LAYTON -- As Utah Transit Authority ponders the future of its Express bus service, some riders in Davis County are reaching for their car keys.
UTA has proposed cutting Express bus routes 472, 474 and 476 -- leaving route 473 as the only Express route in the Top of Utah.
The 473 serves mainly the eastern portions of Weber and Davis counties, running along U.S. 89.
The agency says the Express service routes on the chopping block are redundant because they share the same destination as the FrontRunner commuter train.
By cutting the Express routes, UTA is encouraging riders to switch over to FrontRunner, a change that some riders, especially those in southern and central Davis County, say will virtually force them off of public transit altogether.
The Layton FrontRunner station has 383 parking stalls and for much of the time, the lot is near capacity.
Syracuse resident Janet Larsen said Express bus users, who would in theory use FrontRunner at the Layton station after the proposed cuts, would be left with nowhere to go.
"Layton and Kaysville riders will be displaced because of the lack of parking spaces at the Layton FrontRunner station," she said. "Hundreds of riders are going to be forced back into commuting to Salt Lake City on a daily basis."
Layton resident Jake Alvord agrees with Larsen's assessment.
Alvord takes an Express bus to work in Salt Lake City five days a week. He said instead of switching to FrontRunner, it will be easier for him to just drive to work.
UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said the displacement of riders has been an ongoing concern as the agency implements service cutbacks they say are necessary because of reduced sales tax revenues and an internal budget shortfall.
"According to our counts, there is still some parking available (at the Layton station)," Carpenter said. "But that's beside the point -- it's still a big concern for us."
Carpenter said UTA is looking at adding some parking options in the vicinity of the station as well as some other options for the Express bus riders.
"We're looking at adding it (parking) very quickly without any capital investment," he said. "But right now, everything is still in the exploration and discussion phase."
Carpenter said the agency is $38 million below internal revenue projections the agency made only two years ago.
UTA also made cuts to its Express bus service late last year.
If the agency does make cuts to the service, the changes would take place April 4.
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