The Utah Transit Authority recently proposed to extend the FarePay promotional rail and bus discount through 2017. The discount saves riders 40 percent off bus fare and up to 20 percent off rail fare when they pay with a FarePay card. The recommendation is part of UTA’s 2017 Tentative Budget, which was approved by the UTA Board of Trustees today and will be finalized in December after a public comment period has concluded.
“FarePay is becoming more popular with our customers, increasing the ease and convenience of riding our buses and trains. We expect this extension to help while transitioning more of our riders to electronic fare media,” said UTA President & CEO Jerry Benson. “UTA hasn’t had a fare increase in several years now and we are glad to be able to continue this promotion while maintaining a fiscally responsible operating budget.”
FarePay is a convenient fare payment method that eliminates the need to purchase a ticket or use exact change to board a bus. Riders can add any amount of money between $5 and $500 to a reusable FarePay card and pay as they go, tapping on and off the system at electronic card readers.
Riders have used FarePay for more than 5.7 million boardings since the card was launched in October 2013. The card originally provided riders with a 20 percent discount off both bus and rail fare. The bus discount was increased to 40 percent in July 2015 to commemorate UTA’s 45th anniversary.
FarePay is available online, at UTA Customer Service locations, and at nearly 400 local retailers throughout UTA’s service rea, including select 7-11, Maverick, Walgreens and Associated Foods stores throughout the Wasatch Front. There is a one-time $3 fee to purchase a FarePay card. The cards can be registered online to protect against lost and theft. Creating an online account also allows riders to check their balance, easily add more money to a card or sign up for automatic reloads from a debit, credit or bank account.
