Ogden Express to start running after 20 years of planning
Aug 2, 2023, 9:00 AM
The Ogden Express begins running August 20. (Utah Transit Authority)
(Utah Transit Authority)
OGDEN, Utah — After 20 years of planning and 2 years of construction in downtown Ogden, the Ogden Express, or OGX, is set to start running in August.
There is a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, August 2 to celebrate this major overhaul of Ogden’s bus system. OGX rides begin on August 20, with free fares from now until 2026.
What will the Ogden Express do?
The Utah Transit Authority said its newest Bus Rapid Transit system combines the capacity and speed of light rail with the lower-cost construction of a bus system.
OGX electric buses run from Ogden Central Station, through downtown, to the Junction, along dedicated bus lanes in the center of Harrison Boulevard, through the Weber State University campus and on to McKay-Dee Hospital.
Riders will be able to catch the bus every 10-15 minutes on weekdays and 15-30 minutes on weekends.
“It’s going to go to The Junction in downtown Ogden so you can go to restaurants and you can go to movies. You can go see a Weber State football or basketball game. You can go over to Mckay Dee Hospital for your doctors’ appointments,” said UTA Spokesperson Carl Arky.
Arky added that he was excited that the bus will go straight to Weber State’s campus. According to Arky, the UTA hopes this will help alleviate traffic and parking issues for college students.
Additionally, there will be a dedicated bus lane for the OGX which will feature “signal priority,” which the UTA hopes will make bus riding more efficient.
Signal priority technology allows buses to communicate with traffic lights. If an intersection is clear, the traffic light lets the bus through even if the light is red for the other lanes.
The project cost was estimated to be $130 million, but Arky said they finished $10 million under budget. The Federal Transportation Administration provided a grant for this project that covered about 65% of the total cost.
The UTA implemented a similar bus system in Utah County 4 years ago. Arky said that it has become very popular and hopes to have similar results in Ogden.
