July 14, 2008
The first line of the MAX bus rapid transit service in north-central Utah was formally launched. MAX, which is operated by the Utah Transit Authority, was established to provide more expeditious bus transportation in that area of the Beehive State. The MAX service has differed from other local bus operations because of factors such as extended spacing between stops and a higher frequency of daily pick-ups and drop-offs.
The inaugural line for that service was called 3500 South MAX, and it covered at total of 10.8 miles (17.4 kilometers) between the metro township of Magna and — via West Valley City — the city of South Salt Lake. On the day of this line’s debut, a young passenger named Natalie Horger told the Salt Lake City-based television station KSL-TV that her travel on a MAX bus was smoother than rides on other buses. Her grandmother Jeril Ann Brown asserted, “I think it’s a lot faster than the regular service.”
The 3500 South MAX remained in regular operation until April 5, 2020, when it was suspended because of major concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2022, this line was permanently discontinued.
The only MAX line that remains in service today is known as the Utah Valley Express. This line runs 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) between the city of Orem and — via Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University — the city of Provo. A line serving the city of Ogden is under construction and there are plans for two other lines in the region.
Photo Credit: Martijn van Exel (https://www.flickr.com/people/49503132817@N01) — licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
For more information on the Utah-based MAX bus rapid transit service, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAX_(Utah_Transit_Authority)
Additional information on the 3500 South MAX line existing between 2008 and 2022 is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3500_South_MAX
Transportation History 
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