Utah

Transit

Authority

Year in

Review

2013 TRANSIT DEAR UTA STAKEHOLDERS, AUTHORITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES What a year it’s been! schedule 89 percent of the time and light Gregory H. Hughes, Chair rail keeping schedule 94 percent of the time. Representing the within Salt Lake County and the cities The year of 2013 was one of the most FrontRunner’s on-time reliability increased of Tooele and Grantsville successful time periods in UTA’s history. from 68 percent at the end of 2012 to 90 H. David Burton, Vice Chair Keeping its promise made to voters in 2006, percent in 2013. Representing the Governor the agency concluded its FrontLines 2015 of the State of Utah program with the opening of the Airport and While this is an opportunity to highlight the Justin Y. Allen Draper TRAX lines. FrontLines 2015, which year’s accomplishments, it’s also a time to look Representing the President consisted of the Mid-Jordan, West Valley, ahead. Last year provided the groundwork for of the Senate Airport and Draper TRAX lines and the Provo our move into the future. Among the things Keith Bartholomew to Salt Lake FrontRunner extension, was on the horizon are improved fare payment Representing Salt Lake delivered two years ahead of schedule and systems, Provo-Orem (BRT), Christopher R. Bleak $300 million under budget. Capping off the and possible transportation improvements in Representing the cities within year, UTA opened Utah’s first modern streetcar northern Utah County, Davis County and the Utah County line between South Salt Lake and Salt Lake Wasatch Mountains. Necia Christensen City’s Sugar House neighborhood. These new Representing the cities within projects bring the ’s rail transit We recognize that each finish line is but the Salt Lake County and the cities of Tooele and Grantsville system to 140 miles. The entire rail network, beginning of a new race, and UTA’s dedicated which debuted with the completion of the board of trustees and staff are more engaged Larry A. Ellertson Sandy/Salt Lake TRAX line in 1999, has come Representing the cities within than ever to enhance the quality of life along Utah County in $350 million under budget. the Wasatch Front by connecting people to their schools, jobs and communities, all while Jeff Hawker Representing the cities within With the completion of FrontLines 2015, having a positive impact on air quality and Salt Lake County and the cities UTA increased the amount of transit service traffic congestion. We look forward to you of Tooele and Grantsville it offers to the community. Overall, the joining us as we proceed with these and other Charles G. Henderson agency came in nearly $7 million under efforts to continue to live our agency vision, Representing unincorporated budget and produced $2.2 million in which is to provide an integrated system of Salt Lake County efficiency savings. UTA used its savings to innovative, accessible and efficient public Robert A. Hunter increase its service hours by 2.6 percent. transportation services that increase access to Representing the cities within The agency also improved its on-time opportunities and a healthy environment for Weber County and the cities of Brigham City, Perry and Willard vehicle reliability, with buses running on all the people of the Wasatch . Dannie McConkie Representing the Utah Transportation Commission

Robert McKinley Representing the cities within Salt Lake County and the cities of Tooele and Grantsville

P. Bret Millburn Gregory H. Hughes Michael A. Allegra Representing the cities within Davis County Chair, Board of Trustees General Manager Utah Transit Authority Michael E. Romero Gregory H. Hughes Michael A. Allegra Representing the cities within Chair, Board of Trustees General Manager Salt Lake County and the cities of Tooele and Grantsville

