Lori Champneys, FrontRunner Train Host, nominated Joe for our October Rider of the Month. “Joe is always smiling, very helpful and vigilant. He is so fun to tease and is always so friendly. I thoroughly enjoy seeing his great smile every day I open the train door,” says Lori.

Joe grew up in Fillmore and Leamington, Utah. “I spent most of my youth riding horses, wrestling and being a part of the Latin Club at Cottonwood High School,” says Joe.

After graduation, Joe jumped feet first into the working world. "Over the past 25 years, I have worked for Hewlett Packard Enterprise managing LINUX, Microsoft and IBM servers for American Stores Company, Smith’s Food and Drug Store, Utah Solution Center and Franklin Covey.” However, the past year was rough for Joe, as he was recently laid off. Despite these obstacles, Joe picked himself back up for his kids and started working at Bonneville International. “I have been fortunate to learn all these IT skills on-the-job without a college education.”

How long have you been riding?
Joe started riding FrontRunner when he began working for Bonneville International at the KSL building in Salt Lake City. “Bonneville provides all employees with free UTA passes. Plus, my son loves to ride the train all the time and told me I should start riding the train instead of driving."

Why do you ride?
“I ride the train to get to work. That allows me to get to work without the stress or traffic or bad weather. I also like to head downtown on FrontRunner and TRAX to enjoy a bite to eat or see some local entertainment. I also use FrontRunner and TRAX to get to and from the airport."

Additionally, Joe loves riding from Lehi to downtown Salt Lake and admiring the views on FrontRunner. He loves spending his time working on the train, talking to the hosts and simply relaxing.

Do you have any rider tips?
“I was scared to use the train because it seemed so complicated. Luckily, my son showed me the ropes of figuring out the schedule and finding the stations.” Joe’s tip to riders is to remember to tap your UTA FAREPAY Card every time you ride FrontRunner and transfer to TRAX or bus. “My last piece of advice is just to hop on a train or bus, it’s not as scary as it looks and you will learn as you go.”

Learn More
To learn more about how to enjoy using UTA, visit How to Ride. To nominate someone for a future Rider of the Month award, please email us at getsocial@rideuta.com.