ISO 9001 Gap analysys: Routes 811, 816

ISO 9001 Gap analysis for routes 811 (TRAX Connnector) and 816 (Utah County Night Service)

ISO QPMS and EMS categories: SP 1 (Customer Comment), SP 25 (Connection Protection), SD 14 (Service Plan Development), SD 16 (Service Change Implementation), SD 1 (Service Delivery and Preservation), SD 15 (Operating Plan/Defining Implementation Requirements).

Issue 1. South EOL Route 811.
Issue 2. Service and convenience issue Route 811.
Issue 3. Sham hearing February 2005 Route 811, relates to issue 1.

Issue 1. Route 811 from its original inception as Route 1 in 1985 has always historically served the East Bay area of Provo. For many years it might not have made sense because there was not much down in that area of town. Novell, the old Sears building (now vacant again) and both East Bay's shopping area on the east side of University Avenue and especially the new Provo Towne Center Mall have arisen since the original 811 routing was created.

Modifications for convenience of riders in northern Utah County have been made, but those are not at issue at present. Namely these were brought about in January of 1990 after the cities there voted to have UTA service them.

However, this balance was upset in April 2005 when UTA decided without considering public input (see issue 3 below) to end the route at 300 South in Provo.

Solution for issue 1: Restore segment for route 811 between 300 South in Provo and at least Provo Towne Center. This will provide a very convenient and one-bus path for those wishing to go from mall to mall in Utah County. This includes the Meadows in American Fork, and University Mall. This may, with proper publicity, help to mitigate traffic issues around all three as one could use this route as a quick way to get to all three. Right now it is only possible with route 850 but that takes at least twice as long as that one takes the old highway almost all the way between the three malls.

Issue 2. Service and convenience issue: The statements above indicate there is a serious service and convenience issue. The above would increase ridership on the route and also free up additional space on other routes serving the same areas for local residents to use to get to the same places. That would increase the efficiency of all routes involved, one of the goals of ISO 9001.

Service issue route 816: 1051pm bus eliminated with little public input allowed, may become equal access issue for the disabled as well, because that limits them from attending major events in Salt Lake including symphony concerts, concerts at Temple Square, and even red-hot Jazz games that are very close. You would have to leave some of these events early to catch the 951pm bus back that exists right now and was renamed 811 in 2005.

Issue 3. Sham public hearing on this matter: In February 2005 a public hearing was held prior to discontinuing service on route 811 beyond 300 South in Provo.

However, that was nothing more than a sham to say they held one. The decision was already made to eliminate the route section. Same for the 2006 drop of the last trip on 816 except no hearing was held as required probably by law and definitely by UTA's own internal procedure because that affected more than half the route.

I was there, and had the entire room other than the UTA officials there turned against the elimination of the route section named in issue one of this analysis. That was not the first time I have seen such outrage and it going unheeded by present UTA senior managers and the board.

They also advertised the hearing would last from 6pm to 9pm. I can verify that it started on time as I was there. However, I went to find someone who wanted to speak there, but he was not home. But I went to the hearing location, the room in Academy Square in Provo where it was held about 815pm that night and found they had left early, contrary to legal requirements.

Solutions to 811 and 816 route and scheduling issues,

Difficulty level: easy to moderate.
Route 811 issue: Extend south end of route to at least the Provo Towne Center stop used as an EOL already for 830 and 832. Or use EOL that the 850 uses by the empty Sears bulding on 1600 South.
Route 816 issue: Restore both 951pm and 1051pm trips weekdays, renaming the 951 trip and using State Road and American Fork Main Street to Orem rather than the freeway provides needed night service to nearly 100,000 residents who do not otherwise live near enough to a bus to use it. If you include the northern 2/3 of Orem that figure goes up to 170,000.

Northbound restore trips at the times they previously were listed as beginning on the south end of Provo.