A Look into the Future

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UDOT presents 30-year transportation plans

CLEARFIELD -- Residents of Davis and Weber counties were given a vision this week of what their communities could look like in 2040.

Utah Department of Transportation officials met with residents on Wednesday and Thursday at 30-year east-west transportation vision open houses in Clearfield and Ogden.

The development of the 30-year transportation vision came about last year after the Legislature authorized funding and outlined objectives for a study to evaluate alternatives for meeting the growing east-west traffic demand.

"This is definitely about improving our east-west corridors and making it easier and safer to get to our freeways and public transit options," said Andy Neff, UDOT public involvement coordinator. "But it's also about the kind of lifestyle we want to live."

UDOT presented four packages at the open houses with a corresponding set of projects based on a regional vision of how Top of Utah residents want to live. Each package considered city master plans, budgets and demographic forecasts. They were created with input from a steering committee that included local government officials.

Safety, economic development, environmental impacts and mass-transit options were also addressed in each package.

UDOT's four packages all include turning Interstate 15 into a six-lane freeway with an additional High Occupancy Lane and turning U.S. 89 into a six-lane freeway.

Turning 12th Street in Ogden and State Route 193 in Layton into four-lane expressways and a light-rail system in Ogden are other proposals included in some of the packages.

"It's interesting to see what kind of proposals they have come up with," said Syracuse resident Doug Hammond. "My main interest is to see what they have planned for the east-west roads. Antelope Drive is the main artery into Syracuse and it gets backed up quite a bit."

Lisa Smith, of West Haven, said she attended the open house to find out how her area could be affected.

"West Haven is a real rural area, and we want it to stay that way," she said. "I just came down here to see how we are going to be affected."

Smith commutes every day to Hill Air Force Base and said the traffic going to and from work can be a headache.

"The traffic really is getting horrible in Weber County," she said. "Even in West Haven, you can see it's just getting busier and busier."

Clearfield resident James Popham attended the open house with his wife, Marion, and said he was anxious to learn about future transportation possibilities.

"We just wanted to come and take a look and see what's going on," he said. "I think ultimately Utahns will like to see a combination of things from each plan -- a mix of everything."

Neff said the "mix of everything" Popham spoke of is exactly what UDOT is hoping will come out of the meetings.

"We aren't asking residents to choose one package," he said. "We want as much input from the public as we can possibly have so we can combine ideas and come up with a vision that is best for our area and our residents' needs."

UDOT officials said after they view the input gathered from the open houses, new and refined packages will be developed and presented to the public again in June.

"We are going to look at all the information and comments and suggestions we have received and then we are going to refine what we have," Neff said. "We are going to continue to work with our steering committee and then eventually hold additional open houses where the public can see our refined packages."

UDOT will present its final report to the Legislature in September.

Those who were unable to attend the open houses may submit comments by contacting the UDOT study team at 388-1839 or by e-mail at chulet@langdongroupinc.com.

Extensive information is also available on the study Web site at www.udot.utah.gov/daviswebereastwest.

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