Comments about ‘Study: Percentage of jobs accessible by public transit low’

Is UTA listening?

If we all didn't need automobiles to get to work, the oil companies et. al. wouldn't make so much profit. A diabolical plot, I tell you!

90 minutes? I wouldn't live more then 15 min from a job!

WHY should all taxpayers pay for "public transportation" when only a handful use it? The fares should be raised enough to cover every dime of the cost of having such systems.

OK, now we're getting somewhere. The whole problem with Trax (and UTA service in general) is that it doesn't go anywhere people need to go. Trax was built with the idea that people would take it to places of entertainment - the downtown malls, Temple Square, Jazz games, Utah games, etc. But what they're now just figuring out is that most of their potential customers are commuters, not fun-seekers.

This all could have been figured out 10 years ago with a little market research. Market research works - you should try it sometime.

So let's recap: Trax doesn't go anywhere people need to go, and it costs more than simply driving. And we're supposed to feel guilty about not using it?

I remember that John English has all the free ride of uta and he chosed to drive to work. Too many lazy people prefer to drive whereever they go and later uta eleminated many routes. Just like in Sandy along 7th and 13th east they were taken away becasue of what I mentioned above when people prefer to drive their cozy cars. I was visting Wash DC last year and their trasnportation is not bad but their parking area at each terminal they charged parking fees was a joke.

@Brave Sir Robin, since you don't live here, no one cares if you feel guilty or not. And your lack of knowledge about the TRAX system layout is amusing.

TRAX was orginally built along the busiest travel corridor (I-15) from the southern suburbs to the most concentrated location of jobs in the state, downtown Salt Lake City. Ever been there and noticed all the office towers?

The next extension went to the next biggest transit target, the University of Utah, including the University Medical Center. The current set of extensions stretch to other suburbs, and out to the airport.

You may notice that this is the pattern that ALL rail systems follow: branch lines from the suburbs and transportation hubs into the central downtown region where the jobs are located. The reasons should be obvious, but if they aren't just check out the traffic patterns morning and evening and you'll figure it out.

In theory, SouthernBaptist, public transit gets other drivers off the road so that you have less congestion to drive through, and it reduces the amount of car exhaust being trapped by our famous winter inversions. Therefore even people who don't use public transit should be willing to pay a modest amount for these benefits.

In actual practice, transit doesn't get enough drivers off the road to make a significant difference in either congestion or pollution. Buses with only a couple riders may even exacerbate pollution. Yet we all still pay for the transit system (through sales tax).