Transit officials this week will unveil an idea to operate a public-sector bus route between Park City and Salt Lake City starting later this year, a connection that would be a milestone link that could serve crowds of commuters and skiers heading between the two cities.
There has been talk at varying levels for years about such a route, but it appears the current round of discussions hold more promise than many of those in the past. Mayor Dana Williams and the Park City Council on Thursday are scheduled to begin their talks about the idea. They are slated to spend 50 minutes discussing the idea starting at 5 p.m. at the Marsac Building. The Summit County Council is expected to consider the idea shortly.
Kent Cashel, City Hall’s transit and transportation manager, on Monday outlined a route that includes the following stops in Park City and the Snyderville Basin:
The route would stop at several locations in Salt Lake City. Cashel said officials are researching locales on the east side of Salt Lake City close to Interstate 80 for a stop as well as one at the University of Utah. There would be a terminus at the Salt Lake Central Station, 300 South 600 West.
Cashel said the route, if it is put in place, would begin running as early as October. It would run throughout the year, he said. The buses that would drive the route would hold approximately 50 people each — a few more people than are carried by buses in Park City’s fleet.
The Utah Transit Administration has requested the fare be set at $5.50 each way. Cashel said the fares that would be collected would cover the costs of the service if the buses are filled. He cautioned, though, that City Hall and the County Courthouse could financially support the service at the beginning through a guarantee that the revenues will cover the costs. If the revenues do not, Park City and Summit County could each be responsible for up to $230,000 in the first year.
Cashel said the schedule during the ski season would include five buses to Park City and three buses to Salt Lake City in the morning. In the afternoon and evening, there would be five Salt Lake City-bound buses and three buses headed to Park City. A timetable has not been finalized, but Cashel said the buses would run during morning and evening rush hours. The morning buses could run between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. while the afternoon and evening buses could run between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., he said. There would be fewer buses on the route between April and December.
The Utah Transit Administration would operate the service under an agreement with City Hall and the County Courthouse, Cashel said.
He said the target market includes regular commuters, the wintertime work force and University of Utah students.
The upcoming discussions will come years after leaders began mulling the idea of a bus line between Park City and Salt Lake City, a route not served by public transit. The only transportation choices between the two cities are private vehicles or shuttle services. The leaders see a bus route as having numerous benefits like reducing traffic along the S.R. 224 and Interstate 80 corridors as well as reducing emissions from individual vehicles.