7th Annual Magna Healthy Community Fair

7th Annual Magna Healthy Community Fair
“Health, Wellness and Safety”
Saturday, May 2, 2009
9:00am -1:00pm
Magna Recreation Center
8400 West 3270 South

See the flier for more information

• Door Prizes
• Face Painting
• Coloring Contest
• “Get Up, Get Walking, Get Healthy” Awards
• Over 70 Vendors

Since 2001, Magna Healthy Community (MHC) has been working to promote a safe, unified, growing, healthy community through education and access to wellness resources. This year Magna Healthy Community will again be co-sponsoring the event with The Utah Housing Coalition.

UTA Propose Changes to Paratransit Service

The attached legal notice will be posted in Sunday’s newspapers inviting public comment on proposed changes to UTA’s Paratransit service. The details  of the proposal are below and in the attachment.

Background:

The Utah Transit Authority established its paratransit service in 1988 to serve members of the disabled community who are unable to use fixed route services.  In 1990, the Federal government, as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), required transit agencies to ensure all buses and rail lines in operation were accessible.  In addition, the ADA required paratransit services be provided to eligible individuals within ¾ of a mile of a regular fixed route bus operating all day service, or a rail station.

Since implementing paratransit service in 1988, UTA has gone above and beyond for its riders with disabilities, providing service beyond what is required by ADA.  The agency continued to provide service beyond the ¾-mile rule, and has kept Paratransit fares lower than the amount allowed by ADA.  In addition, UTA has implemented a number of innovative programs to increase options for riders with disabilities.  For example, in 2002, UTA implemented the Freedom Access Pass, which allows paratransit-eligible riders to ride fixed route without paying a fare.

Paratransit ridership has grown significantly, but funding to support the expensive premium service has not.  It has become increasingly difficult for UTA – and transit agencies nationwide – to financially meet the inflation and growing demand for Paratransit service.  Over the past several years, UTA has re-evaluated paratransit service with regard to implementing the ADA guidelines.

The current economic downturn has significantly impacted UTA; sales tax revenues in 2008 were $18 million lower than projected.  UTA responded pro-actively to the economic downturn and has implemented budget reductions in all divisions.  As budget cuts are made across the agency, UTA must also now consider reductions in paratransit service.

Proposal:

At this time, UTA is proposing to implement paratransit service according to the ADA minimum guidelines.  The following will be presented in a series of public hearings in April, and are proposed to be implemented between July-August of this year:

· Reducing the service area for ADA paratransit services to only include origins and destinations within ¾ of a mile of an existing fixed bus route with all day service. The service area will also include origins and destinations within ¾ of a mile of TRAX, MAX bus rapid transit and FrontRunner stations. The ¾ mile service area will not apply to ski, commuter/express, fast bus, route deviation services, or other services not required by ADA regulations, or bus routes that run only in the morning and evening.

· Eliminating all discount fares on ADA paratransit service, specifically the monthly paratransit pass and discounts on multi-trip coupon books.

· Per ADA guidelines, increasing the paratransit one-way fare to double the adult regular fixed-route one way fare (e.g. if the regular adult one-way fare is $2.00, the paratransit one-way fare would be $4.00). If applicable, fuel surcharges still apply.

Possible Mitigation:

UTA recognizes that many of its riders will be impacted by the proposed changes, and the agency is working with community leaders and stakeholders to discuss the growing challenges and identify more sustainable solutions for providing transportation to persons with disabilities.  For the past year, UTA officials have been working with political and community leaders on a proposal to consolidate federal funds that are currently distributed throughout the state to dozens of entities that provide services to people with disabilities.

UTA is also looking at implementing new “flexible” fixed bus routes in areas that may not have paratransit service.  An example of this type of route is the F94 route in Sandy, which deviates with advanced request within a limited distance for a $1 additional fee.

Public Comment:

The schedule for the public hearings that will be held throughout UTA’s service area is as follows:

Salt Lake County:

· Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.
UTA Offices, Board Rooms, 3600 South 700 West, Salt Lake City

· Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
Salt Lake Community College, South City Campus, Rooms A, B and C, 1575 South State Street, Salt Lake City

· Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
South Valley School, Gymnasium, 8400 South 1700 West, West Jordan

Utah County:

· Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
Provo Library, Large Meeting Room, 550 North. University Ave., Provo

· Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
Provo Library, Large Meeting Room, 550 North. University Ave., Provo

Tooele County:  Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
Tooele County Building, Auditorium, 47 South Main St., Tooele

Weber County:  Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 12:00 noon
Weber County Library, Main Library, Large Meeting Room, 2464 Jefferson Ave., Ogden

Box Elder County:  Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
Brigham City Hall, Council Chambers, 20 North Main St., Brigham City

Davis County:  Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
Farmington City Hall, Multi-purpose Room, 130 North Main St., Farmington

Contacts Information For Constituents:

More information on the proposed paratransit changes is available at www.rideuta.com.  Individuals who have questions about how they may be affected by the proposed changes are invited to call UTA Customer Concerns at 877-882-7272.