UTA preparing a partial repeat of Free Fare February during NBA All-Star Game
All-Free for the All-Stars
By Benjamin Wood @BjaminWood
While it remains to be seen whether Utah lawmakers will take up Gov. Spencer Cox's call for a full year of free bus and train fares, the governing board of the state's largest transit district is moving forward with plans to offer free fares systemwide during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, to be hosted in February by Salt Lake City.
With a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the three-member Utah Transit Authority (UTA) Board of Trustees approved a resolution giving executive director Jay Fox the authority to waive fares between Feb. 12 and Feb. 21. The resolution also extends a program in which airline boarding passes double as transit fare for the duration of February 2023.
"It's a great opportunity for us to really show off our system as whole, not just to people coming from out of town, but also to the people who are here," said Trustee Beth Holbrook.
Earlier this year, Salt Lake City and UTA partnered on a Free Fare February pilot program, coinciding with a typically poor period for air quality along the Wasatch Front, exacerbated by winter inversion conditions. Surveys and data from the pilot showed a surge in ridership—including many first-time transit users—and a shift from a commuter-centric ridership to a more stable urban customer base using transit throughout the day and on weekends.
While many transit advocates hoped for a full repeat of the Free Fare February program, the wording of the resolution suggests a tighter timeframe more clearly focused on the expected crush of out-of-town guests and Downtown traffic during the highly anticipated All-Star Game. City officials have also hinted at the potential for partial closures of Main Street around the NBA event—following two years of successful experimentation with a pedestrianized Main during the summer months—although no firm plans have yet been released.
The All-Star Game also coincides with Utah's annual legislative session, during which lawmakers are expected to debate a $25 million budget request by Cox to extend the free-fare pilot for an entire year.
"We think its just a win-win-win all the way around," Cox said of eliminating transit fares during a recent press conference. "We know we have enough money this coming year in the budget to fund that proposal. Whether or not the Legislature decides that’s something they want to move forward with, that remains to be seen."
Following the vote of the trustees, UTA board chairman Charlton Christensen said more detail on fares and service plans would be available in January.
"We understand our operational folks that this will be a heavy lift for them especially in light of our challenges with staffing," Christensen said. "But we also know that we have a dedicated employees who are ready to step forward."
About The Author
Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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