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Salt Lake City residents can have a say in future bus and train service through a new "Design Your Transit System" survey.
Over the next four weeks, residents can visit http://survey.slcrides.org to make known their preferences known.
The new "Design Your Transit System" tool asks participants to prioritize elements of service, such as frequency and routes within a fixed monthly budget of $100. Based on choices, participants can see in real time how their priorities affect their budget and asks them to make choices when they exceed the fixed amount.
The new data will build upon what planners learned last summer during a series of 19 outreach events where residents expressed a clear desire for better bus and train service to more areas of the city.
The survey is part of the ongoing process of developing a comprehensive Transit Master Plan, a priority for Mayor Jackie Biskupski's administration.
"We want to hear from everyone as we move forward with our Transit Master Plan, not just from people who are already riding transit, but from everyone who needs to get around in Salt Lake City," said Robin Hutcheson, director of transportation. "We have decisions to make in the next few years and understanding how to make the biggest impact with limited resources will be crucial in moving forward."
City Hall is leading this outreach campaign, called SLCRides, in coordination with the Utah Transit Authority, regional planning agencies and community stakeholders.
"I am confident that if people who live and work in this city could get around better on public transportation they would do it," Biskupski said. "We need to explore new ideas to better serve the community, especially when it comes to bus service, and this new survey will help our transportation planners understand how residents would design service based on a limited budget."
If you wish to participate and need access to a computer, please visit any of the Salt Lake City Public Library locations. If you would like someone to help walk you through the transit tool, assistance is available at the Sorenson Unity Center's computer lab at 1383 S. 900 West and at all library branches during normal operating hours.
For assistance in English please call 801-535-6630. For assistance in Spanish please call 801-535-7706.
Ongoing opportunities for public participation can be found on the project's website at slcrides.org.
— Christopher Smart