IN THIS ISSUE

• New $24.5 Million RAISE Grant to Improve Wasatch Front Area Transit Access
• $17 Million in Low Emission Grants Awarded to the Utah Transit Authority
• Provide Input on WFRC’s Draft 2024-2029 Transportation Improvement Program and Public Participation Plan
• Public Comment Map for the Draft 2024-2029 TIP
• Government Affairs Update
• Review and Provide Feedback on UDOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan
• UDOT TIF and TTIF Project Nomination Window Open
• Wasatch Choice Community Advisory Committee
• Clearfield’s Modernized Parking
• Holladay Wants Your Input
• WFRC Executive Director Andrew Gruber Receives 2023 Leadership Award from the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)



New $24.5 Million RAISE Grant to Improve Wasatch Front Area Transit Access

BIG NEWS! The US Department of Transportation announced this week that Utah will receive a $24.5 million RAISE grant award to construct 15 first/last mile active transportation projects to increase connectivity to transit stations along the Wasatch Front. The projects will make it easier for people to walk or bike to and from transit, making it easier, safer, and more likely that individuals use transit options. That means less traffic congestion, less pollution, more household savings, and more access to services, jobs, and educational opportunities. This RAISE grant is a joint effort of UDOT, UTA, WFRC, and MAG. It was supported by Utah's entire Congressional delegation. Read the joint press release from UDOT, UTA, WFRC, and MAG here, as well as the official announcement from USDOT. 

$17 Million in Low Emission Grants Awarded to the Utah Transit Authority

MORE BIG NEWS! The Utah Transit Authority received a $17 million discretionary grant award from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) for low/no emission bus and bus facilities. The funding for this grant will allow UTA to purchase low-emission compressed natural gas buses to replace older diesel buses on routes that serve disadvantaged communities. The project will help reduce the agency's carbon footprint and improve air quality. Click here to learn more.

Provide Input on WFRC’s Draft 2024-2029 Transportation Improvement Program and Public Participation Plan

The Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) invites you to provide input on the Draft 2024-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) wfrc.org/tip-2024-2029-comment-map via an online interactive map and corresponding air quality conformity determination (Memorandum 41a). The TIP is a six-year program of roadway, transit, and active transportation projects funded by federal, state, and local revenues in Salt Lake, Davis, Morgan, Tooele, and Weber counties, as well as the urban portion of Box Elder County. The TIP is developed in close collaboration with local governments, UDOT, UTA, and other community stakeholders. Major capacity projects in the TIP are selected from Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan.

A public comment period regarding the proposed projects is going on now through July 29, 2023. Comments on the draft TIP can be offered online, or at two in-person public open houses, which will be held on the following dates and locations:

• Tuesday, July 11, 2023 4:00 - 7:00 pm: Salt Lake Intermodal Center 300 South 600 West Salt Lake City, Utah 
• Thursday, July 13, 2023 4:00 - 7:00 pm: Ogden Intermodal Center 2350 Wall Ave Ogden, Utah

Additionally, WFRC is seeking input on its revised Draft Public Participation Plan, which guides the agency's proactive engagement of the residents and constituencies along the Wasatch Front and establishes ways in which WFRC integrates meaningful public engagement into its planning initiatives. Public comment can be provided via webform, emailing communications@wfrc.org, mailing comments to WFRC, as well as providing comments in person. Comments are being accepted now through August 8, 2023.

Public Comment Map for the Draft 2024-2029 TIP

As mentioned above, WFRC, along with our partners, UDOT and UTA, have prioritized hundreds of near-term transportation projects that aim to enhance mobility, strengthen the economy, connect communities, increase access to opportunities, and improve health along the Wasatch Front.

These projects, totaling more than $10 billion in federal, state, and local funding, are listed in the current draft of the 2024-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), open for public comment through July 29, 2023.

You are invited to explore project location and details in the Draft 2023-2028 TIP Public Comment Map. The map can display projects based on funding source, project status, and the anticipated start year. And, as its title implies, the map allows anyone to submit project-specific comments as well as general comments not linked to a specific project. Submitted comments will help inform the final approval process for the TIP later this summer. Take a look and pass along any feedback you would like to share!

State & Local: Legislative Interim + Unified Economic Opportunity Commission

The legislature’s interim committees and appropriation subcommittees met this month to study various policy items in preparation for next year’s legislative session. Notable items heard this interim included UDOT’s presentation on plans for the Active Transportation Investment Fund (ATIF) and update on the strategic doubletracking of FrontRunner, information on Transportation Utility Fees, an update on federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant applications, and information on the federal Corridor Identification and Development Program. The legislature will not meet again until August.

The UEOC met at the end of May to hear preliminary reports from each of the working groups and their anticipated direction of study items over the next several months. WFRC continues to be involved in the Growth and Transportation working group, and its three subgroups (Transit and Transportation Infrastructure and Investment, Growth Infrastructure Investment, and Growth Policy Alignment). Some of the primary study topics of the G&T group include transportation electrification, transit ridership, greenfield development, transportation user fees, rural infrastructure, aligning economic opportunity programs, promoting holistic TODs, and improving transportation safety.

