Opinion: South Jordan residents should embrace public transportation

By Justin Adams

This week, South Jordan City published the results of its annual resident survey.

One finding that stood out to me was from this page, where survey respondents were asked what issues were most important to them. The top priority, apparently, is traffic. Yet the lowest-ranking priority for SoJo residents is public transportation. That just doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s like saying you’re very concerned about fires but don’t care about fire extinguishers.

I’m a big proponent of public transportation. It started on my LDS mission in France where I lived in multiple cities with robust public transportation networks. Then in college, I commuted to the University of Utah campus every day by bus. I even play a city building simulation game called Cities: Skylines, in which my favorite game mechanic is building out public transportation infrastructure. I know, right? What a nerd.

So it really pains me to see that public transportation isn’t a higher priority for my fellow South Jordan residents - because we really need it.

Sure, we have the end of the TRAX Red Line here in Daybreak, but aside from that, the southwest valley is kind of a transit desert. There aren’t really any bus lines to speak of, which is a major bummer for me. I live a short walk from South Jordan Parkway and work a short walk away from 10600 S. in Sandy. So if there was a bus line that ran along this major thoroughfare, I could easily commute by bus each day.

I imagine many other Daybreak residents would similarly take advantage of a frequent and reliable east-west bus route along either 10600 S. or 11400 S.

UTA does in fact plan on adding these routes, according to its long-range plan. But the line going down South Jordan Parkway isn’t currently slated to begin until sometime between 2032 and 2042 and the 11400 S. line isn't expected until 2042-2050.

I can’t really fault UTA for this timeline though. Why should they prioritize these lines when public transportation isn’t a top priority for those who live here? If they’re going to invest the money to create new lines, they need to be confident that those lines will have enough ridership to justify their existence. And results like those found in this South Jordan residents survey surely aren’t helping in that regard.

So, what can public transportation advocates like myself do?

First, make sure to use what public transportation options we do have, as much as possible. Look for opportunities to take the Red Line - up to Gardner Village, IHC, downtown or to the U of U campus. There is also Via, the on-demand ride-hailing service offered by UTA to residents of the south valley. By using these services more, we can show that there is a demand for more public transportation options in our area.

Second, you can use your voice. Email your state legislators. Comment on UTA social media posts. Respond to surveys. Heck, maybe we should put together a protest. “What do we want? An east-west bus line! When do we want it? Before 2030!”

If there’s one thing I know about government, it’s that there are limited resources, and those resources often go to whoever asks the loudest. So let’s get loud for public transportation!

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