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UTA reports vanpool growth; agency says program cut more than 31 million passenger miles from roads in 2024
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Summary
Utah Transit Authority officials told the committee June 19 that UTA's vanpool program has grown to about 477 groups in 2025, is supporting more than 100,000 boardings per month and reduced an estimated 31.5 million passenger miles in 2024 compared with single-occupancy vehicle trips.
Carlton Christensen, a member of the Utah Transit Authority board of trustees, and Ryan Taylor, UTA general manager for special services, briefed the Transportation Coordinating Committee on UTA’s vanpool program June 19 and highlighted rapid program growth and its operational features.
"As we look at our communities ... I hope you'll keep in mind, our vanpool program," said Carlton Christensen, noting vanpool can fill gaps where fixed-route transit is impractical.
Ryan Taylor described the program as a turnkey shared-ride product that has expanded since 2021. "Vanpool is like a carpool where you live in a similar place, you work in a similar place, and you commute together," Taylor said. He told the committee UTA operates roughly 477 vanpool groups in 2025, averages five to six passengers per van, and reported more than 100,000 monthly boardings. Taylor said the program reduced an estimated 31.5 million passenger miles in 2024 (up from 23 million in 2022), which UTA described as reduced emissions, fuel use and roadway wear.
UTA officials explained program details and flexibility: UTA provides vans and program administration (insurance, maintenance, fuel card usage and a guaranteed ride-home). Vanpool groups self-select drivers and can arrange pick-up patterns (home pickups or central meeting locations). Employers may sponsor vanpools or partially underwrite fares; UTA also reallocates older, well-maintained fleet vehicles for use outside the service district where demand exists.
Taylor said vanpools serve a broad geography across the Wasatch Front and beyond, including long commutes into employment centers such as Hill Air Force Base and canyon operators during winter months. He said one effect of the program is reduced demand for parking at large employers and flexibility for last‑mile connections when rail or bus service is not practical.
Questions from committee members covered operational details: drivers are not UTA employees (drivers are selected by vanpool groups), riders are charged a per‑mileage rate, and UTA staff manage billing and vehicle upkeep.
Ending: UTA characterized the vanpool program as a cost‑effective tool to remove single-occupancy vehicles from the region’s roadways, particularly where fixed-route transit is impractical; the agency reported continued post‑2021 growth and high seasonal demand for canyon transportation services.
