Mission Statement
 UTA Rideshare is dedicated to developing and promoting alternative transportation programs that improve mobility, enhance air quality, and conserve energy.

Overview 
UTA Rideshare serves as a branch of the Utah Transit Authority that specializes in alternative transportation. Composed of eight employees, UTA Rideshare helps employers and individuals reduce commuter trips and find reasonable alternatives to driving alone. Their expertise is offered through a variety of programs:
Alternative Work Hours

• Telecommuting
• Bicycle Commuting
• Bikes on Buses, Walking
• Eco Pass/Co-op Bus Pass
• Mandated Trip Reduction Program
• Carpooling/Vanpooling Matchlist
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• No-Interest Van Loans
• Van Leasing

Resources 
Valuable resources and publications are provided, including: 

• Rideshare Roadways, a quarterly alternative transportation newsletter
• A complete alternative transportation "how to" kit
• UTA Rideshare Annual Report, facts and figures on trip reduction, van pools, etc.
• UTA Rideshare Resource Guide and Training Manual, designed for corporate Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs)

Fully trained and supported by UTA Rideshare Staff, ETCs benefit all of us by reducing commuter trips and drive alone rates for their employers and co-workers. Amoung the tools ETCs use is the Matchlist-a matching of similar-profiled individuals for convenient carpooling or vanpooling. This service alone has significantly reduced traffic congestion and air pollution throughout the valley.

Other tools, combined with the expert support of UTA Rideshare Specialists, allow an employer-or an individual-to make a tremendous difference in everything from air quality to personal productivity. UTA Rideshare is an integral part of UTA, and plays a crucial role in improving the quality of life for all of us who live or travel along the Wasatch Front.

Governance 
UTA Rideshare is funded through the joint efforts of the following organizations: ¨ Wasatch Front Regional Council ¨ Mountain Association of Governments ¨ Utah Department of Community & Economic Development, Division of Community Development, Office of Energy Services ¨ Utah Department of Transportation ¨ Utah Transit Authority ¨ Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Contact 
UTA Rideshare's programs are developed, administered, and maintained through the Utah Transit Authority's offices at 3600 South 700 West in Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0810. For more information please contact your UTA Rideshare Specialist at (801) 262-5626 or email rideuta@rideuta.com.

Rideshare Statistics 2000

Comparisons To Previous Years

Follow up Visits

Each year as we process companies or agencies surveys we place the data collected from those surveys into a file corresponding with the number of times that the company or agency has surveyed. For instance, if it is the third time that a company has surveyed we would place their data into the third year file. This way we can see over time if we are having an effect on the Solo Occupant driving rate, below is the chart with that data.

UTA Rideshare Promotions 2000

Interest Free Vanpool

Individuals interested in buying a van can enjoy substantial savings if they are willing to drive a group of commuters to work each day. UTA Rideshare, using a portion of Federal-aid highway trust fund apportioned to Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and with their assistance, has an Interest Free Van purchasing Program. This program allows companies or individuals to purchase a new van vehicle that seats a minimum of seven (7) people. Seventy (70) percent of the van's mileage must be used for work commutes with the remaining thirty (30) percent allowed for personal use.

That amounts to approximately $3,500 to $5,000 savings over the cost of a dealer-financed van. Moreover, UTA Rideshare will help with the whole purchase process.

Submit an application to UTA Rideshare. After the application and a credit check are reviewed and approved, a minimum of two vehicle bids, from bonded automobile dealers must be submitted to UTA Rideshare. Any van vehicle submitted must meet the minimum specifications contained in Exhibit "B" in the Interest Free Contract. UTA Rideshare will review and approve one or more of the bids and schedule a time to meet with both the applicant and the appropriate vehicle dealer. During this meeting the applicant is required to pay the vehicle dealer at least 6.77% of the total cost of the vehicle as well as tax and license fees.

