Utah Transit Authority has decided it will not implement a distance-based fare system. But the organization still wants to change the way it charges riders currently.
UTA did an 18th-month study to determine if charging riders based on the distance they travel was a good idea. Right now, riders are charged a flat fee for trips, no matter how far they go. UTA Spokesman Remi Barron says they conducted polls and tested out the distance-based model in a couple of areas to get feedback from riders.
“For the most part, people thought it was too complicated, too cumbersome,” Barron says. “It didn’t meet their needs. They were looking for more simplistic approach to fares.”
UTA is a multi-modal transportation system, which includes light rail, commuter rail and buses. Barron says there are variations on distance-based fares that UTA may still consider, like charging riders when they move from one mode of transit to another.
“We’re trying to make it fair and equitable for everyone,” Barron says. “Some people have to travel a shorter distance than others and they would probably rather not pay the full fare. But we have to make sure that the changes that are made can be made in a reasonable fashion so people aren’t confused.”
Barron says distance-based fares would have had little impact on UTA revenues.
