FILE -- Leo Masic, Utah Transit Authority customer experience planner, sticks a sign on the door of a Utah Transit Authority bus at the Salt Lake Central Station in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The signs alert passengers that face masks must be worn in order to ride public transit. Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — You can get a free fare for a ride on all UTA systems to and from vaccination appointments through the end of June. The transit service announced on Wednesday the free fare is valid on TRAX, FrontRunner, S-Line, bus, Ski bus, Paratransit, UTA’s On Demand service, and PC-SLC Connect.
“We’ve got room on our trains, we can carry passengers, let’s go ahead and see what we can do to try to help get as many people vaccinated as we can. If transportation is an issue, and it’s going to keep somebody from getting a vaccination then we shouldn’t let that be a barrier or impediment,” says UTA spokesman Carl Arky.
Arky says riders with confirmed appointments need to show their appointment confirmation as proof of fare when they board. Any such confirmation may be printed or shown on a mobile device, including email or text confirmation. UTA will also accept your vaccination card with the appointment date as proof of fare.
“If riders can confirm it by showing it on their phones, or bringing a paper copy showing they’re being vaccinated or have been vaccinated that day, we think it’s going to be something that really helps get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible,” according to Arky.
UTA says if you are signed up for two appointments for a first and second dose, the free fare is valid by showing your confirmations on both those dates.
For those who choose transit to get their vaccinations and may not be regular users of rail or bus, Arky says you can always call their customer service line at 801-743-3882 and tell a service agent where and when you want to go, and they’ll map it all out for you.
Arky says despite the past year or so of COVID-19 limitations, major projects involving enhanced transit service in Ogden, expansion of service in Utah County, even talk of an extension of the S-Line in Sugar House are in either pre-planning or planning stages. He says it’s no secret that the population of Salt Lake City, and in other parts of Utah is on the way up, and that UTA is staying ahead of the curve.
COVID-19 coronaviruses transmitted from person to person. It is a virus that is similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
Utah’s Coronavirus Information
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Commonly asked questions, World Health Organization