Bus riders who use Routes 470 and 472 along the Wasatch Front corridor will see extended service and new schedules starting Sunday, Aug. 16, as part of the Utah Transit Authority's Fall Change Day.

Route 470, the Ogden-Salt Lake Intercity bus with a $2.50 one-way fare, will now terminate at Salt Lake Central Station instead of its previous endpoint. Route 472, the Riverdale-Salt Lake Express with a $5.00 one-way fare, is being extended to 17th Street/Wall Avenue, also with an adjusted schedule.

Both routes run along the I-15 corridor between the Ogden area and Salt Lake City, passing through the Point of the Mountain area. UTA says the changes are based on systemwide analysis, community requests and operational considerations.

Updated schedules for both routes are available at rideuta.com/fallchangeday.

New microtransit in northern Utah County

The same Change Day launches a new On Demand microtransit zone covering 77 square miles across portions of Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Lehi, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, Lindon, Highland, Cedar Hills and Alpine. The curb-to-curb service, sponsored by Utah County and UDOT, costs $2.50 per ride or $1 for qualified reduced-fare riders, and connects to FrontRunner stations in Lehi and American Fork.

"Northern Utah County is one of the fastest-growing areas in our state, and this new service is an important step in ensuring transportation options keep pace with that growth," UTA executive director Jay Fox said in the agency's Aug. 11 announcement. "UTA On Demand will give residents more flexibility to connect with FrontRunner, other UTA services and key destinations throughout the area."

Other systemwide changes taking effect Aug. 16 include Route 54 making a detour at Murray Central Station permanent and Route 205 returning to its regular alignment on 600 North and 700 North. FrontRunner's schedule will also be updated to reflect an existing train swap for a required safety inspection.

Bigger transit picture

The route extensions come days after the FrontRunner 2X project advanced to the Engineering phase of the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants program on Aug. 7, moving closer to nearly $1.3 billion in federal funding. That project would add 26.1 miles of double track, 10 new trainsets and a new station in Bluffdale adjacent to The Point, a planned transit-oriented community near the Point of the Mountain.

Construction on FrontRunner 2X is anticipated from 2027 through 2030. Once complete, it would support 15-minute peak service and 30-minute service throughout the day.

As we reported Wednesday, UTA is also taking public comment through Sept. 9 on a proposed 50-cent fare increase set for 2027.