Why UTA is dropping all fares ... for this weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's largest transit agency is going fareless — for this weekend, at least.

Utah Transit Authority will not collect fares on any of its systems on Friday, Saturday or Sunday this week because it will upgrade the system it uses to collect fares, officials said Tuesday.

The agency operates buses, trains and other services across the Wasatch Front, with some services also in Tooele and Box Elder counties, with a base fare of $2.50 per ride. The planned upgrade comes as it mulls its first fare increase in over a decade, along with a few other proposed changes.

Those include adding "tap to pay" features for riders to use on its routes. If approved, it would let riders use a contactless credit or debit card, or a mobile wallet on their smartphone or wearable device, to pay fares.

"It makes transit more convenient for everyone, especially visitors who may not have a FAREPAY card or occasional riders," Gavin Gustafson, the agency's spokesman. told KSL last month. "It reduces the barriers to riding by allowing customers to pay with the contactless payment methods that they're already using every day."

UTA closed a 30-day comment period on both proposals last week. It's reviewing results before approving any modifications.

However, officials said on Tuesday that the system upgrades will help prepare for future changes.

It will allow FAREPAY cardholders to sync and manage their UTA accounts online and at ticket vending machines. Online accounts will help riders protect their card balances in case their card is lost or stolen, the agency said.

It will also allow UTA to accept credit and debit cards and mobile wallets on smartphones and wearable devices as direct payment methods, should the agency move in that direction.

"UTA is modernizing its fare collection software and hardware to provide riders with a faster, more convenient and flexible payment experience," the agency wrote in a statement. "The upgrades will also create the foundation for additional payment options and new rider benefits."

There is no timeline for those types of changes to be approved. The fare increase and other proposed changes likely wouldn't go into effect until 2027 at the earliest, Gustafson said last month.

The agency added that it will announce any changes to the "specific fares process" through social media and its website.

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