Beginning local transportation services in April of 2011, the bus service started as a sort of experiment in mass transportation in a highly rural setting.
Conceptually, the BTA was created to deliver low cost transportation option for commuters from as far west as Fruitland and terminating in the Vernal area.
BTA Director Kevin Yack has been at the helm of the agency since the two-year anniversary in April 2013.
“We have come a long way in the past two years,” Yack said. “We began with smaller buses able to handle 16 people.”
In the first year, some routes already had people standing for long portions of the trip. That all changed this year as BTA has added a 40-passenger coach for the busiest runs between Vernal and Roosevelt. Busy commutes are those scheduled to bring employees to their workplaces.
“We have had petitions for use from the Indian Health Clinic, Uintah River HS, and Eagle View,” Yack said. “BTA has exceeded the expectations projected by the Utah Department of Transportation back in 2011. We have regular ridership to the Uintah Basin Medical Center, local schools, and students riding to Duchesne County and Uintah County campuses.”
The BTA continues to serve three principal routes. Roosevelt to Vernal, Roosevelt to Duchesne, and the local Vernal loops remain the focus core of the services BTA offers. Uintah Basin Standard
