The Utah Transit Authority announced Tuesday that implementation of adjusted FrontRunner and bus schedules will begin Feb. 19.
The changes come in the wake of extended FrontRunner service between Provo and Salt Lake City, which presented some challenges for riders trying to make connections with buses along the route, said UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter. Service between Salt Lake City and Ogden had already been established with connection schedules on the northern route of the commuter rail line working reasonably well, but problems arose after UTA officially launched FrontRunner South between downtown Salt Lake City and Provo in December.
The agency heralded the new $850 million commuter rail line as a better, more efficient alternative to driving. But numerous delays and extended commutes resulted in less-than-stellar reviews by some riders. In response, the agency is revamping the schedules —mostly in Salt Lake and Utah counties —to improve overall system reliability, Carpenter explained.
After criticism from riders and community input, UTA developed a new timetable for its commuter rail line and connecting buses. Carpenter said the new schedule will add a bit more time to individual commutes, but should alleviate the timing issues and delays that have plagued the system for several weeks.
The new schedule will add nine minutes to the one-way trip from the downtown Salt Lake Central station to Provo and 11 minutes on the FrontRunner North route from downtown to Ogden. Bus routes have also been adjusted accordingly to make connections more convenient for passengers, he said.
UTA will also add more departures throughout the day and extend peak commuting times by two to three hours to accommodate increased passenger travel.
Long-term, the changes should provide a better commuting experience for all FrontRunner riders, he said. Deseret News
