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The Utah Transit Authority set another new record for ridership in 2014, but it fell short of the goal the agency had set for itself.
Ridership grew to 45.1 million boardings in 2014, up from the previous high of 44.1 million in 2013. A boarding is every time a rider enters a train or bus. With transfers, it is possible for one trip to have several boardings.
That is a 2.2 percent increase over 2013, according to preliminary numbers reported Wednesday in UTA board committee meetings. It fell short of the 4 percent increase that the UTA board had set as a goal for 2014.
With the extra 1 million boardings, UTA spokesman Remi Barron said, "We are happy that so many new people have discovered the ease and convenience of using transit."
He added, "As we move forward, we are studying the best ways to increase service through more efficient operations and scheduling, and we look forward to another successful year."
UTA reported receiving revenue from passenger fares of $49 million in 2014. Operating expenses were $228 million. It said the average subsidy per ride from sales tax and other sources was $3.97.
Lee Davidson