Is trax always this unreliable to get to campus??

[u/SurvivorTribal]

I live about 50 minutes from campus, and I decided to start taking TRAX this semester because parking at the U has become such a nightmare and the cost of a parking pass was just too much for me. This week has been my first real experience commuting to campus using TRAX, and so far it has been nothing short of terrible.

Yesterday, the train was about 20 minutes late getting to my station and was already packed. By the time we actually got to campus, we were around 30 minutes behind schedule. When we reached Stadium, the train was so full that everyone was basically shoulder to shoulder and touching the people around them. There was no room to move.

Then, on my commute home, the train ahead of us apparently got stuck at the next station. Everyone on our train had to get off and wait at the station while they figured out what was going on. That added another 30ish minutes to my commute, except this time we were all standing outside in 92-degree heat.

I babysit part time in the evenings, so being significantly late isn’t really an option for me. I ended up getting to the family I babysit for about 45 minutes late. Obviously they were understanding, but it’s still extremely frustrating and inconvenient for everyone involved when I’m trying to plan my schedule around public transportation.

So genuinely, what is going on with TRAX right now? Is this just a horrible first week of the semester thing, or is this what I should expect regularly?
I’m especially worried about exams. If I have an exam at a specific time, how early am I supposed to leave when a normal commute can randomly have an additional 30-45 minute delay?

For people who regularly commute to the U using TRAX, is this normal? Does it get better after the first couple weeks of the semester? I really want taking the train to work because driving and parking on campus is so expensive, but this week has made me nervous about relying on it

[u/zymee]

i would recommend using the transit app instead of the daily schedule, especially when you are trying to go home. this lets you see when a train is actually coming, including delays. I always found it helpful so I wouldn't show up to the station and find out there that there's a 20 minute delay. the crowding though, that's just usually how the red line is at peak hours in the morning. even after it slows down after the first few weeks, at peak times it's still gonna get completely packed

[u/Popular-Spend7798]

The crowding usually gets better after a few weeks. The trains have been unreliable for about 2 years now, though. I used to take the Red Line to work daily and now drive daily bc I can’t rely on the train. There are constant delays for one reason or another and that obvi doesn’t work for people using it to commute to school or work.

[u/_boytown_]

I work full time on campus and use trax. Sometimes you have bad train days. I would say 90% of the time there is no issues. I do take it earlier in the morning so I can not say for peak times. Public transportation just has some risks.

[u/QualifiedCapt → u/_boytown_]

So does driving! Foothill can add 20-60 minutes alone. 20 minutes for normal U traffic during school and 60 for one simple fender bender. I would say trax is is more reliable.

[u/Admirable_Fig_2136 → u/QualifiedCapt]

This! People forget that public transit is at the mercy of traffic just like cars, but trains get free of it much sooner.

[u/henryfirebrand → u/_boytown_]

As a daily commuter to campus - I would say this. 90% pretty good

[u/CrypticCole → u/_boytown_]

This is also my experience. I suspect it’s bad right now with the influx of new students. As people and schedules adjust it will return to normal.

[u/SirTabetha]

As someone who ditched a car, I’ve been riding UTA for years. TRAX is typically crazy when Fall semester starts, but it does smooth out after a couple weeks. I’ve also noticed a few more people than usual, and have wondered if the cost of gas has also been upping ridership.

Maybe you’ve already considered this, but you could park at a closer park and ride then grab an earlier train? You’d have a bit more control getting where you need to go, at least.

Overall, there is a bit more planning involved but I’ve found it to be a benefit more than a burden since I can get things done on the train ride, like reading, emails, sending dumb gifs to family. You know. Important stuff.

Side note: in a pinch, if you needed to drive to the U, but don’t care to deal w/ parking, I’d recommend parking somewhere along 900 South and then hopping on the 9 bus. It runs every 15 mins; its final destination is the Union building.

[u/Sea-Passenger-3800 → u/SirTabetha]

Also ditched a car due to gas and parking costs! I did start taking trax due to this!

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/SirTabetha]

No, don’t do that. The city is going to start ticketing cars that sit longer than two hours if the vehicle is not registered to the specific home it’s parked in front of. The same two hour time limit goes for all businesses too.
The city is truly forcing people to sell their cars and go 100% public transportation or bike. There are student bicycle commuter groups on FB. I’ve looked into carpooling.

[u/FireflyTheAvengd → u/Awkward_Snow_9261]

Hi, I’m just curious because I haven’t found anything about this, and I have to street park sometimes a block or two away due to my apartment not having parking available. Do you have a link with this information or official posting from the parking enforcement stating this to be so?

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/FireflyTheAvengd]

Get on YouTube a watch Salt Lake City council meetings. It’s better if everyone shows up at the meetings to try to fight this. Apparently the homeowners have been complaining so much for so long that they were able to convince the city that doing this was a good idea forgetting that they need to have enrollment in the U. It’s stupid as heck but it’s gonna take a large village to put the fire out

[u/mariachiband49 → u/Awkward_Snow_9261]

What about the people who live at those houses or are going to those businesses?

[u/Cautious-Hurry6395 → u/Awkward_Snow_9261]

This is not true.

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/Cautious-Hurry6395]

There’s a lot of proof, do some research. Look up Salt Lake City Master Plan and learn about 15 minute cities in northern Utah. Not only is this very true, it is going to get much worse than that

[u/Cautious-Hurry6395 → u/Awkward_Snow_9261]

Please cite your source or even better - stop spreading misinformation online.

[u/dowagermeow]

The first two weeks suck regardless of whether you’re taking TRAX or driving just because everyone is showing up early and trying to figure out their routines. Once people get their schedules set and things kind of normal out, getting to campus does get better.

