In Wasatch County, High Valley Transit Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez said microtransit shuttle use has taken off; residents are the primary users.
“On the Park City side or the Summit County side,” she said, “we generally have seen a slight dip in ridership during traditional shoulder seasons. On the Wasatch County side, that doesn't happen. Now, we've only had service for not even a year. However, what that data tells us is that it's their locals that are using the public transit service.”
Microtransit shuttles pick up and drop off within confined service areas: the Heber Valley, Summit County and Park City. To travel between those zones via High Valley, riders have to take buses.
A recent study showed 97% of riders who take microtransit, then buses to other zones are from the Heber Valley.
In August, there were over 12,600 rides in Summit County, which is just short of half of all August rides. Over a third happened in Wasatch County which had 9,600, and Park City saw a little over 4,000 rides.
Throughout the year, Summit County counted 150,000 rides, with about 68,000 in Wasatch County and a little over 4,000 in Park City, where microtransit has been an option since July.
High Valley surveyed riders in Wasatch County and found over 60% of respondents did not own a car, and 38% said they use microtransit to get to or from work.
Rodriguez said because of the popularity, she expected to start to use one of High Valley’s eight new electric buses for the route between Heber City and Park City.
