Provo Central is an intermodal transit station in Provo, Utah, United States. It is served by the Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunnercommuter rail line as well as local and intra-county buses. It is the southern terminus of the commuter rail system, with service running north as far as Ogden. The station is also known as Provo Intermodal Hub, Provo Station, or Provo CRS. It is part of the FrontRunner South extension.
Description
The station is at 690 South University Avenue U.S. Route 189 on 15 acres and covers a two city block area between Freedom Boulevard and University Avenue. It is accessed from I-15 by way of either the University Avenue or Provo Center Street interchanges. The station has a Park and Ride lot with over 800 free parking spaces available. The station is one block east of the Provo Amtrak station, which is a stop for the California Zephyr. While there are several retail business just south of the station, it is within walking distance of downtown Provo. The station is within the Quiet Zone, so all trains do not routinely sound their horns when approaching public crossings within this corridor. The station opened, along with the rest of FrontRunner South, on December 10, 2012 and is operated by Utah Transit Authority. The Provo FrontRunner Station is the main part of the Provo Intermodal Center. UTA refers to it as an intermodal center because of the UVX BRTtransfer station just south of the rail platform. UVX connects the station with Orem Central station by way of BYU and UVU. All of UTA's TRAX and FrontRunner trains and stations, as well as all fixed route buses, are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act and are therefore accessible to those with disabilities. Since not all FrontRunner passenger cars are wheelchair accessible, signage at the stations, on the passenger platforms, and on the passenger cars clearly show accessibility options. In addition, each train has one or more Train Hosts available to provide assistance as may be needed, including the placement of ramps for wheelchair boarding. In accordance with the Utah Clean Air Act and UTA ordinance, "smoking is prohibited on UTA vehicles as well as UTA bus stops, TRAX stations, and FrontRunner stations".
Future
Having completed Phase One of the Provo Intermodal Center which includes the FrontRunner station, the local and intra-county bus stops, and the Park and Ride lot, UTA completed Phase Two in 2018 and anticipates to have Phase Three complete a few years after that. Phase Two will include accommodations for UVX as well as a parking structure. Phase Three is anticipated to include mixed-use, transit oriented development. However, unlike the TOD at other stations, UTA plans to include these facilities within the confines of the intermodal center, rather than just close by.
''FrontRunner''
On weekdays the FrontRunner has about twenty-three round trips between Ogden and Provo and about five more round trips between Ogden and Downtown Salt Lake City. On Saturdays there are only nineteen round trips between Ogden and Provo. Trains run hourly from about 4:30 am to just after midnight on weekdays. Saturdays have hourly runs from about 6:00 am to 2:30 am Sunday morning. As of August 2013 the FrontRunner does not run on Sundays or holidays. Each weekday, service is extended to Pleasant View station with two trains picking up passengers early in the morning and two more trains picking up and dropping off passengers in the evening.
