Ogden/WSU BRT

Ogden/WSU BRT, is a planned 5.3-mile (8.5 km) (bus rapid transit, or "BRT") line in southern Ogden, Utah, United States. The line will be operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and will run between the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center FrontRunner station) to the McKay-Dee Hospital, by way of Weber State University (WSU). It is anticipated to be completed by summer 2022 (or sometime in 2023).[2][1]^:3–6 It is the third of several BRT lines that UTA has (or is planning) along the Wasatch Front. UTA refers to its BRT routes as "light rail on rubber tires".[3]

Ogden/WSU BRT
Overview
Status	Operating
Owner	Utah Transit Authority (UTA)
Locale	Ogden, Utah United States
Termini	Ogden Intermodal Transit Center McKay-Dee Hospital
Stations	13[1]
Service
Type	Bus rapid transit (BRT)
System	UTA MAX
Operator(s)	UTA
Technical
Line length	5.3 miles (8.5 km)[1]
Operating speed	40 miles per hour (64 km/h) (maximum posted speed limit)

Description

Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner locomotive at the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center, May 2017

The Ogden/WSU BRT line will connect the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center with Lindquist Field, The Junction, the Ogden/Weber Municipal Building, downtown Ogden, Ogden High School, Weber State University (including the Dee Events Center), and McKay-Dee Hospital. Much of the route will run along Harrison Boulevard (SR‑203). UTA had anticipated having the Ogden/WSU BRT operational by 2020, but by late May 2020,[4][5]^:35 construction was not expected to even begin until fall of the same year.[2]

The Ogden/WSU BRT connects with Greyhound inter-city buses and the FrontRunner at Ogden Intermodal Transit Center. The FrontRunner is a commuter rail service run by UTA that operates along the Wasatch Front with service from Provo, through Salt Lake County (including Salt Lake City), Davis County, Weber County, and Ogden. The FrontRunner also connects with UTA's TRAX light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley[6] as well as Amtrak's (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) California Zephyr (which runs daily between Chicago, Illinois and the San Francisco Bay Area).

Plans call for the Dee Events Center Campus Shuttle Stop to be upgraded to a transit center that would serve automobiles and bicycles (with bicycle facilities), as well as connect with local bus routes.[1]^:3[7]

The planned schedule is for the Ogden/WSU BRT to run every 10 minutes on weekdays between 6:00 am and 5:00 pm, but reducing to every 15 minutes for the remainder of the 20–hour schedule. On weekends the frequency will be every 15 or 30 minutes.[8]

All of UTA's TRAX and FrontRunner trains and stations, streetcars and streetcar stops, all fixed route buses are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are therefore accessible to those with disabilities.[9] However, ADA boarding on MAX's unique buses is at the center door, rather than the front (as is the case with regular bus service). In accordance with the Utah Clean Air Act and UTA ordinance, "smoking is prohibited on UTA vehicles as well as UTA bus stops [including MAX stations], TRAX stations, FrontRunner stations".[10]

Route

The Ogden Intermodal Transit Center, June 2015

The Ogden/WSU BRT does not yet have a designated route number, but it will replace the current UTA Route 603. (The following route is description of the "locally preferred route" (LPR) and is still subject to minor changes before finalization.) The anticipated route will begin in the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center in west–central Ogden. It will then run east on 23rd Street to Washington Boulevard (US‑89) before turning south along that street. It will then head east again on 25th Street to Harrison Boulevard (SR‑203) and turn south again along that street. After passing the Ogden High School, beginning at about 31st Street, the route will transition to bus–only lanes in the center of the road. At about 37th Street, the route will shift east, off Harrison Boulevard and onto the main campus of WSU, and continue south, initially along Dixon Parkway (SR‑284). Near the roundabout with East 3850 South Street/University Circle, the route will shift farther east along new roadway (but still in bus–only lanes) to continue south, passing just west of existing campus buildings. South of the residential buildings, the route will continue on new busway to pass through a residential area until it reaches the parking lot for the Dee Events Center. After passing just west of the Events Center, the route will turn northeast and transition back to mixed-traffic to cross Harrison Boulevard and head easterly on Oakcrest Drive. Finally, the route will loop counterclockwise around the McKay-Dee Hospital parking lot, before returning along the same route to the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center.

