Wednesday marked the first day that Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University students, staff and their dependents can ride Utah Transit Authority services for free, which includes all buses, TRAX light-rail, FrontRunner commuter trains, and the soon-to-open Utah Valley Express, or UVX.

The gray articulated buses have been making laps up and down the UVX route, with the Provo FrontRunner station at one end and the Orem intermodal hub at the other end, via the two major universities and other popular stops in both cities.

The UVX line has long been known as the BRT line, which is practically a swear word in certain circles in Provo and Orem. The bus rapid transit project was fraught with lawsuits, litigation and intra-city arguments for years. Now that the dust has mostly settled and lawsuits have been dismissed, just days stand between BYU and UVU students and a free ride on the UVX.

We recognize why this was such a contentious, heated issue for years. There were definite issues on whether proper governmental processes were followed in creating interlocal agreements, in balancing administrative, legislative and executive powers, and whether voters had the right to vote on the BRT project or if representatives could vote and decide on the issue themselves.

We don’t doubt there are many deep-seated feelings both for and against the BRT project still rooted in the hearts of many Provo and Orem residents. We don’t question that validity. It’s a challenge to watch rapid change, especially as rapid of change that Utah Valley is constantly undergoing. Just six years ago, Vineyard had just barely 150 residents making up its population. Now, more than 15,000 residents call the once tiny town home.

The times, they are a-changin’, so said Bob Dylan. But because of that sentiment, we must plan ahead to ensure future generations’ prosperity and livelihood.

The UVX will do exactly that. It will reduce thousands of cars on the road, expand the use of future UTA services and improve daily ridership of public transit.

When TRAX was first pitched in Salt Lake County, it was widely denounced as an unnecessary service, despite the growing congestion on Interstate 15. The prophecies of empty trains were widely spread — not far afield from what was said of UVX before its buildout has even been completed.

Now, try to imagine Salt Lake County without TRAX. Imagine Salt Lake County without the 65,000 daily weekday boardings, according to 2016 data provided by UTA. To extend the comparison, imagine the 17,000 daily users on FrontRunner, not on I-15 or its arteries that further clog every year.

TRAX was first criticized as being unnecessary more than 20 years ago. Many experts say than in 20 years, our county’s population will nearly double. With two major universities at the heart of the county, and the growing demand to access the other UTA services at both sides of the route, we can’t imagine a future without UVX.

We hope that when the service opens in two weeks, students and their associates will take advantage of the UVX service. We also encourage those who doubt its viability to take a ride on the line. One could feasibly go from BYU campus all the way to the Salt Lake Airport and only make two transfers to other modes of transit. It may not always be the cheapest option, and riding UVX or FrontRunner isn’t available for Sunday service unfortunately, but it can be a convenient and reasonable solution for the overcrowding too often seen on Utah roads. Expanding the packed, cramped roads, as some have proposed, is a Band-Aid solution, one that must be redone in just another few years at this rate.

We understand UVX isn’t a solution for every motorist and commuter. Some will never use UVX, no matter the incentive, which is a position they are completely at liberty to take. To those, we say that just because you may not use this service, doesn’t mean others won’t. This doesn’t mean thousands of students won’t pack the buses as they cruise up and down University Avenue and University Parkway. This doesn’t mean commuters won’t be using another mode of transportation to go to and from their places of employment.

There will also be little complications with traffic becoming accustomed to a new mode of transit sharing the streets. Education will be paramount in understanding that motorists cannot cross the double white lines for buses only, the same that the average motorist wouldn’t hop onto a TRAX line.

We genuinely hope the ridership rates for UVX justify its being. It would be a waste of time, money and many headaches and exchanged swear words on commutes if it isn’t used. Students will likely be a driving force behind that. We hope their enthusiasm and zeal for embracing new opportunities snowballs to the rest of those who could use UVX so they can truly gain their own opinion of its viability.