This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Times are tight and unpopular bus routes are under scrutiny at the Utah Transit Authority, but at least riders can expect some relief at the fare box when winter ends.
One and likely both of this year's 25 cent-per-ride fuel surcharges will disappear April 1 because of falling diesel prices.
Officials said both surcharges will fall away in the new year's second quarter if fuel prices stay about where they are through month's end. But the current $2.25 fare probably will drop to only $2 because the agency is expected to impose a regularly scheduled fare increase -- originally planned for January but bumped to April.
On Wednesday, the agency's board approved a $200 million operating budget for 2009. It was scaled back after sales-tax projections took a $14 million hit.
The economic hardship has the agency scouring its budget, although no bus cuts would happen before a scheduled April service change. The department's business managers are producing a list of poor-performing routes for possible cuts, UTA General Manager John Inglish said, although the staff is looking for other changes first.
If reduced services does come, spokeswoman Andrea Packer said, it's possible the chosen routes would lose trip frequency instead of service altogether.
"It will take more of a scalpel approach rather than a shovel or a hatchet," Packer said.
Board member Keith Bartholomew said the tightening revenues and uncertain 2009 economy may be cause for rethinking the reliance on sales taxes to fund public transportation. He suggested a legislative or other panel study possible options.
Sales taxes are expected to provide UTA with nearly $196 million in the coming year, for use both in the operating budget and to finance construction of rail and other projects. Passenger fees will provide $36 million.
The board approved the budget without any comment or discussion of its ramifications, other than to thank UTA staffers and its own budget subcommittee members for hashing it out beforehand. Board President Larry Ellertson, a Utah County commissioner, noted the lack of comment and said the discussion had occurred within the subcommittee.
"We use our committee to do a lot of the pre-work so when it comes here we don't have to spend that time again," Ellertson said during the meeting.
The budget subcommittee meeting on Dec. 3 was closed to the public and UTA declined Salt Lake Tribune request for the minutes on grounds that the subcommittee is not subject to the state's open-meetings law because it does not include a majority of the board and makes no decisions.
The Utah Transit Authority last spring and summer imposed 25-cent fuel surcharges based on diesel's rise past $3 and then $4 per gallon.
Those fees were added in the quarter after fuel exceeded those thresholds over a three-month average, but also must be removed a quarter after prices average below those levels. If today's prices hold through next week, both 25-cent charges will vanish April 1.
The catch is that UTA delayed a regularly scheduled 25-cent fare hike from Jan. 1 to whenever the fuel surcharges come off, so the regular ticket price on April 1 likely will be just 25 cents cheaper.
» Last winter's fare: $1.75.
» Today's fare: $2.25.
» Likely April fare: $2.