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It comes a day after a bill pushed by House leaders, HB362, was introduced to propose a variety of tax changes for transportation. It includes allowing voters to consider up to a quarter-cent sales tax increase for local transportation, with one-tenth cent going to UTA in Wasatch Front counties.

Briscoe says that tenth of a cent increase isn't enough to expand UTA service much.

"You might have the choice of expanding Saturday and Sunday service, or going later in the evening. If you just do one of those, I think the public's going to say you increased our taxes and I'm not seeing an effect," Briscoe said.

He said his bill would restrict how UTA could spend increased funding to ensure that it does not go for more new train lines, but instead goes for such things as expanding bus service.

He said federal officials like to come to Utah to be photographed with new TRAX, FrontRunner or streetcar extensions. "No one wants to come out here for a photo op because we just brought back a bus route that we cut five years ago. It's not sexy. But you know what, it's important."

Many constituents have said that they or family members cannot accept jobs that end late at night "because they can't get public transportation back home," Briscoe said. "It's an economic-development issue that we don't have a robust enough UTA system."

Briscoe's bill may not have much of a chance compared to the Republican alternative, since the GOP has a 63-12 majority in the House and 24-5 in the Senate. But Briscoe said, "I just want to make a point that we've got to be more serious about transit."

He added, "We can't be serious about air quality if we don't get serious about transit."

Continued here:
Democrat pushes for big tax to expand UTA hours, bus service