The preferred scenario provided the blueprint for selecting the 2019-2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) projects. Once projects were selected, they were prioritized based on when the project is needed and when funding can reasonably be assumed to pay for it.
Following a series of sub-regional meetings, held in February and March of 2017, the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) staff gathered and evaluated comments from planners, engineers, city officials, and transportation partners. The information was used to distill three land use and transportation scenarios into a single preferred regional vision. Comments were compiled from 13 individual maps, and staff examined specific geographic areas for consensus. Two internal subcommittees were formed – one to examine land uses in detail in the northern portion and the second to do the same in the southern portion of the region. Questions concerning specific comments or land use were resolved by calling individual city planners. WFRC responses to public comments and the results from the stakeholder community survey process can be found here.
The refined centers were based on comments, staff expertise, and the 10 adopted goals. A series of village centers, combined with locally identified major centers and corridors, were mapped. In an effort to promote access to opportunity and livable communities, station centers were located at each stop along fixed-guideways throughout the region. Job centers were positioned at various sites that contained a high proportion of industrial, manufacturing, and freight movement facilities. Finally, evaluation of the preferred regional vision consisted of modeling with the Real Estate Market Model (REMM), in conjunction with the WFRC integrated transportation and land use model.
On June 21, 2017, WFRC staff, along with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and Utah Transit Authority (UTA), met with local planners and engineers during a Wasatch Choice 2050 (WC2050) and 2019-2050 RTP special working session for the technical advisory committees (TAC). The purpose of the meeting was not to ask local planners and engineers to weigh in on the draft preferred scenario and provide comments to help WFRC staff refine land use, green infrastructure, and transportation mode alignments, focusing on how the land use and transportation fit together. WFRC staff provided information on the project selection criteria based on mode, and asked for any feedback regarding the project selection criteria and process.
WFRC created project selection criteria for roadway, transit, and active transportation projects, in close collaboration with transportation partners and local communities, to refine the three scenarios to a preferred scenario.
In an effort to refine the preferred scenario, WFRC invited stakeholders to explore the draft preferred scenario and provide feedback for various projects via an interactive map, offered in both English and Spanish formats. Performance measures, which were developed based on the goals, were used to gauge the effectiveness of each scenario. These performance scenarios can be found in the interactive maps.
For additional information regarding the RTP, please contact Jory Johner.
