THUMB DOWN: UTA hikes prices • The Utah Transit Authority already has some of the highest fares in the nation, yet it just has approved an increase of 25 percent over the next two years. Like everyone else, the transit agency is facing higher fuel costs. We get that. It also will expand service when two new TRAX lines open this summer. But when monthly passes go to $83.75, people will think twice about hopping a train or bus to save money. The UTA still will be a good value, but unless it saves commuters a lot of money, they are unlikely to sacrifice the privacy and convenience that come from driving a private automobile. Riding the UTA also costs commuters precious time, especially when transfers between buses and trains don't work efficiently. Patrons will factor that into their decision, too. Bottom line: Unless gasoline prices rise dramatically, the UTA risks pricing itself out of the market with this latest fare hike.

THUMB DOWN: Vile vial • When a vial of VX nerve agent could not be found Jan. 26 at Dugway Proving Ground, officials locked the base down. But there was a breakdown in communications with state and local law enforcement officials, who did not learn of the potential emergency until hours later. Base personnel claim they tried to get the word out; the governor's spokeswoman said they didn't follow protocol. Gov. Gary Herbert rightly took the issue to the base commander personally. As it turned out, the vial was found and had never left the base. It was an accounting mistake. But given the deadliness of the toxins that are subject to experiments at Dugway, communications to outside public safety officials must be swift and sure in an emergency. Obviously, this was not the case. Just as obviously, it must not happen again.

THUMB UP: Simplify, simplify • It shouldn't require a law degree to understand the instructions a judge gives to a jury. But sometimes the legalese the jury must decipher is so arcane and complicated, jurors can misunderstand it. And that can lead to a mistrial or, worse, the wrong verdict. That's why the work being done by two Utah Supreme Court committees to simplify the wording used in instructions is so important. But the task is daunting. Turning legal terminology into everyday language while retaining the legal meaning is a challenge. Especially for these groups of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys who must, in the end, agree — something they don't normally do. As the instructions specific to each type of trial and crime are completed, we hope courts will adopt them, for the sake of jurors and defendants.