UTA Solution
Okay, now that I’ve complained about the sad state of the UTA, my next question to myself is, “Fine, Lyall, what do you propose? It does little good to be an armchair quarterback.”
With that in mind, I look to principles of good government. I am not arguing that public transportation does not have a role, but why do we assume that the state government should run the program. Why not open up the system to the private sector to compete over transportation alongside the UTA? The UTA, based on the audit, is obviously showing signs of a monopoly. Prices are going up, service is going down, and a constant stream of red flowing from their balance sheet.
I think we could learn a lot from Indianapolis while under the leadership of Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. In his book, “The Twenty-first Century City,” he speaks about meaningful ways to introduce competition and thus innovation in to services that local and state governments have performed over the past 50 years. It is interesting to note that not all of Goldsmith’s city services ended up in the hands of the “private” sector. He makes an important distinction that privatization is not the end goal. A private monopoly is just as bad as a public monopoly. Competition is the key. It’s time to let the UTA compete with the local entrepreneur to deliver a service that for many of our neighbors in need is a key service.
