(KCPW News) You’ll soon have another option besides a car to get between Salt Lake City and Park City. Utah Transit Authority Spokesman Gerry Carpenter notes there’s been interest in a bus route between the two for years. But it couldn’t happen until a state law was passed this year allowing UTA to make an agreement with Park City, which is outside the agency’s service area. If it’s approved, the route would start in October.
“That would be considered an off-season startup, and so the initial service would be a little bit lighter than it would be later in the year,” he says. “In the December timeframe, probably, we would expand the service a little bit to accommodate skiers and tourists that’ll be coming into town.
In Salt Lake City, the bus route would start at UTA’s hub near the Gateway mall. It would then stop at the University of Utah and other locations on the way to Park City.
Carpenter says UTA is confident the demand is there for the route, but the challenge is making it affordable while also ensuring that it won’t drain money.
“We have had to cut service, and so one of the stipulations we’ve made is that we cannot cut service elsewhere to pay for this service. It has to be self-funding,” Carpenter explains. “Whether that’s through fares and high ridership or another funding source, that still is being determined and will be determined by this interlocal agreement.”
A one-way trip would potentially cost $5.50, though that hasn’t been finalized.
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