15-cent fares for TRAX in mid-December

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Utah Transit Authority is giving a birthday present to riders to celebrate 15 years of TRAX service: 15-cent fares between Dec. 15 and the end of the month.

That is a 94 percent discount from the regular fare of $2.50.

But the deal has one small catch. That rate is available only to people using UTA's electronic FAREPAY cards. The fares are also available only on TRAX, and are not offered on buses, streetcars or FrontRunner commuter trains.

FAREPAY cards are available at hundreds of retail stores, including Walgreens and Associated Food Stores, and through rideuta.com. A one-time activation fee of $3 is required for the reloadable cards.

The first TRAX line, between Sandy and downtown Salt Lake City, began in December 1999. As UTA expanded with other lines throughout the valley, TRAX ridership grew from 19,458 riders in its first year to 64,554 this year.

Besides the 15-cent fare promotion, UTA said it plans to thank patrons by occasional giveaways including free preloaded FAREPAY cards. More information on the giveaways is available by following UTA on Facebook or Twitter.