Salt Lake City—Today, after four years of close collaboration and planning, 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 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 tribute to the state’s commitment to providing a variety of travel 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 health, safety, and air quality. It boosts transportation efficiency and better connects Utahns to their jobs and other destinations. By implementing the Plan:
- Utah households will on average experience 5.8 fewer days driving, 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.
- Utah’s GDP will grow by approximately $247 billion and more than 271,000 jobs will be added.
- Utahn’s 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.
Previous versions of the Plan have been nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a national model for being collaborative, comprehensive, and demonstrating the principle that collaboration brings superior results.
Learn more about the Plan by visiting unifiedplan.org.
Partner Quotes:
“Utah’s great quality of life keeps generations of families here and attracts many new residents every year. Careful, collaborative transportation planning is key to ensuring safe, efficient, and comfortable travel for all Utahns,” said Governor Spencer Cox. “Community health, economic vibrance, and livability are closely linked to travel choices–from walking and biking to riding transit to driving. We’re committed to giving Utahns options and building a system that supports individuals, families, and communities throughout our great state.”
”Transportation projects are expensive and can be difficult to implement. It is critical that projects are a result of a robust, transparent and effective planning process,” said Hyde Park Mayor and Cache MPO chair, Bryan Cox. “The Utah Unified Transportation Plan is the result of a coordinated and comprehensive planning process that will allow taxpayers to have confidence that public funds are spent in the most cost effective way to meet the future mobility challenges for all parts of the state.”
“Planning a path for our future is critical. As more and more people continue to make Utah their home, we need a plan to build new roads, new transit routes, new bike lanes, and change land uses to accommodate future housing and transportation needs,” said Myron Lee of the Dixie MPO in St. George. “Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan accomplishes that goal and reflects Utah’s long history of planning for the future. The plan gives individual communities a sense of flexibility, but also collaborates those individual plans to ensure a cohesive regional outcome."
“Utah County is the fastest growing county in the state, and we’ve stepped up to the challenge head on with collaborative transportation planning that is the keystone of Utah’s 2023 Unified Transportation Plan,“ said Provo City Mayor and MAG MPO Board Chair, Michelle Kaufusi. “Investing in our roads, pathways, and transit today for increased transportation choices tomorrow will help ensure that Utahns across the state enjoy great quality of life and economic opportunity well into the future."
“As our state grows, we are committed to providing safe transportation choices for all people to get where they want, when they want, in the way they want. Those needs are different today than they were in previous years, and in the Unified Plan, transportation partners throughout the state collaborate to identify solutions for the evolving needs that we anticipate in the years ahead,” said Carlos Braceras, UDOT Executive Director.
“Utah’s quality of life revolves around transportation choices,” said Carlton Christensen, Utah Transit Authority Board of Trustees Chair. “UTA is proud to be part of Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan as we work closely with UDOT, regional planning partners, and municipalities to ensure every community has accessible, healthy options to travel for work, school, entertainment, and economic opportunity. Riding transit offers a less stressful way to get there. Download the Transit app and discover all the ways We Move You.”
“Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan brings us together. The planning process looks at the relationship between transportation, land use, and economic development by thoughtfully coordinating housing, jobs, and transportation connections together,” said South Jordan Mayor and WFRC Chair, Dawn Ramsey. “City and town centers yield numerous benefits by improving access and reducing the time spent getting from point A to point B.”
CONTACTS:
Mike Sobczak (WFRC): 312.217.3235
John Gleason (UDOT): 801.560.7740
Carl Arky (UTA): 801.330.4513
Johnathan Knapton (MAG): 801.864.5793