History

Planning for the project official began with the transit corridor study in November 2004.[11] In early planning serious consideration was given to using a streetcar (similar to UTA 's S Line) to satisfy the transportation needs along the corridor,[12] but ultimately it was decided that BRT was the better option due to the costs involved with streetcar.[13]

Stops

Ogden/WSU BRT
Stop	Southbound Station	Northbound Station	UTA Bus Connections [Note 1]	Park and Ride Lot	Notes & Other Connections
Northern end of the line
Ogden Intermodal Transit Center	2393 South Wall Avenue		455, 456, 470, 473, 601, 604, 6013, 616, 630, 650, F618, F620	Yes	750  FrontRunner
23rd Street & Lincoln Avenue			470*, 601*	No	Future stop that will serve Lindquist Field
The Junction	23rd Street & Kiesel Avenue	23rd Street & Kiesel Avenue	601*		Serves The Junction
Washington Blvd	25th Street & Washington Boulevard	25th Street & Washington Boulevard	470*		Served Ogden/Weber Municipal Building
25th Street & Jefferson Avenue					Serves United States Forest Service Building
25th Street & Monroe Street			645*
25th Street & Jackson Avenue
Harrison Boulevard & 25th Street			473*, 625*
Harrison Boulevard & 28th Street			625*		Serves Ogden High School
Harrison Boulevard & 30th Street			455*, 625*, 645*		Future stop that will serve Ogden High School's athletic fields
Harrison Boulevard & 32nd Street			455*, 625*, 645*		Serves Mount Ogden Jr. High School
Harrison Boulevard & 36th Street			455*, 625*, 640*, 645*
Central Campus	Browning Center				Serves Weber State University main campus
Student Housing	near Village Drive				Serves University student housing
Dee Events Center Campus Shuttle Stop				?	Serves Dee Events Center
[McKay-Dee Hospital			645*	No	Serves McKay-Dee Hospital
*Indicates bus connections which do not connect directly at station/stop, but are easily accessible nearby (as indicated)

See also

• MAX
• FrontRunner

Notes

1. Bus connection routes are current as of Change Day, August 11, 2019

References

1. Federal Transit Administration (February 22, 2019). Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Ogden/Weber State University Transit Project (PDF). rideuta.com (Report). Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
2. Willliams, Carter (May 28, 2020). "Construction for Ogden bus rapid transit system to begin in fall with $64.5M federal grant". ksl.com. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
3. "Bus Rapid Transit" (PDF). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2014 – via Wayback Machine.
4. "Ogden BRT" (PDF). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
5. Federal Transit Administration and Utah Transit Authority (December 2018). Environmental Assessment: Ogden/Weber State University Transit Project (PDF). rideuta.com (Report). Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
6. "UTA RAIL SYSTEM MAP". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Dec 2013. Archived from the original on June 9, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
7. "Ogden/Weber State University BRT Project Profile". transit.dot.gov. Federal Transit Administration. February 11, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
8. "Ogden/WSU BRT". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
9. "Fixed Route Accessibility". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
10. "Rider Rules". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
11. Update on the Ogden Bus Rapid Transit Project. ogdencity.com (Report). Ogden City Council. October 1, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
12. "Streetcar or Bus Rapid Transit in Ogden?" (PDF). weber.edu. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
13. "Stacy and Witbeck Inc. Tapped to Build Ogden BRT Line". Construction Equipment Guide. 13 (Utah State ed.). Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. June 21, 2020. p. 6. Retrieved July 4, 2020.

External links

• Official UTA website
• Ogden/WSU BRT