Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- After many public meetings and comments, the Utah Transit Authority has revised a plan to deal with a budget shortfall and high paratransit costs.
This new proposal does not solve UTA's $18 million budget shortfall, but it does try to address concerns disabled riders have had a chance to voice.
"We didn't know what we were going to do," said UTA General Manager John Inglish.
When UTA proposed changes to paratransit services back in March, they didn't go over so well. The plan increased fares for disabled riders.
Now, after nine public meetings and comments, there's a new plan -- one that keeps fares the same for this year, even though paratransit rides cost UTA a lot more than TRAX, FrontRunner and buses.
The original plan also called to reduce the service area. By law, UTA is only required to go three-quarters of a mile outside of its normal route to pick up a disabled rider. But drivers are sometimes going up to 20 miles outside of the normal route.
The new proposal grandfathers some of those riders in, but UTA would stick to the three-quarters-of-a-mile rule.
The original plan also called to eliminate discounts on paratransit services. If the new plan is approved by the board, UTA will discontinue the unlimited monthly pass and all other paratransit discounts at a savings of more than $150,000 a year. In its place: a multi-use punch pass.
Another part of the proposal is working with state and federal agencies to get more funding.
"We think the federal and state money is already out there. We thinkg it's not being used very effectively," Inglish said.
UTA is also looking to coordinate services by creating a central dispatch center that would pool resources for disabled riders.
"We're simply looking for ways to get them over the barriers that are in between where they live, where they reside, and where they can participate in society," Inglish said.
UTA will also start implementing "flex" routes in under-served areas. In those routes, drivers can deviate from their normal route to pick up any rider who calls and requests a ride for just one dollar.[CLICK HERE to view the new flex routes]
The UTA Board heard this proposal Wednesday; they'll be voting on it Aug. 26.
[CLICK HERE for more information from UTA on the paratransit services proposal]
E-mail: corton@ksl.com
