SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Transit Authority is working on enhancing the customer experience when it comes to bus stops, and their goal is to eventually make all 6,000 stops in their system ADA compliant.
“It doesn’t take long for a person in the wheelchair, in the middle of winter or on a hot summer day, to make it very uncomfortable waiting for a bus,” Todd Claflin, a UTA passenger, said.
UTA is currently working on making every single bus stop from Payson to Brigham City ADA compliant, and they're taking on several projects each year to meet the goal.
“Second South here in Salt Lake City, we decided to tackle this year, and we’re very excited to finish every bus stop on the corridor of Second South,” said Jacob Splan, a project manager for UTA.
If you ride along Second South, you'll notice that almost every bus stop has more to offer. Each includes an ADA loading zone and a four-by-eight shelter that leaves room for a wheelchair to pull in and rest.
The stops also offer additional benches, bike racks and trash cans.
“And when you have a nice pad like this, you have a ways to come sit out of the weather, out of the sun, and it makes waiting for buses much more comfortable, and using the system a lot easier,” Claflin said.
So far, 25 of the 33 stops along the Second South corridor are finished. The project should be completed by the end of the year.
“It’s one of our densest routes in the system—most riders per mile,” Splan said. “It’s highly visible. It serves our FrontRunner connection up to the U, up to the medical center, and numerous community centers across the state.”
With this project nearly checked off the list, UTA plans to dive into several more projects next year.
“Big projects that are coming for next year will be Washington Boulevard in Ogden, we’ll have State Street going through American Fork in Utah County,” Splan said. “Fifth East is also on the list, and that'll serve here Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake.”
UTA will also focus on widely traveled areas along Redwood Road and State Street.
“I’m very happy to see UTA aggressively trying to improve their stops,” Claflin said.
To see a complete list of next year's bus stop projects and follow along with the improvements, click here.
