Several bus lines across Salt Lake City – including two on the Westside – have been upgraded to have more frequent service. It’s part of a partnership between the city and UTA to launch Go Routes. Photo courtesy of UTA.
Public transportation routes around Salt Lake City – and here on the Westside – are being upgraded as part of a new partnership between the city and Utah Transit Authority (UTA).
Several bus routes and TRAX trains will now have more frequent service as part of this partnership; they will become designated “Go Routes.” These routes will operate every 15 minutes or less during peak hours – 6 am to 7 pm – Monday through Friday. In the off-peak hours, including on Sundays, the routes will operate every 30 minutes.
“Timing matters. Nobody wants to plan their entire day around when the next bus is coming,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “Sometimes, you just need to be able to show up and go.”
Four bus routes were chosen to become Go Routes due to their high ridership. These routes include bus routes 1, 2, 9, 21, 33, 35, 200, and 217. Routes 1 and 9 travel throughout the Westside, stopping in neighborhoods like Rose Park, Fairpark, Poplar Grove, and Glendale. All TRAX lines, including the S-Line Streetcar, will also become Go Routes.
Stops along the upgrade Go Routes will be receiving updated shelters and new branding over the next several months. Stops near the University of Utah have already been upgraded. Photo courtesy of UTA.
“Taking the bus is now easier than ever. It means less waiting, less stress, and more freedom to move through Salt Lake City,” explained Mayor Mendhenall. “Plus, it’s a huge win for our air quality.”
The Go Routes aren’t new routes; they’re existing routes that have been upgraded. New branding and updated bus stops will soon be coming to all of the routes as well, making it easier for riders to know which routes have more frequent service.
Executive Director of UTA Jay Fox says the Go Routes are “incredibly convenient, predictable, and reliable for our customers.”
These routes signal a growing partnership between UTA and Salt Lake City. In the past several years, the city has worked with UTA on the Zero Fare Zone downtown, as well as the dedicated bus lanes along 200 South. “Ridership data shows that those investments are paying off,” according to a UTA press release. “In 2022, riders took about 4.6 million trips on bus routes with enhanced service. By 2024, that number grew to more than 6.1 million.”
UTA is looking into additional Go Routes throughout Salt Lake County and along the Wasatch Front as need dictates and funding allows.
