Saratoga Springs would be much better off passing a CARE tax to help the city with more urgent needs like a library, recreation, and arts. The city currently has money to build parks but do it because there is no money to maintain them. Though it isn't a lot money now both Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs will mourn the loss of millions of dollars when they reach build out. Both cities have the potential to be as big as Orem down the road and UTA can't wait to enjoy their sales tax contributions without offering any substantial services.
If we were getting a TRAX station then it would be worth it, but the congestion that two temporary buses would reduce won't be recognizable. Vanpools to several different cities would also be much more effective.

I am generally for transportation improvements, but this is a joke. The UTA will get several million dollars when these cities continue to grow for providing limited service to Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain. A better use of the money is for a really nice library, a super park, or etc. Right now, Saratoga Springs can't afford to maintain all parks they have money to build. Why not make a real difference to the cities and pass a CARE tax instead?

Better uses for sales tax monies--recreation, parks, libraries, pools, etc. Poor investment for Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain. Why should these cities pay the same rate as the other larger cities, when they will get hardly any service promised? Transportation improvements are good if they make sense, this one doesn't.

"That is a socialistic concept, and I won't support it," one said.

I wonder if the person who posted this comment really tries to live true capitalism. If he/she is a Mormon, then tithing is a socialist concept and forget about the law of consecration. If he/she has children in school, I highly doubt that the taxes he/she pays are equal to the cost of educating the children. It is impractical to live in a truly capitalist world where we pay for everything we use from the roads we drive on to the schools where we educate our population. A little socialism keeps us a little more civil and concerned about the general welfare of others. A true capitalist society would be a dog eat dog world and would eventually look like a Mad Max movie.

The idea of getting 25% of trips on UTA buses or 15% congestion reduction is absurd!

UTA, UDOT, MAG, and Census data disagree!

UTA's share of all trips in Utah County is less than 1%.

A joint MAG/WFRC 1993 study charted UTA's share below that of every means of travel at 1%.

Census data for 2000 showed that UTA's work-trip share dropped from 1.8% in 1990 to 1.4% in 2000. This exceeds the share of work trips on motorcycles, but not in other vehicles.

UTA only carries a small but significant share of student trips to UVU and BYU, thanks to over 50,000 free or virtually free passes. The Legislative audit last January of UTA, (Audit # 2008-03), showed that education pass holders get the highest subsidy, 92% of all who ride transit. "We estimate that the value of of the discount granted to students and faculty beyond what other fare pass hoilders pay is roughly $6.3 million per year", the audit said. (Page 68)

Transit is a TIME KILLER!
I have calculated from Census data the ratio of car trips under 30 minutes to transit trips. It is 189 to one!

UTA is deceiving Utah County with junk data!

The previous comment was mine. I didn't have room for my name:

Michael T. Packard, BSEE