Federal: Grant Opportunities Available

• Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, and Cost-Saving Transportation Program (PROTECT) grants are intended to ensure resilience to natural hazards like climate change, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters.Applications are now open, and due no later than August 18, 2023. 
• Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A): communities can apply for funding for demonstration projects to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on roadways in the region. A community can use this worksheet as a starting point to determine whether they are eligible to apply to USDOT for a demonstration grant in the 2023 cycle (due date is July 10, 2023).
• Multimodal Discretionary Grant Program (including MEGA, INFRA, and Rural): The MDGP program uses a combined application for the three programs. The deadline for applications is August 21, 2023. Read more about MEGA, INFRA, and RURAL here.
• (NEW!) Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program: The grants can fund/assist rurally designated communities with feasibility studies, project planning, revenue forecasting, preliminary engineering and design work, cost-benefit analysis, and other functions. Grant applications must be submitted no later than September 28th, 2023

Federal: Changes in Congress

With the retirement of Congressman Chris Stewart from Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, a large pool of candidates have emerged in hopes to win the open congressional seat in the special election to be held on September 5 and November 21. Candidates have two paths to the primary ballot: (1) winning in convention, and (2) the signature gathering path. In the Republican convention in Delta, UT this past Saturday, Celeste Maloy received more than 51% of the delegates’ support and will automatically appear on the GOP Primary Election ballot in September.  There may be a few additional challengers with candidates emerging from the signature gathering route. 

Review and Provide Feedback on UDOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan

The Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) Long-Range Transportation Plan is now available for review and public comment! The plan details rural Utah’s anticipated transportation needs for 2023 through 2050 and includes a list of proposed projects on state routes to address the outlined needs.

The UDOT long-range transportation plan for rural areas is the equivalent of the WFRC Regional Transportation Plan developed for the urban areas of the Wasatch Front. Once all the plans are finalized, they are all integrated into Utah's Unified Transportation Plan. 

A key part of the planning process is involving the public in a meaningful way and UDOT has appreciated your engagement to date. The public is encouraged to voice their input on the plan and proposed projects through July 25, 2023. The plan is available for review at udotinput.utah.gov/udotplanning.

The public is encouraged to provide feedback in the following ways:

• Visit udotinput.utah.gov/udotplanning to fill out a comment form and provide feedback directly on a comment map.
• Email the planning team at planning@utah.gov.
• Call a team representative at 385-360-1900.

Para obtener información sobre el Plan de Transporte de Largo Alcance en Español, visite udotinput.utah.gov/udotplanning-es.



UDOT TIF and TTIF Project Nomination Window Open!

UDOT’s Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) and Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF) nomination process for projects to be considered for funding prioritization is open. Local governments and transit districts may nominate qualifying transportation projects for prioritization and possible funding by the Utah Transportation Commission. 

More detailed information about the nomination process and eligibility requirements are available at Project Prioritization.

Nominations are being accepted for the following eligible project types - TIF Highway, TIF Active Transportation, TTIF Transit, and TTIF First and Last Mile Projects - until 5:00pm on August 31, 2023.

Links to the nomination forms can be found HERE. Frequently Asked Questions about the TIF/TTIF prioritization and nomination process can be found HERE. If you have previously submitted an eligible project that was not funded, please nominate that project again through the nomination link provided above. 

WFRC is happy to help our communities understand eligibility requirements and the process and collaborate in considering project nominations.

***Please note that there is no specific timeframe for funding of prioritized projects. Eligible projects may be considered for funding by the Utah Transportation Commission at any time once ranked lists have been developed.***

The Wasatch Front Regional Council, along with its Wasatch Choice Vision partners, invite members of the public to apply to join the Community Advisory Committee. Share your voice to shape your community! Entering its second year, the purpose of the Community Advisory Committee is to enhance the engagement of all communities in our region in the Wasatch Choice Vision while advising partner agencies on transportation and land use decisions. This Community Advisory Committee serves as a forum for enhancing awareness and understanding of the needs and priorities of all of our communities in the region.

The commitment requires attending six meetings over the course of the next year (July 2023 through June 2024), and you will be compensated $50 per meeting. 

Click here to apply, and please help us spread the word by sharing this flyer. Applications are due on or by July 21, 2023. The first meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 15 at 5:30 PM.

Learn more about why equity is important to WFRC’s work, here.

Clearfield’s Modernized Parking



After completing a parking study through the Transportation and Land Use Connection program, Clearfield updated its parking ordinances to reflect the study’s findings. Now, Clearfield offers parking reductions for proximity to transit, structured parking, shared parking, and carshare programs in Downtown Clearfield. They also right-sized many requirements, including by lowering fast food stalls from 20 to 5 stalls per 1,000 sq ft. Check out their parking study and newly adopted ordinances.

Holladay Wants Your Input!

The City of Holladay, in partnership with the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), is initiating a feasibility study for a shared use path (SUP) along I-215 between Highland Drive and Holladay Boulevard. The study will explore design elements, aesthetics and construction feasibility of the path. The path will connect Knudsen Park to the existing trail network. It will improve connectivity and accessibility for people who walk and bike in the community.

Take the survey today! WFRC and Holladay want to hear from you. Visit surveymonkey.com/r/I-215sharedusepath to complete the study survey and provide your feedback. The survey will remain open through August 15, 2023. Questions? Reach out to the study team at (385) 446-8887.

WFRC Executive Director Andrew Gruber Receives 2023 Leadership Award from the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)

At the National Association of Regional Councils annual conference in Detroit earlier this month, WFRC Executive Director Andrew Gruber was recognized by his peers with the 2023 NARC  Leadership Award. This award recognizes the significant impacts an executive director has made at the local, state, and national levels. Andrew received this national recognition for excelling in carrying out regional concepts, approaches, and programs. Congratulations, Andrew, on this recognition as you help WFRC to serve our region by fulfilling our roles as convener, technical expert, planner, and implementer.