On Aug. 2, UTA and the OGX projects’ investors and partners gathered at the Salomon Center in Ogden for the transit system’s official ribbon-cutting event. Among those gathered was Weber State University President, Brad Mortensen, representing the University’s partnership with UTA in the OGX project.
“This is the first college in the nation that has a public transportation route running straight through the campus,” James Larson, senior internal communications strategist for UTA, said.
Over the past two years, WSU has been host to a significant amount of construction work in preparation for the OGX line to enter service on Aug. 20.
Using the OGX bus line, students will now be able to park at the Dee Events Center and use the stops located throughout campus to get to their classes.
After the OGX’s sponsors and partners made remarks at the ribbon-cutting event, they were ushered into the buses to embark on the line’s first ride, which included plans to drive the buses through a ribbon held on either side by UTA employees.
Lightheartedly, the leading bus failed to cut through the ribbon, but the crowd cheered on anyway as the ribbon was removed and the two buses embarked on OGX’s maiden voyage.
Students returning to school during the upcoming fall semester will be able to utilize the OGX bus line every day. On weekdays, the line will be in service from 4:30 a.m. to midnight. On the weekends, the hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays.
UTA wants to assure students heading back to school in the fall that the Wildcat shuttle will continue to run on campus. The three buses that comprise the Wildcat Shuttle fleet will make stops at the Dee Events Center, Wildcat Village and Shepherd Union, picking students up every 5-7 minutes. Students traveling around campus in their own vehicles are advised not to travel in the designated bus lanes and should remain aware of any street signs.
WSU students are encouraged to utilize the Wildcat Shuttle and the larger OGX public transportation as a whole. While the Wildcat Shuttle is planned to remain free of cost for students, the OGX will also provide free transport for the next three years.
Larsen spoke on how the OGX provides a solution to parking expenses that can prove costly to a student going through their semester since students can now park for free at the Dee Events Center and ride the Wildcat Shuttle down to campus.
Larsen said the opening of the OGX will broaden the number of possibilities for WSU students who are looking to get away from campus and refresh. Students can now travel to The Junction, Historic 25th Street and Washington Boulevard in around 10 minutes thanks to the new bus line.
“The first of its kind to connect to a university and directly to the heart of our city, we’re fueling opportunities for local businesses on 25th Street, easing parking challenges, and contributing to cleaner air by reducing car usage,” Angel Castillo, an Ogden City planning commission member, said. “Together, we’re building an Ogden that’s not just sustainable and prosperous, but a place where innovation thrives. I’m so proud of the work everyone has put in to make this a reality. We’re all in for bettering Ogden’s public transportation.”