Before taking possession of the vehicle the Van Owner is required to obtain prescribed insurance for the van vehicle. The Van Owner is required to maintain and submit on a monthly basis to UTA Rideshare a mileage/passenger report, which is provided by UTA Rideshare. The van may not be used by the Van Owner or other parties to make a profit. UTA Rideshare will randomly call a participating rider to verify vanpool operation on a monthly basis. UTA Rideshare, UDOT or Federal Highways (FHWA) may conduct an on-site assessment/audit of each van on a yearly basis.

LEASED VANPOOLS

Lease a van from UTA and you'll enjoy the improved productivity that comes when employees share rides to work instead of driving alone. Studies done in major cities prove that employee vanpools and carpools reduce tardiness and absenteeism.

In addition, each vanpool reduces up to fourteen cars on the road during rush hour. Leasing a company van is an easy way for employers to help cut down on air pollution and traffic congestion.

Finally, vanpooling is a nice employee benefit, since employees who vanpool to work save hundreds of dollars a year on commuting costs.

How To Start
If your company does not have a vanpool program, or a group of employees wishes to start a vanpool program, UTA Rideshare can help you start the program.

To set up a vanpool your company or group of employees leases a van from UTA Rideshare, organizes a pool of up to fifteen people, and designates at least one driver( you can have as many drivers as you desire). UTA Rideshare then coordinates everything with one employee. The Employer or groups time commitment is minimal at best.

The cost of leasing a van from UTA Rideshare is based on the number of monthly miles. UTA Rideshare can provide the insurance for the van at an additional cost or if a company is self-insured they can provide the insurance and save that cost. Where UTA Rideshare provides the insurance each driver must provide UTA Rideshare a copy of his or her Utah Driver License record.

To cover your vanpool expenses, UTA Rideshare helps you determine a rider charge based on the number of riders and the distance each of them travels. A vanpooler's costs are always much less than the expense of commuting alone. UTA Rideshare suggests the drivers ride for free or at a reduced rate. Personal use of the van, including mileage for maintenance trips to the service station is allowed.

The Only Way to Ride
UTA Rideshare vans carry fifteen people safely and comfortably. The vans are loaded with options, including tinted windows, heat and air conditioning in front and back, stereo system, and seat belts for all riders. And each van is equipped with heavy-duty chassis, all season tires, high capacity gas tank, or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). In case of a breakdown or time in the repair shop, UTA Rideshare provides a back up van. Each person on the van is also eligible for up to six (6) guaranteed ride home trips in case of an emergency or unexpected overtime.

Finally, offering an employee vanpool is an easy way to make this area a better place to live and work. After all, the last thing we want is the disappearance of the attractive environment for which our Utah workplace has become known.

Utah Transit Authority Buses and Trains

Ridership 
UTA ridership has increased significantly over the past decade. UTA currently averages 104,245 passenger boardings each weekday. However, the state's population continues to escalate. In the next 10 years, traffic along the Wasatch Front will grow by 50 percent.

Bus Fleet/Facilities
Today, UTA's active fleet has grown to 600 buses and 23 light rail cars (with 10 more arriving fall of 2001), which serve 75% of Utah's population-more than 1.8 million people. Standard buses hold 32-43 seated passengers and an additional 15-21 standing passengers. UTA's fleet has over 100 low floor buses making boarding easier. UTA also began operating 12 articulated buses in the summer of 1999.

TRAX Light Rail
TRAX light rail plays a major role in improving Salt Lake County mobility. Running a 15-mile line from 10000 South in Sandy to the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City, the system provides a high speed, high capacity north/south mode of transportation. A realigned bus shuttle system and Flextrans buses feed into the 16 TRAX stations along the corridor. TRAX stations and vehicles are fully accessible and all the stations have access ramps or platforms to serve passengers with physical disabilities. Passengers may also bring their bikes on TRAX, and are encouraged to board through the front and rear doors only of each car in the train. No bicycles are allowed on the access ramp. This integrated system encourages greater use of public transit and provides a more efficient transportation network for the entire Wasatch Front.

