Mount Timpanogos Transit Center

The Mount Timpanogos Transit Center[Note 1] was a staffed, open air bus transfer station in southeast Orem, Utah, United States. It functioned as both the Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) customer service center for Utah County, as well as a bus transfer center for UTA's buses in east central Utah Valley. Prior to the opening of the FrontRunner commuter rail extension south to Provo in 2012), it was the busiest bus stop within the entire UTA bus system.[8]

Mount Timpanogos Transit Center
The Mount Timpanogos Transit Center, east side
Other namesTimpanogos Transit Center[Note 1]
Location1145 South 750 East[1][2]
Orem, Utah 84097-7222
United States
Coordinates40.2762°N 111.6766°W / 40.2762; -111.6766
Owned byUtah Transit Authority (UTA)
Bus routes811, 830, 850, 862, & 880[3]
Bus stands6
Bus operatorsUTA Bus
Construction
Parking5+ short term spaces
Bicycle facilitiesRacks, but no lockers[4]
Disabled accessYes
Other information
StatusStaffed
History
Opened20 August 2000[5]

Description
The customer service window at the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center

The Mount Timpanogos Transit Center was located at 1145 South 750 East,[1][2] immediately east of the University Mall. (While it was also adjacent to South 800 East, there was no direct vehicle access from that road. Also, vehicle access to that section of South 750 East was only possible by way of East 1100 South, East 1200 South, or the mall parking lot.) The customer service telephone number is (801) 227-8923[1] and hours of operation are from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday.[2]

The transit center also served as the lost and found for UTA's Timpanogas Business Unit (essentially Utah County) and was considered a "corporate location" by UTA.[1][9] It offered restrooms as well, but access to them had to be obtained by request at the customer service window. Several bicycle racks were provided, but (unlike most of UTA's rail stations) it had no bicycle lockers.[4] There were five short term parking spaces available within the transit center, with substantial additional parking available across the street (to the west) in the mall parking lot. While the transit center was open air, its fabric awning provided limited shelter for passengers during inclement weather. The facility had a horseshoe shape with the one-way traffic lane, for buses only, beginning at South 750 East (at the northwest corner of the transit center), heading east, and then looping clockwise back to the same street (at the southwest corner of the facility). The transit center's six bus stands were located on either side of the interior of the horseshoe. The customer parking was situated in the middle of the horseshoe on the west end and the buildings were on the east end of the inside of the horseshoe.

All of UTA's TRAX and FrontRunner trains and stations, streetcars and streetcar stops, and all fixed route buses are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are therefore accessible to those with disabilities.[10] In accordance with the Utah Clean Air Act and UTA ordinance, "Tobacco is prohibited on UTA vehicles and bus stops as well as UTA owned property, except at designated locations...".[11]

Timpanogos Maintenance Facility

About 2.8 miles (4.5 km) west of the transit center UTA has its Timpanogos Maintenance Facility. The facility, which is located at 1110 South Geneva Road (SR-114) in Orem and fairly near the Orem FrontRunner station, is responsible for all vehicle (except rail) maintenance within the UTA's Timpanogos Division. (The Timpanogos Division manages all UTA bus service within Utah County.) In 1990 the Timpanogos Bus Facility, as it was called at the time, replaced the Timpanogos Division's former building, which was located at 1111 West 100 South in Provo.[12]

History
The Mount Timpanogos Transit Center, west side

In January 1985, the Timpanogos Division of UTA (which initially just served Provo and Orem) began operations. Just over four years later UTA opened a customer service center within the University Mall, just inside the northeast entrance. The new service center was initially only open for about five hours each "regular shopping" day.[13] About a decade later, negotiations were underway between the City of Orem and UTA regarding a transit center.[14] However, it took several more years before UTA finally completed the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center. The new transit center was built east of the mall (just across the parking lot and east of the former service center) and officially opened on 20 August 2000.[5]

The Mount Timpanogos Transit Center was originally the primary transfer center for UTA buses in Utah County and, at one point, the busiest stop within all of UTA's system.[8] However the transit center's role as a hub decreased significantly following the extension of the FrontRunner commuter rail south to Provo in 2012 and the increased number of routes connecting at Utah Valley University. For example, for many years prior to the southern extension of the FrontRunner, most of the bus routes that connected Utah County with Salt Lake County also included a stop at the transit center.[15][16][17] Following the commuter rail extension, not even the sole remaining bus route (Route 811) that connected the two counties stopped at the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center.[18] (Notwithstanding, several years later service by Route 811 was finally restored to the transit center before finally being discontinued in August 2018.)[19] [Note 2]

Future plans

One of the most important changes that affected the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center in the near future was the completion of the Utah Valley Express (UVX), a bus rapid transit line that connects the Orem and Provo FrontRunner stations by way of Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University, primarily along University Parkway (SR-265) and University Avenue (US-189). The UVX line began operations in August 2018.[20] While the UVX line does not connect directly at the transit center, it does have a substantial impact on the bus traffic in the area.[Note 3]

