Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain residents will be getting express bus service to and from Salt Lake City after voting to approve a tax increase to join in Utah Transit Authority's coverage area.

With all of Saratoga Springs's five precincts reporting in by 11 p.m., its voters agreed roughly 2:1 to join UTA and raise sales tax by one quarter of a cent in their community. Unofficial numbers were 1,844 voters for the initiative and 929 against.

Eagle Mountain results showed a wider margin of approval, reporting in 40 minutes after Saratoga Springs polls with 1,783 voting to ratify the initiative and 509 opposed.

Passing the initiative allows UTA to provide bus service as soon as April 2009. Residents with disabilities in both cities will also have access to UTA's Paratransit program.

"I am going to use it," said Saratoga Springs resident Todd Abney. He waited 30 minutes to vote at Harvest Hills Elementary.

"They have UTA van pool at work," said Abney, who works at Novell in Provo. "I guess they've organized a Saratoga Springs van pool."

-- Cathy Allred