premiums. It's this way whether government or the private sector. Upper management always get their bonuses and big salaries. The little guy is told to be grateful they have a job. That seems to be the american way.

Public transit systems in the united states are rarely even self sustaining. If these execs etc. could turn a true, all costs considered profit through their efforts, maybe bonuses would be in order. As it is, they're incentivized to spend taxpayer money that's already a losing proposition ? Gotta love the government way fixing things.

One thing that is small but still interesting to me is how UTA pays for marketing, for example, to celebrate 10 years of TRAX service. They pay for large wraps to go on the trains. Sure, it's a good thing that it has been around 10 years. But how does advertising that fact help UTA patrons in any way? The only person it helps is the executives to feel good about what they are doing. Also, why does UTA advertise in the media? How does that help the riders? Maybe if the ads actually gave useful information, instead of feel-good messages, then it would.

I was mugged last October during Conference, while riding the Trax. Never again. It should be shut down for the safety of all.

Javier Bohica
LDS Conference Attendee

Re: Ace
"...while buses drive around town almost empty.

This my friend is because the cost of a single bus or train ride has gotten to be simply too damned much money.

If the UTA would lower their adult fare, including the cost of a monthly adult pass, ridership would increase substantially and the UTA would find themselves with an increase in revenue.

Just ask Wal-Mart if this business model doesn't work for them.

But no. The UTA is instead firmly stuck in their "the higher our prices, the higher will be our revenue" mentality.

Re: Ace
"...while buses drive around town almost empty.

This my friend is because the cost of a single bus or train ride has just gotten to be too expensive.

If the UTA would lower their adult single fare and the cost of a monthly adult pass, ridership would increase substantially and the UTA would find themselves with an increase in revenue.

Just ask Wal-Mart if this business model hasn't worked for them.

But no. The UTA is instead firmly stuck in their "the higher our fares, the higher will be our revenue" mentality.

Re: Ace
"...while buses drive around town almost empty.

This my friend is because the cost of a single bus or train ride has just gotten to be too expensive.

If the UTA would lower their adult single fare and the cost of a monthly adult pass, ridership would increase substantially and the UTA would find themselves with an increase in revenue.

Just ask Wal-Mart if this business model hasn't worked for them.

But no. The UTA is instead firmly stuck in their "the higher our fares, the higher will be our revenue" mentality.

Where do these people get all this funding, and the big question is why do these people get all this funding?

Anonymous nailed it (three times, but nailed it nevertheless) - UTA has done the exact opposite of what they should in order to get in the black.

First, the cpm (cost per mile) of UTA is one of the highest of all mass transit systems in the U.S. Even compared to their most economical routes, the average car has a much lower cpm. If UTA would cut fares instead of raising them all the time, ridership would increase because their cpm would make them more economical than driving a car.

Second, scheduling. The reason the great subways of the world work is because they come more often. Nobody rides Trax because you might be waiting 20 minutes on the platform - who can plan for that? Do you think the New York subway would be popular if people had to wait that long? UTA needs to go with shorter trains more frequently.

@Neil

It is supply and demand. Bus drivers are extremely easy to replace. That is why UTA is not willing to pay you more. You are too easy to replace.

UTA's executives are a different story. If one of them quits, it will take months to replace him or her, and several months after that before he or she gets fully up to speed. So bonuses are a necessity for upper management. If UTA does not pay them, then the top talent will go to some other enterprise that does.

Collectively, bus drivers and train operators are crucial to the successful operation of the UTA enterprise. But any individual operator is unimportant, unlikely with the executives.

Perhaps it is not "fair" but that is the way it is. No one forced you to become a bus driver. So don't blame anyone but yourself for your failure to earn more money.