Chris Sloan UTA is a government special service district overseen by a board of trustees. Special service districts are usually smaller Representing the cities of Brigham than a state agency but serve an area larger than traditional city or county borders. UTA serves the residents of Salt Lake, City, Perry, Willard, Grantsville Weber, Davis and Utah counties and select cities within Box Elder and Tooele counties. UTA’s funding comes primarily and Tooele (non-voting) from the municipalities within its service area. Troy K. Walker The UTA Board of Trustees provides broad direction, governs the Authority, and sets policies and goals on issues such as Representing the Speaker ridership, services and financial responsibilities. Members of the board are generally appointed by the city and county of the House governments within UTA’s service area that support the agency with a local-option sales tax. Some board members are also appointed by the state. Board members serve four-year terms with no term limits. ACCOUNTABILITY UTA is committed to the taxpayers and the citizens it serves. The agency works to foster a culture of transparency and prides itself in going above and beyond the legal requirements regarding public access, especially in the areas of service planning, fares and project development. The agency also conducts its board committees and full board business in open meetings and has extremely stringent ethics policies for its board members and employees.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT UTA GETS A CLOSER LOOK its performance, administration and safety As part of its commitment to transparency, In any given year, UTA undergoes processes. As part of its financial oversight UTA goes above and beyond to encourage numerous evaluations including an program, UTA conducts internal financial public participation and feedback while annual salary audit, U.S. Department of audits and reports each year. The agency it plans for future growth. UTA follows Homeland Security audits, procurement also prepares a Comprehensive Annual rigorous guidelines with its outreach, audits, various operational and safety Financial Report and monthly financial including public hearing policies and compliance audits, and more. In 2013, reports that are reviewed by the board procedures with mandatory comment UTA participated in 38 separate audits on of trustees. periods. Beyond the legally required hearings, UTA has implemented an enhanced public involvement program for service changes. The program is SUSTAINABILITY designed to increase public access and Sustainability is one of UTA’s core values embraced and practiced throughout participation and to promote more the organization. This is demonstrated through maintaining its Environmental meaningful dialogue and input. It Management System ISO 14001 certification since 2005 and its ongoing efforts includes an initial public scoping-type process to gather the public’s priorities to manage the agency’s growth while preparing to meet the needs of the and preferences for the transit system burgeoning Wasatch Front. Additionally, UTA helps area residents care for the prior to holding the required public open environment as 35.3 million auto trips were eliminated in the last year. houses to solicit comment on service proposals. To further enhance this program, Open UTA, an online “open city G reening the Fleet LAST MILE SOLUTIONS hall” type of website was developed. It In 2013, UTA put 24 compressed natural UTA partnered with various organizations allows UTA to ask questions and solicit gas (CNG) buses into service. These to offer passengers last-mile transportation feedback on potential changes to the vehicles have lower emissions due to cleaner options for getting to their final destinations. system in an easy-to-use way. UTA also burning fuel and are more cost effective to One of these companies is Enterprise adopted new Title VI requirements that operate than traditional diesel-fuel buses. CarShare (enterprisecarshare.com). The require hearings before new service is In addition, UTA features 32 hybrid-electric company has several vehicles available implemented. In addition, UTA creatively buses and 224 clean diesel buses in its fleet. for hourly rent at many of UTA’s park and uses new technologies and tactics—such Improvements in the bus fleet have led to a ride lots. Interested passengers can contact as Twitter chats, online comment forms 65 percent decrease in NOx (nitrogen oxide) and other social media tools—to share emissions and a 66 percent reduction in PM and receive information from the public. (particulate matter) emissions since 2007. With the help of UTA’s riders, the agency also saved 214,467 tons of greenhouse gas 38 PERFORMANCE, ADMINISTRATION, emissions and more than 300,000 gallons of & SAFETY AUDITS fuel in 2013. PERFORMANCE UTA prides itself on its commitment to high standards of management and operational practices. Recognized throughout the public transportation industry for delivering projects ahead of schedule and under budget, UTA accomplishes this with an overhead rate of approximately half the national average. The agency is often cited among the nation’s best transit authorities. UTA credits its success to innovative project management and delivery, rigorous management and ethical standards that promote agency transparency, superior performance and wise use of taxpayer money.