Another change that affected the transit center was be the construction of University Place, a mixed use development that essentially surrounds the University Mall. While this construction did not require additional land,[Note 4] nor did it result in an increase in the overall square feet utilized for retail, it was anticipated to eventually include 1,100 housing units, a hotel, and 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) of office space, as well as a civic park. The transit center was anticipated to remain at its existing location on the eastern edge of this real estate expansion and was be the primary regular bus stop for the development.[22]

In addition to the Utah Valley Express line, UTA also plans to eventually augment its service with additional BRT lines within about 5–16 years. One of these additional lines will connect the Provo and American Fork FrontRunner stations and will follow a route that runs primarily along State Street (US-89) through Provo, Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, and American Fork. While this MAX line will not connect at the transit center either, it will pass along South State Street (about 2,600 feet [790 m] to the west) and will further affect the bus traffic in the area.[23]

In the fall of 2019, the lost and found/ customer service center was moved to the bus garage on Geneva Rd. With the bus bays now sitting empty, the only two bus routes serving the station are the 850 running from Lehi Station to Provo Central, and 862 from Orem Central to UVU, going around Orem city limits and ending at the University Place UVX stop. The physical facilities were demolished rather abruptly in January 2020 in preparation for a new Courtyard Inn by Marriott planned to open on the site. Adjacent bus routes continue to use the stop in front of the former site.

Bus connections
A UTA bus (Route 811 - Utah Valley TRAX Connector) stopped at the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center

The following UTA bus routes connected at the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center:[3] [Note 5]

Notes
  1. Although the official name of the facility is "Mount Timpanogos Transit Center", the name is often shorted to just the Timpanogos Transit Center.[6][7][1][2]
  2. Having Route 811 no longer stop at the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center (upon the commencement of the FrontRunner commuter rail service in Utah County) was significant for two reasons. First, under the established fare system at the time, travel to between Utah and Salt Lake counties was the standard rate for bus travel, but was distance based (and more costly) for travel on the FrontRunner. Second, since the FrontRunner did not operate on Sundays and Route 811 was the only bus within Utah County that did operate on that day of the week, the lack of a connection to the transit center further compounded the difficulty of Sunday travel.
  3. The nearest stop to the Mount Timpanogos Transit Center for UVX bus rapid transit line is located about 1,275 feet (389 m) southeast of the transit center with its island platform situated in the median of East University Avenue, just east of the intersection with University Place (about 700 East).[20][21]
  4. University Place was built within the University Mall's existing 112-acre (45 ha) site. While much of the development was constructed in mall parking areas, the additional space necessary was made possible by a combination of improvements made on previously undeveloped land on the periphery of the mall site (mostly on the northeast corner) and by the construction of underground parking garages.[22]
  5. Bus routes are current as of Change Day, 6 December 2015

References
  1. "Customer Service: Office Locations". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  2. "Customer Service: Hours of Operation". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  3. "Utah County System Map" (PDF) (Map). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Apr 2015. Retrieved 10 Dec 2015.
  4. "Bike Lockers". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  5. Hyde, Jesse (22 Aug 2000). "Bus lines altered in Utah County". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  6. Carter, Edward L. (9 Feb 2000). "UTA plans line shifts to lure bus riders: The reroutings would focus on key Provo spots". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  7. "UTA Mt Timpanogos Transit Center". foursquare.com. New York City: Foursquare. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  8. Rose, Amie (26 Jul 2005). "UTA celebrates 20 years in county". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  9. UTA Five Year Service Plan 2013-2018: Final (PDF). rideuta.com (Report). Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. Dec 2013. p. 2-1. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  10. "Fixed Route Accessibility". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  11. "Rider Rules". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  12. Hansen, Sheridan R. (19 Oct 1988). "UTA Breaks Ground for New Bus Facility will Serve More Than 1 Million Provo-Orem Riders". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved 12 Dec 2015.
  13. "UTA Customer Service Center Opens inside University Mall". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. 27 Apr 1989. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  14. Romboy, Dennis; Haddock, Sharon (9 Sep 1996). "Tips needed on Tipping Servers at Restaurants". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved 25 Jul 2015.
  15. "Utah County System Map" (PDF) (Map). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Dec 2008. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  16. "Utah County System Map" (PDF) (Map). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Dec 2009. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  17. Hesterman, Billy (11 Oct 2012). "UTA plans to cut express bus routes when FrontRunner comes". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  18. Lee, Jason (13 Dec 2012). "Train, bus route changes frustrate frequent riders". ksl.com. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media.
  19. "Route 811 - Utah Valley TRAX Connector" (PDF) (Map). rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. 12 Apr 2015. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  20. "UVX Service Starts August". rideuta.com. Retrieved 6 Dec 2018.
  21. Federal Transit Administration. "Provo-Orem Bus Rapid Transit" (PDF). fta.dot.gov. United States Department of Transportation. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  22. "University Place". orem.org. City of Orem. Retrieved 24 Jul 2015.
  23. "Transit Projects - 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan" (PDF) (Map). mountainland.org. Mountainland Association of Governments. 5 May 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
  24. "404". www.rideuta.com.
  25. http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=Bus-BusHome-Route850
  26. http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=Bus-BusHome-Route862

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