×
×
homepage logo

Utah County elected officials hope newly implemented UTA service can help ease transportation challenges

By Curtis Booker - | Jul 29, 2025
1 / 5
The Utah Transit Authority's On Demand app is shown in this undated photo.
2 / 5
Utah Transit Authority Community Outreach Manager Doraleen Taulanga explains the agency's On Demand service Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at Lakeview Elementary School in Provo.
3 / 5
Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran welcomes the crowd to a town hall regarding the Utah Transit Authority's On Demand service Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at Lakeview Elementary School in Provo.
4 / 5
The exterior of a Utah Transit Authority On Demand vehicle is shown Wednesday, May 7, 2025, outside of the Provo Airport.
5 / 5
This map shows the designated coverage area for the Utah Transit Authority's On Demand zone for west Provo/Orem.

As city leaders across Utah County continue to explore ways to accommodate population growth, a big piece of the puzzle is planning for more vehicles on the road and how to alleviate traffic congestion.

One answer could be more accessible: public transit.

In May, the Utah Transit Authority launched its On Demand service for the first time in Utah County. The Uber-like program spans 8.6 square miles, covering west Provo and Orem.

Now, a little more than two months later, county elected officials want to ensure that residents know the benefits of having the transit option in their area.

On Wednesday, Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran, Rep. Lisa Shepard, who represents west Provo and Orem in House District 61, and Provo City Councilmember Becky Bogdin hosted a town hall meeting at Lakeview Elementary School in Provo.

The event served an educational purpose for the community members, as UTA staff walked citizens through using the On Demand app to plan and book a ride.

Beltran said the county leaders and elected officials are excited to finally have the service accessible for local residents, and they want to make sure that it’s successful — in hopes that UTA will look at offering On Demand in other areas of Utah Valley.

“Traffic is obviously our number one concern, our number one issue with quality of life. And so we’re looking at it in other areas, specifically Eagle Mountain, Saratoga (Springs) and west Lehi,” he said.

UTA’s On Demand acts similar to a rideshare service, except that it isn’t a “door to door” service. Riders are picked up and dropped off within close proximity to their destination.

The current west Provo/Orem zone includes several destinations like the Provo Airport, Epic Sports Park, Provo High School, Provo City Hall, Utah Valley Hospital, the Orem Walmart location, and both the Provo and Orem Central Front Runner stations.

“Some people may not be able to drive anymore, or there might be a reason they can’t drive right then. So this opportunity to have this to get you up to the hospital, to get you over to Walmart, to get you down to the airport, to get you over to the high school — that is an incredible service,” Shepard said.

Bodgin said she has often heard from constituents in her area in west Provo about the lack of public transit in the area. She believes the new UTA service fills the gap for aging adults who can no longer drive or for anyone without a car and looking for an alternate means of transportation.

“To me, it’s not necessarily about connecting to the Front Runner train; it’s about connecting people to services that just aren’t here in west Provo,” she told the Daily Herald.

During the town hall meeting, some citizens raised concerns about navigating UTA’s mobile application for the On Demand service, booking a ride in advance and scheduling flexibility.

Beltran said those concerns are valid, but that’s why the meeting was important — to help residents feel more at ease in trying the service out.

The county commissioner said his hope is to see On Demand launched in northern Utah County, where easing travel between Lehi and Eagle Mountain is a top priority.

“We’d love to connect a network where you could be at (the) Eagle Mountain city center and get to the Lehi Front Runner on public transit,” he said. “And so, these kinds of town halls let people know about the service, how it works and how affordable it is.”

UTA’s five-year plan includes implementation of the On Demand service in Lehi, but Beltran hopes UTA can be convinced to make it happen much sooner.

“And also we’re willing, as a county, to kind of expedite them to where maybe it’s on the five-year plan, and we can get it done in a year,” he told the Daily Herald.

Beltran notes that UTA has allowed for a two-year period to gather an accurate account of how the service is working in the county.

While the On Demand microtransit service is still new to west Provo and Orem residents, UTA spokesperson Gavin Gustafson said it’s still early for exact ridership data, but he assured that people are using it.

“Things are going well; it’s trending to be at or ahead of our projections,” he told the Daily Herald in a phone call Monday afternoon.

Gustafson said UTA is aware of the transportation challenges communities across Utah County are facing, and the agency would likely consider the current route in west Provo and Orem as it look at future transit options, such as On Demand.

“Raw ridership goes into all of it, but then the usage over the first year,” he explained. “For example, the west Provo (and Orem route) is definitely going to influence where we go next.”

Gustafson adds that while On Demand is a fantastic option for transit, it may not be the ideal solution for everyone all the time.

He encouraged people to try the service out but also emphasized the importance of understanding the nature of its intended use.

“It’s a fantastic service for what it is,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s important for people to look into it a little bit and make sure they know what they’re getting into and what it’s designed for.”

More information about the On Demand service and how to use it can be found at rideuta.com/Services/UTA-On-Demand.

Starting at $4.32/week.

Subscribe Today