RIDERSHIP ON THE RISE at a lean and efficient cost. The board of 24 CNG BUSES Although 70 percent of UTA riders have trustees, staff and agency stakeholders all 32 HYBRID ELECTRIC BUSES participate in the budget process, creating 224 CLEAN DIESEL BUSES access to a car, people continue to choose 66% REDUCTION IN PM transit as a viable transportation option. an annual budget that reflects service levels, Ridership has continued to increase year anticipated revenues and costs. over year with 2013 reaching an all-time Enterprise to reserve these vehicles to use for high of 44.1 million boardings. TRAX transportation to their final destinations. ridership increased by 9 percent, which 44 MILLION BOARDINGS included the opening of the Airport and $6.7 MILLION UNDER BUDGET UTA also teamed up with GREENBike, 70 MILES OF RAIL BUILT IN 5 YEARS Draper TRAX lines and S-Line Streetcar. ’s bicycling sharing program. 103% FRONTRUNNER RIDERSHIP INCREASE FrontRunner saw an extreme boost in GREENBikes are located at key UTA rail ridership with a 103 percent increase over stations in Salt Lake City and offer passengers 2012, which was largely due to the first OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY the opportunity to rent a bike for a reasonable full year of operations from UTA operates one of the most efficient fee by the half-hour, the entire day or even on Salt Lake City to Provo. systems in the country, primarily due to a weekly basis. Annual GREENBike rentals are its strong fiscal management and a dedicated also available. More information can be found To encourage transit ridership, in 2013 UTA rank and file workforce that is committed at greenbikeslc.org. engaged in several unique programs, such to saving money. The agency has one of the as a new partnership with University of lowest overhead costs among the nation’s RIDECLEAR Utah athletics that allowed game tickets to transit agencies, with its overhead coming To help promote clean air along the Wasatch most university sporting events to be used in at only 12 percent of its total budget Front, UTA partnered with Zions Bank in as transit fare. The university invested in compared to the national average of 16 July 2013 to present the first-ever RideClear this program, and it has proven extremely percent. Low operating costs are also pass. RideClear allowed 5,000 people to popular. Ridership was also positively possible due to the implementation of Lean obtain free, seven-day transit passes to use impacted by the agency entering into an processes in its operations and maintenance during the month of July, one of Utah’s worst agreement with the state of Utah to get transit divisions, saving the agency $2.2 million months for air quality. Zions Bank underwrote passes into the hands of state employees. in 2013. 2,500 RideClear passes and UTA matched its donation, making 5,000 passes available to Wasatch Front residents. FISCAL MANAGEMENT A REGION CONNECTED BY RAIL UTA has a long history of being fiscally In 2013, UTA completed the final pieces prudent, and the year 2013 was no exception of the FrontLines 2015 project with the with the agency coming in nearly $7 million opening of the Airport and Draper TRAX under budget. Through a combination of lines. This closed one of the most aggressive long-range forecasting, detailed annual transit expansion projects in the nation. budget development, and a culture of The completed rail network creates a strong innovation and continuous improvement, backbone for a transit system that will serve UTA provides strong levels of transit service current and future generations. In all, UTA conducted 10 interagency emergency exercises in 2013.

TSA coordination took on extra importance in 2013 as the Airport TRAX line opened the Safety First week of the Boston Marathon bombings. After Safety continues to be UTA’s top priority. A safety-focused approach guides all aspects extensively reviewing the transit system, the of UTA, from developing innovative processes for opening new rail lines to providing TSA gave UTA its Gold Standard Award for educational outreach to students. UTA is committed to maintaining the highest levels achieving the highest standard of excellence in of rider, employee and community safety because it is vital to its future success. security. The award was issued in recognition of UTA’s high scores on the TSA’s Baseline Reducing the number of transit incidents was a top achievement for 2013, with bus Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) accidents down 13 percent and TRAX accidents decreasing 52 percent. and its strong security program.

