After months of negotiations, the federal infrastructure bill was finally given the opportunity to move forward with a vote. On November 5th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also formerly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIB), and President Biden signed the bill on November 15th.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides $1.2 trillion in infrastructure funding, of which $550 billion is new funding above baseline levels over five years for roads, bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports, water, broadband, and other infrastructure programs. The bill continues funding for existing core infrastructure programs with some increases, while also increasing funding for numerous discretionary grant programs (some new and some existing). The IIJA provides stability in federal funding and policy over the next five years and creates opportunities to compete for discretionary grant programs.

You can find statements of support for the bill from Senator Romney, Governor Cox, WFRC’s Chairman Silvestrini, WFRC Executive Director Andrew Gruber, and handfuls of other Utah leaders HERE. Additionally, you’ll find Andrew’s recent Deseret News op-ed about the bill and what it means for Utah HERE.

Lastly, you can find WFRC’s full summary of the IIJA and its transportation-related changes HERE.

The Legislature met last week for the final interim meetings of 2021. This comes on the heels of the second special session of the year as the Legislature took up redistricting, and a handful of other issues.

Looking forward, the Legislature will begin the 2022 General Legislative Session on January 18, 2022. WFRC will continue to provide information to our members and partners as we engage in the legislative process and work to advance transportation policy and funding priorities.

With municipal elections held earlier this month, and results now certified, we’d like to extend our gratitude to those who have served diligently over the years, and congratulate those who will newly serve, or who will continue to serve. Our success as an organization is founded upon the engagement of our members, and we look forward to working with many of you.

For those interested, the Utah League of Cities and Towns will host two opportunities for newly elected and seasoned local leaders to learn the fundamentals of local government. You’ll learn about open and public meetings, land use, powers and duties, municipal budgeting, legislative issues, resources and associations for local leaders, infrastructure maintenance, and more.

This training opportunity is offered on two dates: December 11th at USU extension sites throughout Utah and January 8th in North Salt Lake. For agendas or to register, find more information HERE.

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For more detailed information on our federal, state, and local issues, feel free to subscribe to our WFRC Government Affairs newsletter by reaching out to miranda@wfrc.org.

COVID-19, e-bikes, and a bike renaissance, changes in technology, easier ride-sharing, and the future possibility of shared, autonomous vehicles mean there are significant opportunities to re-examine, refresh, and right-size parking. In doing so, we can create better communities by developing adaptable parking strategies so our economy can be more successful, and our communities can become more livable and more financially sustainable.

WFRC, in collaboration with MAG, Salt Lake County Regional Development, UDOT, and UTA, is continuing the Utah Parking Modernization Initiative and have recently released a Request for Statements of Qualifications to develop a guidebook to help communities modernize their approach to parking. This effort was recently highlighted on KUTV!

Do you wonder how roadways, bike lanes, and bus routes wind up in your neighborhood? The University of Utah is partnering with transportation agencies along the Wasatch Front to launch a Wasatch Transportation Academy, a free class series open to all interested residents. The class aims to demystify the agencies, plans, decisions, investments, and discussions that result in our transportation system.

Over eight weeks, you will hear from planners, engineers, decision-makers, and others to learn what they do, how they fit into the overall transportation system, and how community members can get involved. Participants in the course will also have an opportunity to make their voices heard with a final project that they present to a panel of planners. This course concludes with a field trip to a transportation site and a chance to see their interests in action.

Students of the Wasatch Transportation Academy will:

The Wasatch Transportation Academy is free and is open to anyone looking to understand how to make their transportation options better. Become a transportation ambassador in your community and learn more about how people get around the Wasatch Front. The class will meet Monday evenings from January 24 to March 28 (6 to 8pm on Zoom). Sign up now and let us know you are interested. We’ll be in touch soon about registering for the class.

In November of 2019, UTA launched their Microtransit Service in the southwestern part of Salt Lake County. It has been extremely successful, despite the pandemic hitting just a few months into its operations. Because of this success, UTA began looking at other areas that could benefit from innovative mobility solutions, and identified them on their Five-Year Service Plan.

Coming December 13th, UTA will launch their second service area for UTA On Demand on the Westside of Salt Lake City. This On-Demand area will service Rose Park, Poplar Grove, Fairpark, and Glendale neighborhoods.

For more information on UTA On Demand, how to pay, and how to ride please visit the UTA On Demand webpage.

The Utah Foundation released the first part of its new study, Is the Middle Missing? A Guide to Expanding Options for Utah Homebuyers and Renters. The first installment, “The Scope of the Challenge,” examines Utah’s housing problem and introduces middle housing as one means of addressing it.

“Missing Middle Housing” is a term that encompasses a variety of multi-unit housing buildings that are house-scale, facilitate neighborhood walkability, accommodate changing demographics and preferences, and are available to people with a range of incomes. Middle housing offers the potential to increase the supply of housing, but in a way that is not objectionable to most neighbors and with a standard of design that can improve upon the neighborhoods. There are obstacles to increasing this type of housing, though they are not insurmountable.

Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard predicted that urban forms addressing the missing middle will gain increased momentum in the coming years. “The examples of effectively executed middle options are beginning to proliferate,” Reichard said. “If developers and policymakers focus on what works, these options will grow in public esteem and provide much-needed entry points for home buyers and renters.” This is the first part of four installments, so stay tuned for more!

Part I of Is the Middle Missing? A Guide to Expanding Options for Utah Homebuyers and Renters is available on the Utah Foundation website at www.utahfoundation.org. Special thanks to Salt Lake County, the Utah League of Cities and Towns, the Wasatch Front Regional Council and Y2 Analytics for providing project-based support to this project.