Letter to the Editor: Students deserve more transportation options

Utah State University is a large institution with students from all over the word, however USU has a significant unaddressed issue that is often completely overlooked by those in decision making positions. USU lacks any decent transportation options to leave the valley that don’t involve driving. Many students don’t own automobiles, some just want an alternative, others (like myself) have no desire to pay the price of airport parking for the entire holiday season.

At the time of writing, tickets booked a few weeks out on the leading shuttle service between USU and the airport ranged from around 40$ for early morning trips, to over 50$ for more ideal times in the afternoon and evening. This could mean a student flying to Denver for the holidays could conceivably spend more money getting to the airport than flying to Denver on a budget airline. Many students pay these rates (plus a requested driver gratuity) because there simply isn’t another option.

In 2017 the Cache Valley Transit District released their Short-Term Transit Plan, which involved in-depth analysis of potential future bus service. In this study, CVTD estimates that operating a route between the Logan Transit Center and the Ogden Frontrunner Station would likely cost $7.57 per rider (slightly less than 11$ adjusted for inflation). This route has been discussed several times over the years and many operating scenarios have been considered, nothing has ever come of it.

While the idea of a bus route out of the valley has been in limbo for several years another possibility has arisen. Several states have requested that the Amtrak Pioneer be restored. This route ran between Seattle and Salt Lake City and further on to Denver upon its cancellation in 1997. Pioneer took a route along the western side of the Cache Valley on Union Pacific-owned track. This route being restored would likely not solve the problem on its own. For its last several years in operation the Pioneer never actually stopped in the Cache Valley, and likely wouldn’t if service were restored unless some local government footed the bill to actually build a station and get a bus route established between the station and population centers on the east side of the valley.

USU is the largest university in the state without a decent transit connection outside the region in which it resides. This should be seen as an issue, students from outside the valley are dissuaded from attending USU because of a lack of decent transportation. I fear this problem isn’t apparent to those who are in decision making positions because they drive everywhere, they aren’t affected.