Safely Opening New Lines Safety Certifications Public Awareness & UTA continued using its groundbreaking and In June 2013, UTA was awarded the Education nationally recognized “hold point” process as Occupational Health and Safety Assessment UTA continues to be a community leader in a standard practice prior to starting service on Series (SMS OHSAS) 18001 certification. promoting rail safety through education and new rail lines. The innovative safety program The standard contains specifications for a community outreach. In 2013, it continued its consists of three distinct hold points that management system that helps organizations extensive grassroots outreach to local schools, ensure all certification processes and safety control occupational health and safety risks. community groups and city councils. UTA reviews are complete before pre-revenue The certification measures UTA’s management employees, trained by the nationally recognized testing is allowed to begin. In 2013, UTA used system against a best practice standard for rail safety organization Operation Lifesaver, the hold point process to successfully and compliance. Issued by the independent delivered more than 300 safety presentations safely test and open the Airport and Draper accreditation organization NSF International, the to nearly 9,500 community members. Extra TRAX lines and the S-Line Streetcar. certification demonstrates that UTA proactively attention was paid to neighborhoods and protects the health and safety of its workforce. schools located near new rail lines. In addition to UTA’s internal hold point process, This achievement, combined with the agency’s it regularly undergoes rigorous external safety Environmental Management System ISO 14001 audits. In conjunction with the opening of and Quality Management System ISO 9001 three new rail lines in 2013, UTA successfully certifications, makes UTA the first and only Projects & completed safety audits from the United transit authority to obtain all three certifications. Services States Department of Transportation’s State Despite completing more projects than at Safety Oversight program, the Federal Transit 300 SAFETY PRESENTATIONS TO any other time in its history, UTA continues Administration’s (FTA) Project Management NEARLY 9,500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, to look ahead. In 2013, the agency’s Oversight program as well as other routine ESPECIALLY TO NEIGHBORHOODS board of trustees and staff reached out safety audits from FTA headquarters. & SCHOOLS NEAR NEW RAIL LINES to stakeholder groups, local elected officials, business leaders, rider advocates, Additionally, and UTA employees to develop a 2020 UTA and its Safety and Security Strategic Plan. The plan is designed to contractors Coordination serve as a road map for the future of emphasized UTA’s commitment to safety not only means safety during the keeping conditions hazard free for employees, the agency. In addition to this work, UTA construction of it also means keeping the UTA transit system advanced a number of transportation its FrontLines safe and secure for riders. The agency regularly studies throughout its service area. 2015 program. partners with the Transportation Security Over the course Administration (TSA) as well as local police of the six-year, $2.5 billion program, only one and fire departments to hold training exercises lost-time accident occurred, making it the designed to help responding agencies learn safest construction project of this magnitude how to work around trains and improve in the country. coordination and response times. FrontLines 2015 Completion In 2008, UTA announced the FrontLines 2015 project, which called for building 70 miles of new rail in seven years. The ambitious $2.5 billion plan to build four lines and one commuter rail line Draper TRAX The city anticipates that 3,000 new was the largest construction project in UTA’s UTA officially marked the completion of the housing units will be built around the history and the sixth largest rail construction FrontLines 2015 project with the opening line in the coming years. In Salt Lake project in North