At the Wasatch County Council meeting Wednesday, Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Dallin Koecher said there’s an upcoming opportunity to give public transit a try. About 1,000 people are expected to visit the area in mid-February for the 2022 Youth and Junior Biathlon Championships at Soldier Hollow.
“We thought about this idea of creating a bus route, or a circular, in the valley to take people around the valley in kind of an ongoing loop,” Koecher said. “We’ve been thinking about this idea for a long time, and this particular event at Soldier Hollow gave us the idea that maybe we could test how a circular might work, as we have a bunch of people in the valley for the winter, and how it might help our visitors move around the valley.”
Koecher proposed commissioning a bus from a local service for three weeks, from February 14 to March 3. It would run seven days a week, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
The proposed route would have two main stops, one in Heber near Wal Mart and hotels and another between the Homestead and Zermatt resorts in Midway. Other stops would be in Charleston, at Soldier Hollow, on Midway Main Street and in Heber City. Koecher said buses would come at 35- to 45-minute intervals.
The three-week period overlaps with the biathlon championships from February 21 to March 3. Rides on the bus would be free, and Koecher asked the council whether it would consider paying the $40,000 cost.
Part of the benefit he touted would be to give tangible research to a larger public transportation plan that’s been discussed in county meetings recently. Ideas in other meetings have included connecting a bus system to surrounding counties.
Councilors decided to table the item and discuss it at the next meeting, the first Wednesday of February.
Also at the meeting, the council finalized its redistricting process by sending local voting district and precinct maps to the state for review.
Five geographic districts determine which regions in the county specific councilors represent, and precincts are voting zones within the districts. The new maps include minor changes for some districts and precincts.
For Wasatch County maps, visit wasatch.utah.gov.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 2 at 3 p.m. at the county administration building at 25 North Main Street in Heber City. To attend via Zoom, visit wasatch.utah.gov.