UTA's Service Area
UTA's service area covers one of the largest geographical areas of any transit agency in the country, a 1,400 square mile area that stretches over six counties including: Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Box Elder, Utah and Tooele counties. UTA employs approximately 1,600 people and runs six state-of-the-art maintenance facilities to service its bus fleet and TRAX light rail vehicles.

Flextrans
UTA operates a Paratransit service, called Flextrans, to serve Utah's people with disabilities in six counties. Flextrans began operating in Salt Lake County in July of 1988, and since then, has expanded to all of UTA's service areas. There are currently 103 Flextrans vehicles in operation, which make approximately 1,200 trips per day and more than 310,000 trips per year. In 2000, the UTA Mobility Center opened to assist people seeking eligibility for ADA Paratransit Service.

Even if you don't use transit, you still benefit There are many benefits from public transportation for non-transit users, too. It helps employers reduce their need for expensive parking spaces, it relieves congestion on the roads, it reduces the need for costly roads and freeway maintenance and it contributes to cleaner air. UTA takes over 81,000 cars off the road on an average day.

Vision Statement
UTA's vision is to provide quality transportation services that are valuable to the communities and people we serve. To achieve this vision, UTA will continually strive to build and maintain partnerships, and to communicate within our organization with community leaders and the public. UTA will continually strive to meet the needs of our patrons and our employees by taking advantage of technology, opportunities, and challenges.

Goals/Opportunities
To educate the community about tomorrow's mass transit needs, UTA is working to: 

• Solve transportation problems 

• Provide quality transportation options to make life better along the Wasatch Front

• Develop progressive transit plans and explore new options

• Provide a clear vision for the future of public transit that benefits every citizen along the Wasatch Front

UTA believes it can greatly improve urban transportation by enhancing current services with the addition of fixed guideway systems. These include light rail and commuter rail systems. Many such systems have proven their value in cities such as Dallas, Denver, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, and St. Louis.

In addition, UTA is pursuing many of these other promising opportunities:

• New bus technology with greater capacity, flexibility and efficiency
• More economical, non-polluting fuels
• Intermodal facilities, which service AMTRAK, regional buses, UTA buses, taxis, light rail, and commuter rail systems with seamless transfers
• Transit Centers that provide parking, customer service, and other passenger amenities
• Intelligent Transportation Systems, with advanced electronic and communication technologies, including:
  •  Automatic vehicle location using Global Positioning Satellites
  • Automated passenger counting and vehicle monitoring
  • "Smart Signs" that count down time until the next bus or train arrives
  • User-friendly customer information systems
  • Transit added value cards that you scan as you board
  • Transit Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (automated bus guidance systems, automated docking, lateral control, and collision avoidance technologies) to create safer methods of transportation
  • Itinerary Planning

Rates and Fares
UTA fares are inexpensive, and can be conveniently purchased in both daily and monthly passes. The passes are also available on line at:
www.rideuta.com

A standard adult fare to ride transit (good for two hours) is $1.00, and 35 cents for senior citizens and passengers with disabilities. A Day Pass is $2.00, and an adult monthly pass is $32.00. Monthly passes are also available to minors and college students for $20.00, senior citizens for $11.00, a Flextrans monthly pass is $32.00, and a premium monthly pass is $70.00.

During the winter months, a Ski Day Pass is available for $3.50, a one way trip on the ski bus is $1.75 and to ride the ski bus shuttle between resorts costs $1.00. UTA ski service typically begins in November and runs through Easter, seven days a week, serving the four resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons (Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird, and Alta) as well as Sundance Ski Resort in Provo Canyon.

During the summer months of June, July, and August, UTA offers a "Summer Youth Pass," for those between the ages of 12 to 17, an inexpensive and safe means of transportation. The Summer Youth Pass costs $25.00 or if you are buying more than one, you can purchase a pass on the "Buddy Plan" for $20.00 each. The Summer Youth Pass is a "dog-tag" styled pass that offers discounts at popular teen hangouts.