America at the time. With of the 3.5-mile Draper TRAX line in August City, the S-Line is already generating the 2013 openings of the Draper and Airport 2013. Built on UTA-owned right-of-way, economic development. Salt Lake City TRAX lines, UTA marked the successful the extension of the Blue Line adds three reports that streetcar construction has stations and helps meet the transportation accelerated or is partially responsible for needs of southeast Salt Lake County. The the creation of more than 1,000 residential FRONTLINES 2015 PROJECT COMPLETED TWO YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE & line links Draper and portions of Sandy to units and nearly 2 million square feet of $300 MILLION UNDER BUDGET Salt Lake City, the University redevelopment at seven sites, resulting in of Utah, , West Valley City, Sugar $400 million in private investment. House and the Salt Lake City International completion of the FrontLines 2015 project Airport. It also connects passengers to Route 650 two years ahead of schedule and $300 FrontRunner commuter rail. million under budget. The FrontLines 2015 In time for the 2013-14 school year, project doubled the size of UTA’s passenger UTA introduced Route 650, a direct bus rail network along the Wasatch Front. S-Line Streetcar connection from the Ogden FrontRunner UTA opened the state’s first modern station to . The streetcar line in December 2013. Known route shortened the trip between the rail Airport TRAX as the S-Line, the 2-mile streetcar project station and the school by 20 minutes and In April 2013, UTA opened the 6-mile Airport runs from in South was very well-received by WSU students TRAX line. An extension of the Green Line, Salt Lake to the heart of Salt Lake City’s and faculty. the Airport TRAX line offers increased Sugar House neighborhood. In addition connectivity to Salt Lake City’s west side and to providing increased transit options provides a rail connection between Salt Lake Looking Ahead City International Airport and downtown. UTA continues to explore ways to provide Riders can now travel from downtown Salt more transit options to more people. STREETCAR CONSTRUCTION WAS Seeking to build on its robust rail network, Lake City to the airport in 20 minutes. PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR: UTA is now undertaking several transit Adding a rail link to the airport not only 1,000+ NEW RESIDENTIAL UNITS studies to see how enhanced bus and bus makes travel easy for business and leisure 2 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF rapid transit projects can offer increased travelers, it is also good for the local economy. REDEVELOPMENT AT 7 SITES service, frequency and connectivity to local According to a 2013 study by the U.S. Travel $400 MILLION IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT communities. Transit improvement studies Association and the nonprofit American are currently underway in Weber, Davis, Public Transportation Association (APTA), Salt Lake and Utah counties. cities with airport rail connections have a and a direct connection to UTA’s regional competitive advantage in generating revenues rail system, the S-Line is revitalizing for the private sector and the overall tax base One of the most visible studies UTA neighborhoods, spurring economic compared with similar cities that do not have is involved in is the Mountain Accord development and adding walkable green a direct rail connection to the airport. project, a multiphase program that seeks space. The line features an adjacent to make long-term decisions about the greenway corridor that adds six acres Wasatch Mountains. The program focuses of walkable green space to the area’s on four areas including transportation, neighborhoods. South Salt Lake City environment, economy and recreation. has plans to develop transit-oriented Currently, UTA is working with other housing around the S-Line to create a project stakeholders in obtaining early walkable, urban neighborhood that will public input regarding the future of one of become the heart of the community. Utah’s most popular and well-loved areas. Putting the Customer First

