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Thursday, March 1, 2007 |

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By Shane Farver
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
sfarver@standard.net

ong>Base fees for one-time use to be $2.50, monthly passes $145

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Transit Authority unveiled the proposed rate for FrontRunner service as well as proposed rate increases for all aspects of its service during a Wednesday board of trustees meeting.

UTA is proposing to charge a $2.50 base rate for FrontRunner commuter rail service once it becomes available in spring 2008. That fare will apply for travel between stations right next to each other. The rate will go up 50 cents incrementally with each station a passenger would like to go beyond that.

The proposed amount for a monthly FrontRunner pass is $145 for 2008.

Charging those amounts will lead to a shortfall in the desired amount of operating costs that will come from fares, said John Inglish, general manager of UTA. The shortfall is projected to be more than $1.9 million for the first year and more than $8.4 million over five years.

However, that shortfall is based upon a Wasatch Front Regional Council ridership projection of 5,830 riders per weekday. Andrea Packer, chief communications officer for UTA, said her organization is hoping for a higher ridership of 9,037 people per day.

"We made the decision to start with lower fares for the customers and are confident that ridership will meet our goal," she said.

UTA is basing its higher ridership assumption on the success of TRAX in Salt Lake City.

Inglish said the UTA is taking a risk with that assessment.

"That's a bit of a gamble, I'll admit," he said.

While UTA said it's keeping its FrontRunner fares low, it is also proposing a series of fare increases for bus service over the next two years.

The adult cash fare is proposed to go up from $1.50 to $1.60 in July if the UTA board approves the proposed fare structure. The fare is then projected to go up to $1.75 in January 2008 and to $2 in January 2009.

FrontRunner service is also proposed to increase to a $3 base fare and $162 for a monthly pass in 2009.

All fares are proposed to increase incrementally until 2009. Packer said the increases are needed to keep up with inflation in operation costs.

UTA Board of Trustees member Keith Bartholomew said it's important that UTA show that the increases will improve service to all areas, not just a few.

"It isn't enough for them (residents) to know that service somewhere is getting better," he said.

UTA will hold seven public hearings on the proposed rate increases. The exact dates and locations for the hearings have not been determined. UTA board of trustees members must vote on the proposed increases and FrontRunner fares by July 1.

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