Free Fare Zone
UTA has a Free Fare Zone that allows ridership without any charge if you enter and exit the bus or TRAX within the boundaries of 400 West to 200 East, and 500 South to 500 North in downtown Salt Lake City. The Free Fare Zone is UTA's way of providing a service for visitors, employees, shoppers, and others in the downtown area. The Free Fare Zone also improves the appeal of downtown and it introduces the area to a new customer base.

Telephone Information and Customer Service Numbers

Scheduling and Information 

• Salt Lake County - RIDE-UTA (743-3882) 
• Outside of Salt Lake County - 1-888-RIDE-UTA (1-888-743-3882)

Customer Service Centers & Lost and Found: 

• Salt Lake/South Davis County - 287-4664 
• Weber/North Davis County - 626-1207 
• Utah County - 227-8917

Web Addresses:
www.rideuta.com
www.utarideshare.com

UTA's Telephone Information Center is open: 

• Monday-Saturday - 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 
• Sunday - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

 

 

ECO PASS
In today's competitive market, keeping good employees is a challenge. One way to retain good employees is to make commuting to work easier.

An Eco Pass is company-sponsored annual transit pass employees can use to ride TRAX or the bus to commute to work and also for personal transportation. Eco Pass saves your company money; specifically parking fees, real estate costs, and tax credits. And it cuts down on traffic, the number one source of pollution along the Wasatch Front.

Eco Pass pricing is based on the level of transit service at each separate business location and the total employee base. An Eco Pass representative will create a personal quote for your business. Many companies choose to subsidize the program and use it for a recruiting tool. Consequently, progressive programs like the Eco Pass can help build employee loyalty.

Initiating the Eco Pass program at your company is simple. A UTA representative will work closely with you to introduce the program to your employees. You will also be provided with group Eco Pass orientation meetings and even individual advice on the best routes and times for your employees to get to and from work. Employees get an Eco Pass sticker for their company photo ID. That is all it takes to ride UTA trains and buses anywhere they go. (Ski bus and special services are excluded.)

What about emergencies? How do employees get home if their schedules change and they work later than expected. A Guarantee Ride Home program answers this question and is included with the Eco Pass program at no charge to the employee or company. Another reason the Eco Pass program is so successful.

Co-op Transit Pass Discount
The Co-op Transit Pass is a company-sponsored program that provides discounted monthly passes for employees.

Passes must be purchased for 20 percent of the employees working at the sponsoring business' location. UTA discounts the monthly cost of a regular or premium pass by 20 percent. The company subsidizes another 30 percent. Employees are then able to purchase passes at a 50 percent discount.

A one-year contract is required and a minimum of 35 passes must be purchased each month. For more information please visit our Website at www.utarideshare.com or call 262-5626.

Eco Pass

ECO Pass con't

Co-op Program

CARPOOL INFORMATION

Carpool and save up to $2500 a year

With the help of UTA Rideshare, carpooling is easy. What's more, the typical carpooler saves hundreds of dollars a year in commuting expenses - including gas, auto maintenance, car repairs and parking fees. In addition, on the days carpoolers don't drive, they get to work ready to work, having had an extra opportunity to read, study, work, or rest. Often, that can directly affect the employee's productivity and skill level.

UTA Rideshare's computerized matching service can help employees begin carpooling immediately. The service takes commuting information over the phone, through the Rideshare Website, or sends you a UTA Rideshare Matchlist form. A few days later, interested employees receive a Matchlist containing names and phone numbers of people who live and work in their area, have the same working hours, and are interested in carpooling.

In many cases, employees even create their own carpool, teaming up with friends or associates who live and work close to each other. A few phone calls is all it takes. Either way, the environmental benefits are obvious - decreased air pollution and traffic congestion. Just as importantly, your efforts to improve the environment by promoting carpooling certainly reflect favorably on your company.

