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Jed Boal and Tom Callan reportingThe Utah Transit Authority (UTA) showed off new buses that will soon ride one of the system's busiest routes. The idea is to ride MAX to TRAX and save time and fuel.
UTA thinks of the new "MAX" Bus Rapid Transit as TRAX on rubber tires. The $7 million Bus Rapid Transit project rolls out July 14 on 3500 South, from the Millcreek TRAX Station out to Magna. That's 10 miles and 11 stops.
It's one of UTA's busiest routes. "The limited stops will enable us to increase the speed and reliability of the service in the corridor," explained Hal Johnson, UTA's Bus Rapid Transit project manager.
Riders buy their $1.75 tickets at a machine and pay like they would for TRAX. The buses look and feel like TRAX cars in several respects: buttons instead of pull cords, better accessibility for wheelchairs and better seats.
MAX also uses technology that gives the bus priority at traffic lights. The idea behind the signal priority system is that if the bus is approaching a signal that is red, the light will turn green sooner. If the bus approaches and it's still green, it will stay green longer.
"As we're doing our initial testing on the corridor, we find between 10- and 15-percent travel time savings," Johnson said.
Right now, 3,400 people ride the 3500 South route each day. "We are hoping to get about 4,400 total riders in the corridor," Johnson said.
Most of the current buses and Express buses that run that route will stay on the road. UTA expects the new-look MAX buses to attract new customers to ride MAX to TRAX.
More MAX transit lines will follow. Also on the horizon for UTA, a ground breaking for the West Valley TRAX line next month and a ground-breaking for FrontRunner South later in the summer.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
E-mail: tcallan@ksl.com
