Dive Brief:
- This spring, the Utah Transit Authority debuted a new bus rapid transit route and began construction on a streetcar line extension, as it reported stronger transit ridership.
- The seven-mile-long Midvalley Express bus rapid transit route began on April 12, making it the third BRT route in the UTA system. Construction to extend its S-Line streetcar line to a new station began on May 20. The extension will serve the Sugar House business district and the University of Utah health center.
- UTA reported it saw more than 40.3 million boardings across bus, rail, light rail, streetcar, vanpool, paratransit and microtransit services in 2025. Bus ridership has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, the transit agency said.
Dive Insight:
Some 150 miles of new fixed-guideway transit lines are expected to open across North America this year, including 13 projects in the U.S. To date, Los Angeles has opened a nearly 4-mile extension of one of its subway lines; Seattle opened the final 7-mile segment of its light rail line across Lake Washington; Kansas City, Missouri, extended its streetcar line to the city’s riverfront; and Atlanta opened that metro area’s first bus rapid transit line.
The all-electric Midvalley Express BRT line “connects local destinations and planned developments” with the transit hub on the Taylorsville campus of Salt Lake Community College, UTA said.
UTA’s two-mile-long S-Line streetcar, which runs alongside a bike and pedestrian greenway, has been in operation since 2013. It links residential and commercial areas and connects with UTA’s TRAX light rail system and transit bus lines. UTA said it expects to complete the extension by fall 2027.
“As Utah continues to grow, we’re focused on expanding access, improving frequency, and investing in modern infrastructure,” UTA Executive Director Jay Fox said in a statement. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about what’s ahead for UTA customers across the Wasatch Front.”