In 2013, UTA focused on providing better information to its customers in order to make riding more convenient. The agency particularly focused on the latest in real-time technologies and new payment systems.

UTA FAREPAY Social Media CURRENT STUDIES In October 2013, UTA unveiled its new As social media continues to be an FAREPAY reloadable, prepaid fare card. increasingly popular way for people to Ogden-WSU Transit Study FAREPAY, available for purchase at interact with companies, UTA made rideuta.com and at more than 300 Wasatch additional investments in this area during 5600 W. Bus Rapid Transit/ Front retailers, allows customers to load 2013. UTA increased the number of a contactless fare card with any amount customer service agents assigned to provide between $5 and $500. Customers can system updates and answer questions on Sandy-South Jordan Circulator also schedule automatic fund reloading Twitter, and the agency boosted its activity and manage their account balance online. on Facebook by providing more service To help drive the adoption of FAREPAY, Southwest Salt Lake County UTA offered a 20 percent fare discount to Transit Study passengers using the card. By the end of 5,400 FAREPAY CARDS SOLD 30 MOBILE APPS 2013, nearly 5,400 FAREPAY cards had UPGRADED ONLINE TRIP PLANNER Provo/Orem Bus Rapid Transit been sold at 170 retailers.

updates for followers. The agency also Clearfield/Layton Circulator Mobile App Center Since 2012, UTA has made its real-time started its own Instagram feed, opening data feed available to private developers to up another avenue to interact with its South Davis-SLC Community use in creating mobile applications. Since passengers. Additionally, UTA developed Connector then, nearly 30 mobile apps have been a News & Events Page on rideuta.com, made available to assist UTA passengers which allows users to access the agency’s Salt Lake Downtown Streetcar in using the system. In 2013, UTA began blog, YouTube videos, press releases, and showcasing privately developed rider apps Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds via its online App Center, which provides from one location. Taylorsville-Murray customers information on app functionality Transit Study and mobile platform availability. The App RideTime Center can be easily accessed from UTA’s UTA launched its RideTime SMS Mountain Accord home page at rideuta.com. information texting system in 2013. The service allows waiting passengers to text Northern Utah County Online Trip Planner UTA for the next real-time bus or train Transit Study UTA’s online trip planner underwent major arrival at their location. The system, along renovations in 2013. The tool now allows with the emergence of mobile apps, has users to engage in both map-based and decreased the number of calls to UTA’s address-based trip planning and provides customer service call center by 11 percent. improved address recognition. The trip planner also features walking directions and allows users to plan trips by preferred mode. uta facts

Service Area Bus & • Serves Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Tooele, Salt • 103 routes Lake and Utah counties • 16 Flex bus routes • Covers 1,600 square miles, serving • 6,273 active bus stops 80 percent of the state’s population • 493 buses • 113 paratransit vehicles Operations & Performance • MAX bus rapit transit (BRT) • Established March 3, 1970 service on 3500 South (9 miles) • Employs 2,248 • Fleet 100 percent accessible • Three-time recipient of APTA’s “Outstanding to riders with disabilities Public Transportation System” award • Used more than 6.5 million • Maintains both ISO 9001 certification gallons of diesel fuel in 2013 for quality management and ISO 14001 • Each one-cent increase in certification for environmental management cost of fuel to UTA = $65,000

Funding Commuter Rail • Local-option sales tax: Salt Lake County: 0.6875 cent; Weber and Davis • 89 miles of rail counties: 0.55 cent; Utah County: • 15 stations 0.526 cent; Box Elder 0.55 cent; Tooele • 18 locomotives and Grantsville cities: 0.3 cent • 22 bi-level cab cars • Nearly $1.3 billion received in discretionary • 16 bi-level coach cars federal grants in the last 10 years • 15 refurbished passenger cars

Ridership streetcar • 2013 systemwide ridership: 44,120,284 • Opened the S-Line servicing South Salt trips, a 3.1 percent increase over 2012 Lake and Sugar House in December 2013 • Average weekday ridership totals • 2 miles, 7 stops (December 2013): 157,519 - TRAX: 69,600 - FrontRunner: 14,760 FrontLines 2015 Project - Salt Lake County Bus: 47,104 • Completed in 2013, two years ahead - Utah County Bus: 8,672 of schedule - Weber & Davis County Bus: 10,898 • Mid-Jordan TRAX line (10.6 miles) - Paratransit: 1,502 opened August 2011 - Vanpool: 4,983 • West Valley TRAX line (5.1 miles) opened August 2011 Rideshare • Provo to Salt Lake FrontRunner • 56 schools with annual student transit passes commuter rail line (44 miles) • 131 businesses with annual employee opened December 2012 transit passes • Airport TRAX line (6 miles) • 470 vanpools; 1,387,816 rides opened April 2013 • 2,509 carpool matches • Draper TRAX line (3.5 miles) opened August 2013 Light Rail • 8 TRAX projects completed ahead Future Projects of schedule and under budget • Utah County Bus Rapid Transit (10 miles) • 44.8 light rail miles • Taylorsville-Murray Bus Rapid Transit • 51 stations • Mountain View Corridor Transit (5 miles) • 114 TRAX vehicles • Southwest Salt Lake County (13 miles) • South Davis-Salt Lake Connector • Downtown Streetcar (Salt Lake City)

Utah transit Authority 669 W 200 S | Salt Lake City, Utah | 84101 | rideuta.com