Friday July 8, 2022

We are officially on the other side of summer solstice, fiscal year ‘23 has begun, and the important policy work of the interim season continues. While Miranda is out on maternity leave, your substitute correspondent (me, Mike Sobczak) is happy to provide you with this month’s government affairs update. I will do my best to fill Miranda’s shoes while she’s out. In this issue, I will share information about the June Legislative interim meetings, the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission and the Growth & Transportation Working Group, as well as provide you with a quick update on federal funding.

June Legislative Interim Meetings

The Utah Legislature continued to meet during the month of June for interim committee meetings. They will continue to meet monthly from August - November to receive reports, study issues, and craft legislation for the 2023 General Session.

Of note at the Transportation Interim Committee’s meeting on Tuesday June 14th, the Committee received a report from the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) regarding Free Fare February. Jay Fox, UTA Executive Director, discussed the increase in ridership during the month of February when fare collection was suspended. Fox also highlighted how UTA collaborated with WFRC, Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG), Salt Lake City, and major employers and institutions to cover the gap in lost farebox revenue. He also noted that whether free fare should be extended in the future, perhaps even permanently, is a decision that would require input and engagement from all key policymakers. This is not the end of the free fare discussion, as WFRC, in partnership with MAG, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and UTA, is conducting a comprehensive Zero Fare Study to examine the feasibility of such a fare structure in the future. The study includes examining the community impacts, operations, capital requirements, and safety and security, and is expected to be published this fall. 

Additionally, the Committee received a report on large infrastructure projects being overseen by UDOT and UTA. As you may recall, HB322 (Public Transit Capital Development Modifications) gives UDOT responsibility over state-funded fixed-guideway (rail and BRT) transit capital projects, including project planning for FrontRunner and Point of the Mountain. While UDOT has responsibility over delivery of public transportation projects, UTA will continue to coordinate closely with UDOT and operate the UTA system. Supporting ridership is a joint goal of both organizations in efforts to support economic growth, improve air quality, and offer travel choices. Both the Point of the Mountain and FrontRunner topics were also discussed at the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (IGG) meeting in June.

The Legislature will not meet for interim meetings in July. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17.

UEOC Growth and Transportation Working Group

While the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission (UEOC) did not meet in the month of June, its newly established Growth & Transportation Working Group did meet to discuss impediments to growth, development, and density, as well as potential funding opportunities. To further the UEOC study items, three subgroups to the Working Group were formed: Statewide Infrastructure Investment Visioning, Regional Growth Alignment, and Transportation Funding. The Working Group is expected to meet every two weeks through June and July and report back to the UEOC in August. At the June meeting, Jason Brown from Envision Utah also shared outcomes from Envision Utah’s recent research about what Utahns value and rank as priorities, as well as how they feel about growth. The research includes a Growth Messaging Guide.

Current Federal Grant Opportunities

• Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP): The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the new Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program, funded with $1 billion over the next five years. It is the first-ever program to help reconnect communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure. Funding supports planning grants and capital construction grants, as well as technical assistance, to restore community connectivity through the removal, retrofit, mitigation, or replacement of eligible transportation infrastructure facilities. The FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity is open now through October 13, 2022. DOT will host a webinar to provide a general overview of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program on Thursday, July 14. To learn more and register, visit the RCP webinars page.
• Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A): This program is expected to include $1 billion in funding per year exclusively for local governments to make improvements to reduce fatalities, especially for cyclists and pedestrians, commonly referred to as ‘‘Vision Zero’’ or ‘‘Toward Zero Deaths’’ initiatives. Eligibility includes the creation of a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, as well as planning, design, and construction of projects identified in a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. The SS4A NOFO has been released and will be due no later than September 15th, 2022. USDOT will host a series of webinars on how to apply for this opportunity in the month of June. 
• Transit-Oriented Development Pilot Program: This program provides planning funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with a new fixed guideway or core capacity transit capital investment. The intended outcomes are to improve economic development and ridership, foster multimodal connectivity, improve transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and others. View the NOFO and webinar dates/information for this program which is due no later than July 25, 2022.
• Bridge Investment Program: The purpose of the bridge investment discretionary grant program is to improve the condition, safety, efficiency, and reliability. This $12.5 billion program will provide grants to states, MPOs, local governments, and tribal governments to replace, rehabilitate, preserve, or protect one or more bridges on the National Bridge Inventory. This program works in conjunction with formula funds the Utah Department of Transportation has received to serve these same purposes. The notice for funding opportunity is available here.

Upcoming Federal Grant Opportunities 

• Railroad Crossing Elimination Program

You can find an updated schedule of upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) releases here.

Resources

If you would like to stay up to date with the latest information on federal funding and want to receive our “Federal Funding Opportunities Notice” emails, or if you have any questions regarding federal funding, please reach out to federalgrants@wfrc.org or visit our Federal Funding Opportunities Webpage.

Thanks for making it this far and catching up on government affairs with WFRC! While Miranda is away, should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Andrea Pearson (apearson@wfrc.org), Andrew Gruber (agruber@wfrc.org), or me in our office and we will be happy to assist you. 

Have a wonderful and safe July!

Best,

Mike Sobczak

Communications Manager

msobczak@wfrc.org