Commuters also have the option of using the High Occupancy Vehicle (carpool) lanes on I-15 from 10600 South to 400 South in Salt Lake County. Vehicles with two or more people are eligible to use the lane. The lanes are marked with a solid yellow line on the left (meaning do not cross) and a wide solid white line on the right (cross any time, but with caution and proper signal). Eligible vehicles may enter or exit the lanes at any time, but are urged to do so with caution.

If your firm does not have an Employee Transportation Coordinator, please designate such an individual, then have them contact UTA for assistance in organizing a Rideshare program. Such arrangements are quickly and easily handled when you or interested commuters in your company phone UTA Rideshare: 533-RIDE (Salt Lake City), 377-RIDE (Provo), or 476-RIDE (Ogden). Or log on to our Website, www.utarideshare.com. In 1999 UTA Rideshare processed 3,904 match lists.

 

Davis County Lots
City:	Address:	Owner:	# of Spaces:	Average Weekday Autos:	Routes At This Location:
Bountiful	1505 North Main St.	JC Penny			70
Layton	Highway 193 & Hill Field Road	UDOT*	30		28
Kaysville	200 North & 600 West	UDOT*	72	190	72
Kaysville	358 North Main St.				70, 627
Farmington	Highway 273 & US 189	UDOT*	22	22	70
Clearfield	580 South State	Winegars			70
Clearfield	1700 South State	Kmart			70, 626
Layton	1400 North & Hill Field Road	Layton Hills Mall			130 158, 26, 27, 28, 40, 70, 72
Sunset	2353 North Main St				70

 

Salt Lake County Lots
City	Address	Owner	# Spaces	Average Weekday Autos	Routes At This Location
Salt Lake	1000 North & 900 West	UDOT*	20	10	19, 20
Murray	6191 South State	Fashion Place Mall			12, 22, 24, 25, 124, 125, 10, 84, 85
Draper	12300 South & I-15	UDOT*	80		46, 45X, 804
Cottonwood	6600 South & 950 East	Salt Lake County	130	30	11, 28, 80, Ski
Holladay	7200 South & Wasatch Blvd.	Salt Lake County	102	110	29, 85, Ski
Sandy	3500 East & Wasatch Blvd.	Salt Lake County	56	30	29, 32, Ski
Sandy	SR210 & SR209	Salt Lake County	162	160	29, 811, Ski
Sandy	10450 South State Street	South Town Mall	100	57	12, 22, 24, 25, 28, 41, 79, 80,  804, 810, 811, 815, 124, 125, 133, Ski
West Valley City	3650 South & 2700 West	Valley Fair Mall	150	75	15, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 37X, 38, 39, 41, 42, 53, 56, 65, 65, 68, 89, 135, 137, 140, 142, 143, 150

 

Utah County Lots
City	Address	Owner	# Spaces	Average Weekday Autos	Routes At This Location
Alpine	I-15 & SR92	UDOT*	45	45	810
American Fork	Main Street & I-15	UDOT*	120	96	N/A
American Fork	240 West State	Smith's			801, 804, 807, 810, 811, 814
Orem	1600 North & 1200 West	UDOT*	28	43	N/A
Orem	800 North & 1200 West	UDOT*	65	52	6, 7
Springville	400 South & 1950 West	UDOT*	65	27	N/A
Payson	Main Street & I-15	UDOT*	90	22	815
Orem	50 South & 1200 West	UDOT*	50	25	6
Orem	1130 South 800 East	University Mall/ UTA	55	60	801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 807, 808, 809, 810, 811, 812, 814, 815
Provo	1165 South University Ave.	Kmart			808, 812
Salem	100 East Center St.				812

 

Weber County Lots
City	Address	Owner	# Spaces	Average Weekday Autos	Routes At This Location
Pleasant View	Pleasant View Dr. & Highway 89	UDOT*
Farr West	2700 North & I-15	UDOT*	102
Ogden	21st Street & I-15	UDOT*	150	30	20
North Ogden	2600 North 400 East	Smith's			612 , 613
South Ogden	4275 South Harrison Blvd.				55, 73, 615
Riverdale	5234 South Freeway Park Dr.  (1700 W.)	UTA	246	120	72
Ogden	3600 South Wall Avenue	Newgate Mall	40	30	5, 10, 22, 40, 70, 72
Roy	5370 South 1900 West	Harmons			604, 610, 640, 70

