On 18 August Utah Valley Express After six years of free rides, buses will now charge passengers a regular fare of $2.50.
BYU And UVU Students, faculty, staff, and their spouses and dependents can continue to ride the UVX for free. The UTA Transit Ed Pass is integrated directly into university ID cards, allowing these individuals to tap their card to the card reader on the platform before boarding or disembarking.
There will be no cash or electronic tickets on UVX buses. Passengers can pay their fare in advance using electronic tickets, including FAREPAY cardsTickets for the public transport app, transfer tickets for buses and trains, in retail stores or at rideuta.com, UTA school pass program And Eco-PassTransfers from FrontRunner or other bus lines are also accepted up to two hours after the ticket and tap have been validated.
Reduced fares also apply to certain community members.
“The $1.25 reduced fare will be available to all who qualify, and the income requirements for the reduced fare will be increased from 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level,” said Gavin Gustafson, UTA senior press secretary. “This means more Utahns will be eligible for a reduced fare.”
For more information on how individuals are eligible for free or reduced fares, visit the UTA website.
Part of this change in UVX tariffs is Fare limitation. As on UTA’s YouTubethe 20% discount on FAREPAY cards will be replaced by a fare cap to ensure that passengers do not exceed the daily and weekly maximum fare.
“With this program, you don’t have to pay a large upfront cost for a monthly pass,” Gustafson said. “You can just top up $5 at a time and then pay as you go.”
Gustafson also explained that UTA’s decision to raise fares was always intentional. In 2018, UVX was launched as a zero-fare service, funded by the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. That program covered the first three years of zero-fare operation, and UTA extended the zero-fare while a long-term fare strategy was developed.
“UTA is committed to continually improving its services and ensuring that public transit is an accessible, equitable and reliable option for all,” Gustafson said. “The upcoming changes reflect UTA’s ongoing efforts to innovate and adapt to rider needs while maintaining its services.”
Gustafson explained how UTA will distribute the funds raised from the newly introduced regular fares.
“Fare contributes to UTA’s financial sustainability and supports our ability to maintain the transit system. Transit is an investment by the community back into the community,” he said. “Likewise, the fares collected allow UTA to invest in the quality and safety of its services – including a new 900 East Provo UVX station currently under construction near the BYU Creamery.”
Several regular UVX riders shared their thoughts on this new development.
Robert Clegg, a sophomore at BYU studying economics, uses the UVX about twice a day during the week to get to school and work. He explained how he understood the reasoning behind the fare increase.
“(UTA) says 80% of the riders are students who have already purchased tickets from the college,” Clegg said. “The bus remains free for university students and for me that is the ridership target.”
Cassie Reichmann, a recent chemical engineering graduate at BYU, said she has used the UVX several times a week for the past four years to shop for groceries and go to the temple.
“I’m happy they’re getting more revenue, but that will discourage non-students and lead to a decline in ridership,” Reichmann said. “That makes UVX less competitive compared to the very real costs of air pollution and energy consumption associated with traveling by private vehicle. UVX needs every advantage it can get now to attract riders.”
Others have expressed similar concerns. Kari Mason, a senior studying design at BYU, uses UVX almost every day.
“I take it to work, school, picking up medication, grocery shopping and other everyday things,” Mason said. “I can’t afford a car right now, so it’s my only mode of transportation besides my feet.”
Mason further stated that this change could limit the frequency with which community members can use public transportation.
“I rely on it to get around, and I know there are a lot of other people in Provo who feel the same way,” Mason said.
Jenna Mathews, a geography major at BYU, raised some other concerns. She said she believes the current infrastructure, including bus stops, is not designed to accommodate such a change.
“I also think a flat fee could potentially create inequities. Does that mean someone who rides just two stops further will pay the same amount as someone who rides 12 stops?” Mathews said. “And while I know I need to educate myself on everything, do I want UVX to be transparent about how these new fees will improve the UVX experience, or will these fees simply line employees’ pockets without making any difference for their customers?”
For more information and updates on UVX and other public transport options, visit rideuta.com.
