- Utah’s 2023-2050 Unified Transportation Plan Now Live
- Map of the Month: UTA Rail and BRT - From 0 to 145 Miles in 24 Years
- 2023-2028 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Adopted
- Wasatch Choice Vision Case Study: Midvale City
- WFRC’s October Regional Council Meeting
- First Annual Utah Transportation Conference
- Government Affairs Update
- Parking Modernization Tool Updated
- On the Horizon…
| |
|
Utah’s 2023-2050 Unified Transportation Plan Now Live
| |
|
After four years of close collaboration and planning, earlier this month transportation partners from across the state released Utah’s updated Unified Transportation Plan, with the primary goal of preserving and enhancing quality of life in Utah even as we grow.
Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan is comprehensive in that it identifies priority statewide transportation needs across all modes of travel from now until 2050. It expands capacity to meet Utah’s growth by planning for new bike and pedestrian paths; increased frequency of transit service and new transit options via bus and rail; and new or upgraded state and local roads. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Utah Transit Authority (UTA), and metropolitan planning organizations Cache MPO, Dixie MPO, Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG), and Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), all contributed to the creation of the Unified Plan, in collaboration with cities and counties, legislators, business and community organizations, and other stakeholders.
On the heels of a significant boost in support and desire for active transportation options, particularly from the State of Utah, this updated Plan outlines the planning and funding of walking, biking, and other trail projects in more detail than previous plans, a reflection of the state’s commitment to providing transportation choices.
As Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan is implemented, Utahns will experience more ways to get to their destinations. The Plan provides transportation alternatives to improve access, health, safety, and air quality. It boosts transportation efficiency and better connects Utahns to their jobs, schools, and other important destinations. By implementing the Unified Plan:
-
Utah households will on average experience 5.8 fewer days driving per year, freeing up time for other activities.
-
Utah’s economy will strengthen through increased investment in infrastructure, with each dollar invested multiplying 2.5 times through economic and job growth, and the state’s GDP will grow by approximately $247 billion and more than 271,000 jobs will be added.
-
Utahns will breathe cleaner air, with a projected statewide reduction in emissions of 13%.
-
4,700 active transportation pathway miles will be added in Utah, roughly equal to the distance of riding your bike from Salt Lake City to Boston and back again!
| |
UTA Rail and BRT - From 0 to 145 Miles in 24 Years | |
|
The August 2023 opening of the OGX bus rapid transit (BRT) line connecting downtown Ogden with Weber State University and McKay Dee Hospital, meant that an update was needed to the UTA system map.
This month, we're featuring a customized look at the updated UTA Rail and BRT map that highlights the Wasatch Front's high-capacity transit network. In just 24 years, over 145 corridor miles of rail and BRT transit corridor have been added to the UTA system, which additionally, includes extensive local bus and on-demand transit services. The first TRAX line opened in 1999, and with the U of U Stadium spur added just before the Winter Olympics, 17 miles of TRAX light rail corridor were operational for the 2002 Games. Now we're at 145 miles of transit corridor, which enables transit access to millions of Utahns, now and in the future. Wow!
These important transit investments also illustrate the importance of planning for future projects to include in the regional transportation plans (RTP) and Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan, where ideas like TRAX, FrontRunner, and BRTs – together with roadway and active transportation projects – first get their start. The right mix of planning, funding, and operational expertise is providing an impressive and expanded transit backbone that will help meet the Wasatch Front's transportation needs for generations to come.
| |
2023-2028 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Adopted | |
|
The Wasatch Front Economic Development District and the Wasatch Front Regional Council unanimously adopted the 2023-2028 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) on October 26, 2023. Our region is central to the whole state’s economic vitality and growth. The CEDS identified four areas of focus for the next 5-years to promote sustainable, broad-based economic opportunity:
- Creating and enhancing city and town centers,
- Increasing economic development capacity,
- Promoting human capital development, and
- Diversifying the business environment.
The work being done by WFRC and the WFEDD is meant to complement and support the work done by economic development organizations, including cities, counties, chambers of commerce, and other local, regional, and statewide entities. The analysis and research done to develop the CEDS reached a key conclusion: implementing the Wasatch Choice Vision, with its strategy of centered development, is one of the most effective approaches our region can take to promote long-term, sustainable economic development opportunities.
With the adoption of the Regional CEDS, WFRC and the WFEDD will be eligible to apply for further Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants as well as assist those who are eligible in our Region to seek additional funding opportunities from the EDA. The WFEDD and staff are excited to have a strategy that will have actionable goals and measurable metrics to support the economic opportunities in our Region.
| |
Wasatch Choice Vision Case Study: Midvale City | |
Midvale is a diverse community of vibrant, distinct neighborhoods located in the center of the Salt Lake Valley and connected to the region by I-15 and UTA TRAX light rail. Although it was originally developed decades ago, it continues to enhance the identity of its centers. Midvale is providing safe, walkable, and bikeable connections, connected to housing and other development, as well as facilitating new parks and improving the quality of the Jordan River Parkway. Through Bingham Junction and Jordan Bluffs, Midvale is a great example of how to create a new district on a former brownfield site. | |
 | |
Midvale also successfully employs the strategies of the Wasatch Choice Vision throughout the community:
-
Implement centers around transit stations: Midvale City focuses investment through centering mixed-use development around Bingham Junction, Fort Union, and the Center Street TRAX stations in efforts to increase job opportunities, housing choice, and other amenities around these transportation crossroads.
