WFRC recently updated our Housing and Transportation Reinvestment Zone (HTRZ) Eligible Areas map. 

One key strategy of the Wasatch Choice Vision is to create and enhance city and town centers as the hearts of our communities — walkable areas where activity is focused, with places to live, work, and play. Areas around high-capacity transit stations are ideal centers because they can increase housing options, provide access to opportunities for jobs, education, and commerce, and enhance quality of life even as Utah continues to grow.

HTRZs are a policy and financing tool, authorized under state law, to facilitate additional mixed-use development around transit stations. Cities can propose HTRZs, working with other public- and private-sector stakeholders, around existing and near-term planned rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) stations. An HTRZ enables a portion of incremental tax revenue growth, within a defined area near a transit station, to support the costs of enhanced development in that area. 

The HTRZ map shows areas around existing and near-term planned rail and BRT stations, within which an HTRZ can be proposed. The map also shows stations where HTRZs have already been authorized.

Learn more about HTRZs and view the interactive map at wfrc.org/programs/htrz.

A Busy First Year for the Local Administrative Advisor Program

In her first year, the WFRC’s Local Administrative Advisor (LAA) — Madison Aviles — has completed more than 75 projects, providing tailored support to Brighton, Copperton, Erda, Emigration Canyon, Farr West, Hooper, Huntsville, Ogden Valley, Plain City, Rush Valley, Stockton, Sunset, Uintah, Vernon, and White City. The LAAs are specifically focused on supporting Utah’s smaller communities. 

These projects included developing Moderate Income Housing Reports to guide strategic planning, assisting with subdivision ordinance implementation, crafting new personnel policies and procedures to strengthen human resources functions, creating a resident-friendly budget template to enhance financial transparency, and leading a municipal website revision to improve communication and engagement with residents. 

The LAA program is made possible through state funding. It is administered by the Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT) and provides an LAA, like Madison, in each of the state's seven Association of Governments (AOG). 

Madison Aviles brings extensive experience in city management and public administration to the role, along with a passion for the success of small municipalities. If you are a part of one of these smaller communities and have a project you could use additional support with, please contact Madison.

To stay informed about LAA successes, resources, and training sign-up for LAA Connection. 

Project Highlight: Vine Street Goes Multimodal

Enhancements to Vine Street from 1300 East to the Van Winkle Expressway in Murray City was funded through WFRC's Surface Transportation Program (STP). Situated in the heart of Salt Lake County, the city was once focused heavy industry and is now also bustling with healthcare, retail, and professional, technical, and scientific services. As with many of the communities along the Wasatch Front, Murray is providing transportation choices for residents and visitors with roads, transit, and trails.

Each year, WFRC works with local governments, UDOT, and UTA to identify and provide funding for priority projects. Vine Street is a good example of a collaborative effort to identify, evaluate, and fund projects to improve all modes of transportation. Vine Street is a major east-west collector that previously lacked continuous curb, sidewalks, shoulders, and turn lanes at most cross streets. The goal of the project was to provide a safe and efficient “complete street” for multi-modal transportation.

The project included: 

• Safe walking route to Woodstock Elementary School at Vine Street and 1300 East for students.
• Center turn lane to improve safety by eliminating stopped or slow-turning vehicles.
• Community engagement and surveying.
• Eliminated wide shoulders in favor of two-to-three-foot shoulders for snow storage and garbage cans.
• Five-foot bike lanes in both directions.
• Seven-foot curb-adjacent sidewalks.
• Three-eleven-foot lanes, one being a center turn.

By working closely with Murray City, the project has achieved its objectives and has been well received by the community. A key takeaway for the city and the project team was the importance of early and continued public involvement outreach.

This is just one example of many projects that we have been able to help advance in our communities. Learn more about STP and other Transportation Improvement Programs.

Wasatch Choice Community Advisory Committee is Seeking New Members

Wasatch Choice Community Advisory Committee

Do you know a community member interested in becoming more involved in transportation planning? 

The Wasatch Front Regional Council, along with its Wasatch Choice Vision partners, invite members of community organizations to apply to join the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). 

Entering its third year, CAC serves as a forum for enhancing awareness and understanding of the needs and priorities of all of our communities in the region. Members provide feedback while gaining a better understanding of how transportation planning and decisions are made.

CAC members attend six meetings per year for a two-year term (February 2025 through February 2027). The first meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 18 at 5:30 p.m.

To apply, please complete the application. We encourage you to share the application form with organizations and individuals you think might be interested in contributing to CAC. Applications are due on or by February 7, 2025. 

Dates to Know

• February 5 - County Officials Day on the Hill
• February 11 - WFRC Active Transportation Committee Meeting
• February 19 - WFRC RGC Technical Advisory Committee meetings
• February 20 - WFRC Transportation Coordinating Meeting
• February 27 - WFRC 101- Learn the basics of how we work! More details are coming soon.

If you have events, achievements, or helpful information that you’d like to share with the WFRC community, please contact Johnnae Nardone, WFRC’s Communications Manager.