Light-rail service is about to return to the northeastern edge of Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, as construction to repair the rails wraps up.
Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX red line service will return to its normal route this Sunday after trains had been rerouted downtown since late May because of the construction, aside from three days in July. Crews have spent the past three months repairing and replacing track connections, guard rails, the overhead wires that power trains, and the interlocking system that helps prevent train collisions as a part of the project.
Riders had to board buses to reach the university and other stops east of Main Street in the city. Service to Library, Trolley, 900 East, Stadium, University South Campus, Fort Douglas and University Medical Center stations returns just in time for the University of Utah’s fall semester, which begins on Monday.
It’s perhaps the biggest upcoming adjustment to the agency’s service schedule, but a few other big changes are in store for its annual August change day.
Bus route changes
Salt Lake Community College students and staff may notice a new transit hub at the college’s Taylorsville campus, replacing an old hub that has been discontinued, agency officials said. Bus routes 39, 47 and 217 will all use the hub.
Bus routes 47 (mid-Salt Lake County) and 126 (southwest Salt Lake County) will end long-term detours, but still have some route adjustments. Routes 205 (Salt Lake City to Murray) and 223 (Salt Lake City to Cottonwood Heights) will begin new long-term detours to bypass construction on 600 North in Salt Lake City and 2300 East in Millcreek, respectively.
Route 470 (Salt Lake City to Ogden) will no longer reach Lagoon Amusement Park on Sundays, which is a temporary service that UTA provides during the summer.
A few other routes will also have some minor scheduling changes beginning on Sunday, which are noted on the UTA’s website.
The agency regularly updates its routes and schedules throughout the year, but especially as schools return to session in August. It typically receives a bump in ridership during the fall months after a summer lull.
UTA recorded 118,290 average weekday boardings across its system in July, which is similar to July 2024. The number rose to 131,575 in August and 154,261 in September last year, which remains its busiest month since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
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