The Utah Transit Authority recently announced plans to restore service back to 91% of pre-pandemic offerings on Aug. 23. This change is sorely needed.
Ridership is currently about 70% below normal, but there is still a sizable segment of the community — in particular low-income residents — who depend on public transit to perform essential activities like getting to work.
Slashing service may have been a cost-effective move, but it came with some staggering consequences for riders — and not just an even more cumbersome commute. As a daily rider of the 9 bus route and TRAX, I’ve found that social distancing has been far more difficult to achieve since the service reduction.
I appreciate the mask requirement, but proper social distancing is also essential to slow the spread of COVID-19. Going forward, I hope the increased service will lead to a safer transit experience for all.
Ryan D. Curtis, Salt Lake City