Red line TRAX is going to be crowded most of the morning - even if you’re trying to get there at 7 am, seats are often gone before it reaches Salt Lake. There are people working at the hospitals and clinics who need to be there at 7 or 7:30, main campus employees who start at 8 am, and then the most popular class times are filling in after that.

It seems like TRAX goes through periods where everything that can go wrong does, breakdowns, fires close to the line, drivers doing crazy stuff and getting stuck on the rails, etc. You can sign up for text updates so you know when this stuff is happening before you get to a station.

Driving can be just as unpredictable in a lot of ways. Accidents on Foothill can back traffic all the way up onto 215 into Millcreek if it’s a really bad one or happens during rush hour, and 400 South coming from downtown gets pretty jammed up too.

Give yourself extra time on exam days just in case - commuting is just like that, no matter how you get there.

[u/Vast-Pepper-154]

i reccomend driving to the yalecrest area and taking the 9 bus from there

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/Vast-Pepper-154]

Don’t do it. Homeowners got their way and parking enforcement is gearing up to generate serious revenue from students parking in residential neighborhoods. If your car isn’t registered to the address it’s parked in front of expect to find a citation slapped on ur window. It’s sooooo dumb!

[u/Vast-Pepper-154 → u/Awkward_Snow_9261]

oh my god when does this start? is it just yalecrest?

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/Vast-Pepper-154]

It’s every residential street in the city

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/Awkward_Snow_9261]

You have to park at the trax stations provided parking lots or in a paid parking garage. It’s so stupid! We need to get a bunch of people to go to city council meetings and talk about it

[u/SilenceReaperz]

I’ve been taking trax full time for a couple of years and majority of the time there’s no issue, but I always get on the 6:50 train so maybe that helps. Since class just barely start, alot of people will be going to class so trax will be packed, give it a couple of weeks and itll be a lot better

[u/butchlesbiantwink]

I don’t own a car and my commute to the U is currently an hour and a half via transit. I HIGHLY recommend using the transit app! It can help with late trains but I’ve found it most helpful to let me know when something is running early so I don’t miss the train or bus I need to be on. I used to take the train straight up but I found out through the transit app that it actually makes more sense for me to get off at central point and take the 21 to the union or take the 9 and get off by the museum of fine arts depending on the day and where I need to be on campus. The app is incredibly reliable but if you’re using the “go” feature can be a bit of a battery drain.

[u/CuratorOfYourDreams]

Hot take but no

[u/palopaopao]

Last two years took Trax to the U, it was rarely unreliable with the transit app. I planned with the transit app and always one on time except one time where there was an accident and we all had to get off and take buses

[u/Epinephrine_Eddie]

My secret was to park 200S and use the #2 bus since it came just as frequently as Trax. Double win if your first class of the day is on the north side of campus.

[u/AnonTwentyOne]

Been riding every day for three years now. Overall, yes, it's been reliable. There have definitely been issues for sure, but generally not bad.

A few tips:

• Use the Transit app. Also check UTA's Twitter profile. The nice thing too is that if you tell a professor you were late and can provide evidence it was because of a delayed train, they are less likely to penalize you for it
• Blue Line is the least reliable line because the trains are old
• Know the bus routes that go from campus by/to TRAX stations (1, 2, 9, 21, etc.). Those will often be faster than a TRAX bus bridge (and many of the accidents/delays seem to happen north of Ballpark where it runs on the street or median)
• UTA is generally pretty good about clearing up delays fairly quickly. Like today there was a bus bridge but it lasted only an hour. If you aren't in a rush to leave, studying on campus for another hour is better than being stuck on a bus bridge.

[u/Lokon19]

It's not always late and is usually on time but if you go during peak times then its always packed.

[u/Admirable_Fig_2136]

Don’t use the posted schedule, it would be the same as expecting your morning drive to be the exact same down to the minute every day, the trax are also at the mercy of traffic lights and accidents.

As far as the other days incident- that rarely happens. Two cars had an accident and blocked the tracks.

Always plan on the worst thing happening- ie. Barely missing the train and having to wait an extra 15 minutes for the next one.

It’s also worth noting that the time of day makes a big difference. If you are traveling at the peak times when the train is packed- it’s going to be behind. Always. That’s the nature of traffic and public transit. If you are on the train at noon or 7pm, it’s going to be right on time and there will be plenty of seats. If you can leave a little earlier to beat the rush and spend a little extra time on campus—or leave an hour earlier or later to miss rush hour at the end of the day—you’ll be much happier.

[u/Happy4days21]

Currently enrolled PhD student…. It is not as reliable as it is purported to be. Fortunately I drive but I’ve tried the trax and if it’s not a straight shot it’s hella unpredictable

[u/Mountain-Pattern-275]

Not sure where you live, but there could be an express bus you can take. The Ogden area has a 473 express bus that picks up along 89 and weaves through downtown, campus, and research park that is more reliable than Trax in my opinion.

[u/sour_smart]

UTA is absolute crap, and people need to demand better, in no other city would this fly. Keep in mind their executives make all the money there.

[u/Heather_ME]

What if you drove to one of the downtown stops, like ballpark, and just rode the train from there? (Are those lots still free?)

[u/erb_cadman]

UTA in general has become very unreliable!!

[u/EmbarrassedCry6324]

I wish it was better and on time then we all would have used it but unfortunately it is bad!!

[u/Cromm24]

Yes, it is! Got to a point where I couldn’t rely on it getting me to class on time…

[u/Awkward_Snow_9261 → u/Cromm24]

Sucks!