Establishing centers helps give Midvale a clearer identity. There is great local pride in the old historic Main Street area, and Midvale City is keen to welcome investment in this area. Meanwhile Bingham Junction and Jordan Bluffs are creating new opportunities by promoting a mix of uses in their respective districts. The area around the Ft. Union Trax station is poised for redevelopment through promotion of higher density, mixed-use opportunities.
-
Build active transportation for an active community: The Mid-Valley Active Transportation Plan forms the core of Midvale City’s efforts around enhancing bicycle and pedestrian connections. This plan was historic in that it brought six communities together around a shared network of improvements that, once built, will give residents a safe choice if they want to bike to major destinations.
Click here to learn more about how these projects in Midvale City advance the Wasatch Choice Vision, as well as other progress in communities along the Wasatch Front.
|  | |
|
WFRC’s October Regional Council Meeting
| |
Lauren Victor, WFRC Transportation Planner, presents the updated Title VI and Public Participation Plan to the Council | |
First Annual Utah Transportation Conference | |
|
The first ever Utah Transportation Conference took place last week and offered many great opportunities for public and private-sector stakeholders to collaborate and share expertise on key transportation-related issues. WFRC thanks our transportation partners for their incredible effort and partnership in organizing the Utah Transportation Conference – a lot of thought and effort went into curating a program that was informative and engaging for 2,400 attendees.
Here are just a few highlights of WFRC’s team participating in the Conference!
| |
Andrew Gruber, Executive Director, delivered remarks during the opening plenary session alongside Jay Fox, UTA, Carlos Braceras, UDOT, and Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi | |
Bill Hereth, Data Scientist, received the Keep Utah Moving Through Better Mobility Award | |
Lauren Victor, Transportation Planner, joined the panel on "How to Implement an All Users Approach" | |
Active Transportation Planner Hugh Van Wagenen, led a post-lunch walk audit session. | |
Ted Knowlton, Deputy Director, participated in a panel to discuss "The Nexus Between Transportation and Economic Opportunity" | |
Data Scientists Chris Day, Bill Hereth, and Josh Reynolds, conducted a session titled "Goodbye Excel, Hello Data Science" | |
|
STATE & LOCAL
Legislative Interim
The Legislature met in interim session earlier this month, where Utah’s Transportation partners (UDOT, UTA, WFRC, MAG, Dixie and Cache MPOs) launched the newly updated Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan at the Transportation Interim Committee (as shared above).
We anticipate that during November’s interim meetings (Nov. 14-15), committees will make final considerations of interim draft committee bills which will then move forward to the 2024 Legislative Session, which begins on Tuesday, January 16th.
Unified Economic Opportunity Commission
The Unified Economic Opportunity Commission (UEOC) completed their interim study season this month with final reports and recommendations from its working groups. A number of items came out of the Growth and Transportation working group that may now be considered in the Governor’s Budget and in the Legislative Session, including:
- Continue investment in multimodal transportation
- Establish transit innovation grants
- Enhance electrification infrastructure
- Define transportation utility fee parameters
- Fund Guiding Our Growth phase IV
- Fund the State Infrastructure Bank Greenfield Subaccount
- Invest in a housing capacity, infrastructure, and market analysis
- Modify ZAP/RAP tax for 20 year terms
- Refine Outdoor Recreation Grants program
- Coordinate growth-impact considerations across policy area, funding, and entity
- Allow time for implementation and evaluation of recently adopted growth alignment policies
FEDERAL
In Congress
A shutdown in the federal government at the end of September was averted as Congress was able to fund the government through November 17th by passing a short-term continuing resolution. However, the looming November deadline to pass a long-term spending bill is quickly approaching, and deliberations were delayed as the focus of the House of Representatives shifted to securing a new House Speaker. With a Speaker now in place, the Congress is now able to direct their efforts back to the appropriations process, foreign affairs, and other pressing matters.
Federal Funding Opportunities
| |
2023 Parking Modernization Guidebook | |
|
Parking dynamics in our communities are in flux with the significant and rapid changes underway in how people live, work, and get around. The “telework transformation”, Uber and Lyft, “Amazonization”, the COVID-19 bike boom, scooters, and GREENbike are some of the words we use now that were largely not around just a decade ago. To stay up with the times, communities and developers need to re-assess approaches to parking in order to better fit these new conditions. In other words, we all need to modernize our parking.
The Utah Parking Modernization Guidebook, part of the Wasatch Choice Vision portfolio of tools, is the result of a partnership between the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG), Salt Lake County, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), and communities along the Wasatch Front. For more information about or to get help with launching your own modernization efforts, please reach out to Julie Bjornstad, Senior Transportation Planner at WFRC, at julieb@wfrc.org.
| |
|
This Regional Solutions Event at 10 AM on Thursday, November 9th will bring together experts from various fields to discuss the issues impacting local housing attainability, including rising interest rates, local regulation, escalating land costs, rising labor costs, shortages in skilled labor, supply chain constraints and increased material costs. The goal of this event is to convene many points of view--academics, policymakers, elected officials, practitioners, and advocates--to seek strategies through civil discourse and respect for the important and distinct roles we all play in bringing about solutions.
The event will feature keynotes from Dr. Arnab Chakraborty, Dean of the College of Architecture & Planning at the University of Utah, and a special luncheon with housing policy expert and journalist Jerusalem Demsas from The Atlantic.
| | | | |
