Within the next two years, a fleet of 10 all-electric buses will help connect westside communities to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray and Salt Lake Community College

At a ceremony on Aug. 28, the Utah Transit Authority began construction of the Midvalley Express, to be known as MVX. The seven-mile bus route will connect West Valley City, Taylorsville and Murray with dedicated service along routes that have signal prioritization. Those routes will also connect with Frontrunner and TRAX routes to add frequency and accessibility for passengers.

Andrew Gruber, executive director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council, which focuses heavily on transportation issues, said, “If people want to take the bus or the train, we should make that easy for them. They can take Front Runner or TRAX, then connect to the MVX.” He said the use of electric buses with separate lanes and coordination with signals will make travel faster and more efficient.

Construction activities have already begun, with canal bridge construction on 4700 South near Redwood Road completed earlier this year, and utility work along 4700 South continuing this month. More work in the MVX routes will take place over the next two years, with the plan to have the system fully operational by
Fall 2026.

“We love our rail system. It works very efficiently, it moves a lot of people when we need it,” said Carlton Christensen, chairman of the UTA Board of Directors. “Bus rapid transit has the ability to do similar kinds of movement at a much reduced cost. It will be a lot less expensive to build which allows us to build more transit options within our entire system.”

MVX is scheduled to be zero fare for its first five years thanks to a federal grant. λ