 

 

 

Guaranteed Ride Home 

Another Strategy for Commuting Success

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) Guaranteed Ride Home Program is available to businesses participating in the Eco Pass Program and or the UTA Van Lease Program. It provides a free ride for a Sponsor's employee from their business location to the employee's home or other location within the public transit district, with any qualifying emergency.

If an employee or a member of their immediate family becomes ill or injured, requiring the employee to leave work, UTA will provide a Guaranteed Ride Home at no cost to the employee. Each participating employee is allowed a maximum of six Guaranteed Ride Home trips per calendar year, or a pro-rated maximum of less than six times if the program is contracted for less than a full year. Working unscheduled overtime also qualifies an employee for a Guaranteed Ride Home. If a regular scheduled UTA bus or train is available within 30 minutes of the conclusion of an unscheduled overtime shift, the employee is expected to take the bus or train. If not, a Guaranteed Ride Home is provided.

Requesting a Guaranteed Ride Home is very simple. The qualifying employee or employee's sponsor calls UTA Customer Service at 287-4663 (BUS-HOME). The Customer Service Representative will send a UTA Supervisor in a marked UTA vehicle, or give the participating employee the telephone number for a taxicab. The Taxi Company will issue a one-ride authorization number to give the driver.

The Guaranteed Ride Home Program is your safety net when you need a ride home because of an emergency, illness family crisis, or having to work late unexpectedly. It is a successful program that encourages employees to use alternative transportation.

 

 

 

TRIP REDUCTION PLAN

SUMMARY

YEAR TO DATE DECEMBER ,2000

By the end of the fourth quarter of 2000, U.T.A. surveyed 39 companies/agencies who had a total of 13,463 employees of which 50% returned their surveys. Of those employees who returned their survey and started work between the hours of 6 am and 10 am 69.01 % of their trips were drive alone's.

Information received from the surveys of all employees show that 9.4 % of their trips were made by carpools, 11.9 % were by bus and a little over 3 % from walking, biking or telecommuting. When asked what kind of complex trip kept them form using an alternative mode, 14 % said going to the grocery store stopped them while 15 % were stopped by day care concerns, 15 % by breakfast, lunch or dinner. Working a second job was listed by 7 % while going to the gym by 6 %.. When asked what other modes the employee might use, 37 % stated bus, 19 % carpool, 9% bike, 10 % vanpool and 3 % walking. Of the alternative work schedules 23 % stated telecommuting, 19 % flex-time and 26 % compressed work weeks.

UTA Rideshare distributed 938 matchlists, 1,078 personal bus schedules and vanpool information to over 900 employees.

All but 4 companies/agencies surveyed during this quarter used some kind of compressed work schedule with 23 % of the employees participating. The most popular type was the 4/40 with 18 % of the employees participating.

Of those employees who returned their survey 40 % lived between 5 and 15 miles from the work site, with 20% living closer and 40 % further. The average distance to work for all surveyed employees was 14.64 miles. This translates into 197,098 vehicle miles per day, but when we factor in the Drive Alone Rate, it drops down to 136,018 vehicle miles traveled per day. The last item looked at is County to County flow, which is how many people work and live in the same county. For Salt Lake Employers, 80 % of their employees lived in Salt Lake County, with 12 % in Davis and 1.5 % in Weber County. For Utah County Employers, 83% lived in the county and 14 % live in Salt Lake County. In Davis County, 79% live in Davis County with 15% living in Weber County. In Weber County, 62% lived in Weber, 38% in Davis County. For Summit County, 76% lived in Summit County with 20% in Salt Lake County.

For more detailed information or if you have any questions, please call UTA Rideshare at (801) 262-5626.

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