This Monday kicks off Try Transit Week, to promote the Park City Transit system and lessen traffic, as the summer event season ramps up.
The bus is already fare-free, but from June 10 through June 16, the Park City and Summit County transportation teams will sweeten the deal with some swag. City and County councilmembers will hand out water bottles, gift cards and other prizes to folks riding Park City Transit next week.
Riders can park their cars at the Ecker Hill Park and Ride and the Kimball Junction Transit Center, and for summer events—such as 4th of July and Arts Fest—there are additional parking options, depending on the event.
Park City Associate Transportation Planner Alexis Verson says many residents utilize the bus service, but some barriers prevent people from getting on—mostly related to convenience. Verson says the transportation department is working to improve upon the time it takes to ride a bus.
“For example, during some of our events, we’re having a bus-only lane, so you don't have to sit in congestion in your car," Verson said. "It's actually much faster to access Old Town and some of these events by bus."
Try Transit Week will also familiarize riders with the new summer bus schedule, which begins June 7. The 4 Orange will start running again, and the 1 Red and 2 Green bus routes will run later in the evening.
Park City Transit Shift Supervisor Merrilee Hewitt says seasonal service changes are mostly subtle tweaks in route timing but understands the importance of keeping the schedule similar from season to season, to not confuse riders.
"That is one thing that we’re working toward, is to have more consistency in our service and reduce the number of changes," Hewitt said. "But some of that takes time, you know—it's funding, and there is a process of that, but we are working at that."
Additionally, the routes to Empire and Silver Lake will be serviced by buses with bike racks. The buses can only hold six bikes at a time, so for cyclists, it’s first come, first serve. Hewitt says that’s because the bus loads must be balanced for the safety of passengers.
For more information about service changes and Try Transit Week, visit parkcitytransit.org.
