OGDEN -- Several Utah Transit Authority Express Bus routes will be eliminated this month, and more service cuts are on the horizon.
On Dec. 13, UTA will drop seven trips on its 472 Express Bus service between Ogden and Salt Lake City, a route typically used by Top of Utah commuters who work in Salt Lake County.
On the southbound 472, the 6:07 a.m., 12:56 p.m., 2:36 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. trips will be cut.
The northbound 472 picks up riders at 400 S. State St. in Salt Lake City and ends in Ogden. On that run, trips at 7:58 a.m., 5:18 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. will be eliminated.
The transit agency will also eliminate a 7:07 a.m. trip from the 474 bus route in Roy.
UTA spokesman Jerry Carpenter said the agency has been hit by a budget shortfall, so cutbacks are necessary.
"UTA is no different from anything else (that has been affected by the economic downturn)," he said.
"That's basically what it comes down to. We've had significantly reduced operational revenues. We want to meet everyone's needs, but with the economy like it is, we're trying to become as efficient as possible."
Carpenter said much thought goes into which routes are cut and how riders will be affected, adding that the most recent cuts were made to "off-peak-hour" trips and routes that aren't heavily used.
"For example, that 6:07 a.m. trip (from Ogden to Salt Lake City) is sandwiched between two others," he said. "There is one right before it and one right after. And the 472 basically makes the same run as FrontRunner, so we are kind of duplicating our service there."
Roy resident Tony Owens will be directly affected by the service cuts.
Owens, who gets on the 472 stop in Riverdale every day to get to his job in Salt Lake City, said using the service is becoming harder and harder.
"It's getting tough. We have to continually change our schedule because we can't rely on the system. It's always changing. Sometimes you'll show up for the bus and it's not there."
Owens said he's been using UTA bus to get to work for more than 20 years.
"There are a lot of people that rely on it. My bus is absolutely full every day, so I know people are using it."
Owens said he has tried FrontRunner, but prefers the Express Bus because it takes less time.
"They want us to take FrontRunner, but that's not as convenient. It makes your trip a half an hour longer."
Carpenter said UTA plans to cut another $6 million to $8.5 million from its budget in 2010.
Two years ago, a sales tax increase was implemented in Weber and Davis counties to balance UTA operating costs.
UTA is $35 million below what it projected it would garner from the tax increase, Carpenter said. As a result, UTA is cutting costs across the board, which includes cuts to bus service, implementing an internal hiring freeze, and no more matches on the employee retirement plan.
Cuts in the new year will also be made to some of UTA's rail service. Some late-night TRAX runs will be eliminated, but other than a proposal to cut service on Memorial Day and Labor Day, FrontRunner won't be affected.
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