I have a complex relationship with the Utah Transit Authority. While I’m grateful to have another means of transportation, I couldn’t help but notice its decline in customer service over the years.
When I first started using it, I mainly used the 612 bus route as my way of getting to and from school. It beats taking a 20-minute walk for a 3-minute drive. It started to become a normal routine for me to the point that the bus drivers knew my route and would just take me to the front door of my home and as close to my school as possible. This led me to become a familiar face with the bus drivers, waiting for me at the time I met them for a ride.
However, my thoughts about it have changed since I lost my car three years ago. I was okay with taking the bus since I knew the routes for the bus and the cost, I believed it to be okay, but I was wrong. The 20-minute wait times for it were so frustrating, especially when it came to the harsh weather conditions. I often found myself ducking into nearby stores or restaurants to escape, but it led me to spend money on things I don’t need to pass the time.
“Their public transportation system is kinda crappy. There aren’t that many buses, so you end up waiting a long amount of time for buses here and there. Transfer points are a pain. It just ends up being a complication. You want to get somewhere that would take you 10 minutes to drive, but it ends up with you being on the bus for 2 hours, and you took three different buses,” Sarah Rash, another UTA bus rider, said.
The ongoing construction around Riverdale has only added to more difficulties. When my normal 6-7 minute walk turned into 15 minutes due to the rebuilding of the bridge on 4400 South, I knew it was going to be more of a problem for me since I was lazy.. I did not expect it to get to the point where I’m concerned for my well-being because all the drivers that are distracted by their phones.
The “Transit” app used to help customers find buses, and their routes have led people to arrive either 30 minutes early, 10 minutes late or the bus for that time doesn’t even exist, adding to the ongoing frustration for passengers. This really sucks since there are a lot of people in my neighborhood who take the bus. Since the 640 route has been so unreliable with their stops, a lot of people have moved to the 470 route which can add an additional 20 minutes to trips.
There are many great buses on this side of town, but I would have to say that the university bus makes life a little easier. It helps many college students get to and from home without any additional problems. “I do like the 640. It is very nice that I don’t have to do bus transfers to get to college,” said Grace Call, another student who relies on the bus.
A lot of people are not happy with how few buses there are for the year and how the FrontRunner only has one train every hour and does not run on Sundays. Bella Bobbermin, another student who uses UTA public transportation said that she has run into issues with the FrontRunner schedule when trying to see her boyfriend.
The UTA system has its benefits, especially when it comes to substantial shortcomings, but the inconsistent service, safety concerns and uncomfortable nature of public transportation leave a bad taste in my mouth. There needs to be improvements to better the system. There has to be a way to make it a more reliable system for everyone involved.
