This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This August, the Utah Transit Authority will cancel many bus routes. Some routes warrant cancellation; others do not.
The heavily ridden Route 348, the Kearns Fast Bus, will come to an end. Route 348, which runs from South Jordan to downtown Salt Lake City in the mornings (and the reverse in the afternoons), provides a service to the west-side community that cannot be beat. Unless you have a car, it is the only efficient way to get downtown from this part of the valley. Not only does it get riders downtown fast, but it is environmentally sound.
However, UTA will force the many loyal passengers of 348 to ride the new Mid-Jordan TRAX line to get downtown from their west-side homes. This will be a huge inconvenience for the many who rely solely on 348 as a means of transportation. What used to be a 30-minute trip downtown on one bus will now take more than an hour with several transfers.
Many have begged UTA to reconsider. Instead, UTA will force many to purchase cars. Way to support the community, UTA!
Ajay K. Gupta
Salt Lake City