High Valley Transit executive director Caroline Rodriguez told the Wasatch County Council Wednesday one key lesson stands out after a year of public transit in the Heber Valley.
“Your utilization rates have reached the point where it is absolutely clear there is a demand for such service,” she said.
Fourteen months after the bus service debuted its 106 line from Park City to Heber City and brought its micro-transit vans to Wasatch County, public transit has support and continues to gain traction.
High Valley Transit has provided more than 175,000 rides to Wasatch County residents since November 2022, when it first started service in the valley. More than 70% of those rides are micro-transit trips, most of which are within Heber City.
Rodriguez presented ridership data to the Wasatch County Council Wednesday, Feb. 14. She said transit access has been a game-changer for many of the county’s 37,000 residents, especially low-income riders and residents who don’t have their own cars.
“One thing is clear: High Valley Transit is fulfilling an unmet need that was very apparent on the Wasatch County side,” she said.
She said the time is now to expand High Valley Transit’s offerings in the county, with 30- to 40-minute waits for micro-transit rides because of high demand.
As the county grows and brings new development, like the Deer Valley expansion north of Heber on U.S. 40, the need for transit will only increase. Several county councilmembers also point to demand among hospital workers and teachers for a route that would run between Heber and Utah County.
Wasatch County manager Dustin Grabau said formally annexing into High Valley Transit will require two additional transit sales taxes. But growing transit services in the county will eventually require investing in facilities like a park-and-ride, a transit center and vehicle storage for buses and vans.
“Just getting enough sales tax to cover the immediate operating costs is likely not going to be sufficient in the long run,” he said.
The county could apply for federal grants to help pay for capital projects, but taxes are the primary means of funding transit long term.
County leaders plan to discuss the direction for public transit in the valley at future meetings.