KAYSVILLE -- As the Top of Utah population continues to boom and funding sources become more scarce, transportation officials say a new way of doing business will be required for mobility success in the future.
The Davis County Chamber of Commerce held a Transportation Summit featuring high-level state and local transportation officials, who discussed the future of transportation in Davis County and the state.
Carlos Braceras, deputy eirector and chief engineer at the Utah Department of Transportation, said the state has experienced tremendous growth in recent decades and the next 30 years figure to bring more of the same.
"We're still seeing an explosion of growth," he said. "And that trend is one that will continue."
According to UDOT's West Davis Transit Corridor Purpose and Need study, population in the Top of Utah is projected to increase by 75 percent between now and 2040 and employment is projected to increase by 67 percent.
Chuck Chappell, executive director of the Wasatch Front Region Council, the transportation planning arm for the Wasatch Front, said transportation funding will become an issue as population grows.
"Funding is just going to be harder to come by as we grow and need more infrastructure," he said. "So there are a lot of questions we are facing about how to pay for these things. Do we need a local-option gas tax? An increase in sales tax? Those are things we face."
To use money wisely, Braceras said UDOT has shifted focus to take care of infrastructure the state already has and be sure it is fully operational.
"We already have billions of dollars in assets," he said. "So instead of jumping into new construction, we need to try and take care of what we have and optimize our system."
Braceras did say two major road capacity improvements are planned for Davis County's future: the West Davis Corridor and an extension of S.R. 193 in Clearfield.
A study of the West Davis Corridor is under way and seeking to identify transportation solutions through western Weber and Davis counties. S.R. 193 will be extended farther west of I-15 to provide additional mobility as an east/west corridor between West Point, Clearfield, Syracuse and Interstate 15.
Layton City Planner Peter Matson talked about Transit Oriented Development at the summit and about reducing dependence on automobiles by building new communities that feature a mix of housing, retail space, civic amenities, and transit all within a half-mile walkable radius.
Comments