St. George • People visiting or working at southwest Utah’s Zion National Park now have another transportation option that could potentially help ease the area’s traffic and parking woes.
On Friday, dignitaries from southern Utah joined state transportation officials at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George to celebrate the rollout of the new Zion Route, a 42-mile bus route that will link the city to Springdale, the main gateway to Utah’s most-visited national park.
“We’re excited to offer a service that makes Zion more accessible to our residents while helping ease traffic on the roads,” St. George Mayor Michele Randall said in a news release. “This is a great way for more people to enjoy Zion without needing to drive.”
Operated by SunTran, St. George’s public transportation system, the Zion bus service will feature stops in St. George, Washington, Hurricane, La Verkin, Virgin and Springdale, and aims to provide travelers with an affordable and convenient alternative to driving.
The Zion Route will operate Monday through Saturday from 5:40 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bus fares will run $5 for each one-way trip, and unlimited monthly passes are available for $100. For frequent riders commuting to work five days a week, according to St. George officials, this could reduce the cost to roughly $2.50 per ride.
St. George Public Works Director Cameron Cutler said every rider on the bus translates to fewer cars on the roads. Springdale Mayor Barbara Bruno concurs, saying the new route could help alleviate Springdale’s parking crunch caused by Zion visitors and the 1,000 workers who commute to the city each day vying for too few spaces.
“We hope a lot of them ride the bus so they won’t have to bring their cars to work and park in town,” Bruno told The Salt Lake Tribune on Monday. “We have talked to several employers here in Springdale who are willing to subsidize or even foot the whole bill for [their workers’] monthly pass.”
Taking the bus is a great option for Jordan Brereton, who said his Dodge has 113,000 miles on the odometer and is too dodgy to continue commuting to work in Springdale each day.
“I’m definitely going to give it a try,” the St. George resident said. “It’s a good way to save money and wear and tear on my car.”
A bonus for St. George is the fact the cost of the route won’t come out of city coffers, according to Randall. The cost is being borne by a $15 million grant from the Utah Department of Transportation, with additional funds from Washington County’s sales tax, which includes $3 million to pay for five buses and $6 million to construct a new maintenance facility on Brigham Road.
