![]() What’s new: Blue Line and data validation In a new study published in Urban Science, researchers including Daniel Mendoza and Logan Mitchell report the latest from the TRAX Observation Project, including data validation studies that bolster the data’s value for other researchers and three case studies from recent events showcasing the abilities of the mobile air quality sensors. Now the study, once a passion project of U researchers, has become a state-funded long-term observatory, with an additional sensor on the Blue Line into Sandy and Draper and additional insights into the events that impact the Salt Lake Valley’s air, including summer fireworks and winter inversions. Their top answers in order were: cleaning and disinfecting limiting passenger loads for proper social distancing increased service levels and reduced fares.This article, originally published in February 26, 2020, was written by Paul Gabrielsen, Science Writer, University of Utah Communicationsįor more than five years, University of Utah air quality sensors have hitched rides on TRAX light rail trains, scanning air pollution along the train’s Red and Green Lines. When nonriders were asked what would increase their likelihood of returning, their top four answers in order were: continuing to limit passenger loads to accommodate social distancing better cleaning and disinfecting a change in their need to travel to work once the pandemic ends and offering increased service levels.Ĭurrent riders gave a slightly different list about what would help keep them riding. When the survey asked why passengers stopped riding - and allowed them to list all of their contributing reasons - 55% said they now work from home, 48% said they switched to driving personal vehicles, and 42% said It was because of concern for their personal health and safety. ![]() Recent surveys conducted by UTA found that two of every five (41%) customers who stopped riding UTA during the pandemic say it is unlikely that they will ever return. UTA received $187 million in a first round of aid from Congress, and a package passed last month added another $33.5 million. UTA Executive Director Carolyn Gonot said UTA has been able to make ends meet financially amid such loss in ridership largely because of emergency federal aid. “It’s a big gap to close, he added, “But I was encouraged to see that at least inching back up in a positive direction through the course of the year.”Ĭummins said that while UTA has lost groups such as office workers, who largely have worked at home during the pandemic, “The one thing that has stayed constant is the essential worker” whom he said still needs UTA daily. “Not that being down by 47% is great, but when you think of losing only half of our ridership with all the major institutions that are fundamentally” converting to working at home, “it’s actually pretty amazing that we’ve held that ratio as well as we have,” he said. UTA Board Chairman Carlton Christensen said he’s actually surprised that ridership isn’t down even more. He noted that UTA ridership had actually been increasing in January and February last year before COVID-19 hit, and then it plummeted without ever recovering much. He said riders took 23.53 million trips in 2020, down from 44.24 million in 2019.
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