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A new type of bus service kicked off today. Although it only serves a narrow band in the Salt Lake Valley, some predict the idea will eventually spread up and down the Wasatch Front. The Trax station on 3300 South anchors one end of that narrow band. The new bus service will run west from here, along 3500 south, all the way to Magna and back.
And it's different. It's meant to combine the advantages of buses and trains. Party poppers and confetti paved the way for the state's next experiment in transit: A bus that behaves more like a train.
MAX looks only a little different. It's maybe a little quieter and smoother. MAX passenger Lindsay Horger said she liked the bus. Her sister, Natalie Horger, said MAX was smoother than other rides. Their grandmother, Jeril Ann Brown, said, "I think it's a lot faster than the regular bus service." Utah Transit Authority (UTA) officials say that's the big selling point. "The bus will be able to have faster travel times and more reliable schedules," said Hal Johnson with UTA.
How it does that is what makes it really different. Because MAX buses flash signals to get medium priority at intersections, they're more likely to hit green lights. MAX will also have its own lanes, eventually. Like a train, MAX won't have to share the road with cars, at first from 2700 West to Bangerter Highway. "That's where the most congested section of 3500 South is," Johnson said. "And eventually, we're looking at extending that further west out to 5600 West and tying into the Mountain View Corridor Project."
The other advantage is fewer stops. There are 11 stops between Magna and the TRAX station where kickoff ceremonies were held. John Inglish, UTA general manager, said, "In fact, our customers this morning are already experiencing a little bit of difficulty because they get on at one of our express stops, and then we manage to whiz right by all of their little local stops. They'll catch on to that pretty quickly."
Will MAX crowd out automobiles from the center into fewer lanes? UTA officials promise that won't happen because, eventually, 3500 South will be widened to accommodate three car lanes in each direction. Johnson said, "The average car driver should be unaffected from today." Construction on those special MAX-only lanes should begin in the next few months. After a free day today, it's two bucks a ride with easy transfers to the TRAX line. In fact, that's another big selling point: the North-South TRAX line is now link to a fast East-West route. Let's call it TRAX meets MAX.
E-mail: hollenhorst@ksl.com
