UTA gears up for FrontRunner

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LAYTON -- In just a few months, the face of public transportation in the Top of Utah will change forever.

With the highly anticipated FrontRunner on schedule and set to begin service in mid-to-late April, the Utah Transit Authority has proposed route modifications to some of its transit services in Weber and Davis counties.

With FrontRunner, UTA expects an increase in the overall transit services in the two counties and will realign some of its bus routes to accommodate commuters and supplement FrontRunner.

"We are just tweaking the services to coincide with FrontRunner," said UTA spokeswoman Carrie Bohnsack-Ware. "The proposals that are out there really should make FrontRunner even better."

Bohnsack-Ware stressed that the proposed route modifications have nothing to do with Weber and Davis counties' not adopting a UTA-requested sales tax increase.

"When people hear of route modifications in Weber and Davis counties, they may think of the tax issue," Bohnsack-Ware said. "But this has nothing to do with the tax issue. These modifications are only going to complement FrontRunner and give people more access to it."

Perhaps the most significant integration in transit service would be UTA's proposal to provide direct bus service from FrontRunner to the Freeport Center in Clearfield, Davis Hospital, Weber State University's Ogden and Davis campuses and Layton Hills Mall.

WSU student Robert Bullard said he takes the bus every day from his home in Clearfield to his classes at both WSU campuses.

Bullard said he and his wife will be moving to Farmington shortly and he will use FrontRunner to get to his classes.

"Oh, yeah, that (direct bus to WSU) will be a huge benefit for me," he said. "To be able to take FrontRunner and then just get right on a bus to school would be awesome.

"I have three semesters left at WSU and then I am planning on taking graduate courses at (University of) Utah. With FrontRunner, I won't have to move to Salt Lake. I am looking forward to it."

UTA is also proposing to add two early morning bus trips to Route 603, running between the WSU Ogden campus and the Ogden Transit Center to provide a connection to the southbound FrontRunner departing from the Transit Center at 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.

FrontRunner also will take the place of 10 weekday 472 Express bus routes.

The 472 Route is typically used by commuters traveling to and from Salt Lake City.

Ogden resident Marvin Bitter works in Layton and takes the 472 from the Ogden Transit Center to the Layton Hills Mall.

He said he didn't know his bus route might be eliminated, but said he planned on switching to FrontRunner anyway.

"I was going to take FrontRunner anyway," he said. "I think it will be much faster than just taking the bus all the way out here."

UTA plans to add early morning bus trips at 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. to Route 612 between North and South Ogden and a 5:37 a.m. trip to Route 604 between Ogden and Roy.

For more information, go to www.rideuta.com.

Bus runs ending

When FrontRunner commuter rail service begins in April, UTA plans to cut 10 bus routes on its 472 Express Route between Ogden and Salt Lake City. The following trips will be eliminated:

Southbound (departing from Layton Hills Mall) -- 6:29 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7:02 a.m.

Southbound (departing from Ogden Transit Center) -- 6:53 a.m., 10:30 a.m.

Northbound (departing from 400 S. State St., Salt Lake City) -- 12:15 p.m., 1:25 p.m., 3:05 p.m., 3:53 p.m., 3:58 p.m.

Public hearings

Utah Transit Authority will conduct public hearings regarding changes to its services in Weber and Davis counties.

Hearings will be held at the following locations from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

* Feb. 19 -- Weber County Library Main Branch basement, 2464 Jefferson Ave., Ogden

* Feb. 20 -- Clearfield City Hall lobby, 55 S. State St., Clearfield

* Feb. 26 -- Kaysville City Hall, 23 E. Center St., Kaysville

* Feb. 27 -- Weber County Library, Southwest Branch, 1950 W. 4800 South, Roy



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