I live in Sandy, within walking distance of a TRAX station. For me, riding public transit makes way more sense than owning a car; it’s convenient and it saves me a ton of money.

Between school and work, there really isn’t a lot of extra time left in the day. Above all else, riding TRAX is the time I need for myself. After a typical day running around campus managing social media accounts, coordinating events, and studying for exams, it’s a relief to not deal with the stress of driving. It frees up some much needed time to study, catch up on emails, or, on the rare occasion I’m able to completely relax, watch Netflix. It’s so much nicer than stressing to find parking or sitting in rush hour traffic for an hour.

The pandemic hasn’t affected my commute very much. It’s certainly less busy lately and I’ve noticed they’ve taken precautions to keep it safe. I wear a mask (as do the other passengers) and have my hand sanitizer ready. Here are some tips if you’re thinking of riding UTA:

Wear a mask!

It’s the easiest thing you can do to protect yourself and the other passengers.

Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer

Though I’ve noticed TRAX are cleaned more thoroughly, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after riding. Thankfully, you don’t have to touch the buttons to open the doors anymore because they open automatically.

Follow @RideUTA on Twitter

It’s a must! Follow UTA’s Twitter account to get the latest updates on TRAX and other UTA services.

Plan ahead

Delays and other interruptions will happen. Always give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.

If you’re fed up with trying to find parking on campus, I’d certainly recommend using public transportation. Once you get into a routine, riding UTA is a breeze!

—Nikayla Spriggs, Senior in Marketing, Campus Store Marketing Coordinator