On May 3, the Utah Transit Authority will begin operating three new community “flex” routes in northern Utah County, southwest Salt Lake County, and west Weber/north Davis counties.

The routes will bring new all-day service to areas that previously had no service or had only morning/evening commuter buses. Funding for the routes comes from Federal Transit Administration grants administered through the Utah Department of Transportation.

The new routes are called flex routes because they run a regularly scheduled route through the community, but also have the ability to deviate up to 3/4 mile off of the regular fixed route for just $1 more than standard fare. Customers can call to schedule a deviation up to two hours prior to the trip. The new routes operate using a smaller shuttle-style van, which is less expensive to operate than a full-size bus, but still has room to carry the potential number of riders on the routes.

"Flex routes are a great new option for these communities," Mike Allegra, UTA acting general manager, said. "They will provide service to many who haven't had access to public transportation in their neighborhood in the past."

UTA currently operates flex routes in Brigham City, Draper, Sandy, Riverton, Tooele and Grantsville.