Sandy residents heading to a show at Abravanel Hall or the Eccles Theater no longer need to budget for downtown parking. Their ArtTix ticket is a free, same-day transit pass.

The Ticket-as-Fare program, a partnership between the Utah Transit Authority and Salt Lake County Arts & Culture, launched Saturday, Aug. 1, according to ABC4. Any digital or paper ArtTix ticket is valid that day on TRAX, FrontRunner, buses, UTA On Demand and the S-Line streetcar.

Five Salt Lake County venues participate: Abravanel Hall, Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center and Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

"We want everyone who visits Salt Lake County's world-class arts venues to have a great experience from the moment they leave home until the final curtain," Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said. "Our partnership with UTA makes it easier to get to performances by eliminating the stress and expense of downtown parking."

UTA Executive Director Jay Fox said the program connects riders to cultural destinations while reducing congestion around venue districts.

The concept isn't new to UTA. The agency has used Ticket-as-Fare for other major events, but Aug. 1 marked the first time it applied to ArtTix purchases. No end date has been announced.

For Sandy riders, the practical upshot is straightforward: buy a ticket through ArtTix for any of the five venues, board TRAX in Sandy and ride downtown without an additional fare. Riders can plan routes at rideuta.com.

The Ticket-as-Fare pass covers the ride home, too.