| View All |
June 11, 2009
For Immediate Release
The estimated 8,000 Utah Valley University students who regularly use public transportation to get to and from campus could see a smoother commute if national, state and local transportation agencies approve a plan to upgrade transportation services.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG), in cooperation with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), are preparing an alternatives analysis and environmental assessment for transit and roadway improvements in Utah County. The potential improvements will serve key destinations including Brigham Young University, UVU, existing and planned student housing, retail malls, several employment centers, historic downtown Provo and two major regional intermodal centers.
Orem and Provo residents are invited to attend an open house, which will be held on Thursday, June 18, from 5-7 p.m. at UVU’s Sorensen Student Center’s Centre Stage, to learn more about the Bus Rapid Transit project around the UVU campus and options for an interchange at 800 South. Community feedback gathered at this event will assist the project team in identifying transit solutions that fit the needs of these communities.
Over the past few months, the project team has identified options that would allow the BRT project to cross I-15 in Orem to access the intermodal station on the west side of I-15. An interchange at 800 South in Orem was previously considered by UDOT as part of the I-15 Corridor Study in 2008, but was not selected as part of the preferred alternative for that project. However, FTA and FHWA are now considering including the 800 South interchange option as an alternative in the Provo-Orem BRT project. In addition to providing access to the Orem intermodal station, this alternative would increase connectivity to UVU and would alleviate future congestion on the University Parkway interchange.
More information regarding the project may be obtained by visiting the project Web site at www.provo-oremrapidtransit.info, by contacting the consultant team by phone at (801) 262-8700 or by e-mail at provo-oremrapidtransit@hwlochner.com or by contacting the project manager Chad Eccles at ceccles@mountainland.org or (801) 229-3824.
# # #
University Marketing Contact:
Erin Spurgeon
(801) 863-6807