The phasing of the 2023-2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) roadway, transit, and active transportation projects was guided by the Wasatch Choice Vision regional goals, which were adopted by the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC). These goals informed the criteria, weighting, and methodology used to phase projects, and differ slightly by transportation mode. WFRC uses a variety of tools to forecast the timing and impact of anticipated growth, such as the regional Travel Demand Model (TDM) and the Real Estate Market Model (REMM). Socioeconomic and travel-related forecasts from these models are used to assign points to each transportation project in the near- and long-term time horizon within the 28-year period of the Plan. Projects are phased roughly by decade using technical data and input from WFRC’s partners, including the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Utah Transit Authority (UTA), local communities, stakeholders, and the public.
WFRC developed a two-tiered phasing process in which WFRC, in consultation with UDOT, UTA, local communities, and stakeholders first identified the phase a project is needed, and then assessed fiscal constraints for the three phases. A project is considered to be in a certain “phase” when its construction start date is placed into a funded time horizon or an unfunded list of projects. The three phases of the 2023-2050 RTP are Phase 1: 2023 to 2032, Phase 2: 2033 to 2042, and Phase 3: 2043 to 2050.
Funding is not projected to be available for all projects and some projects will end up being placed in the unfunded portion of the plan – although they are still considered needed by 2050.
The specific goal-centered criteria used by WFRC for phasing differed by mode. Each criterion listed a specific measure, methodology, and data requirements. The criteria included a comparison against funding sources prioritization criteria – specifically the state and federal funding sources – and were reviewed by UDOT, UTA, and local communities. The project phasing criteria can be viewed by clicking the link below.
In an effort to refine and finalize the fiscally constrained Draft 2023-2050 RTP, WFRC invited the public and other stakeholders to provide feedback on the proposed timing of the transportation projects via an interactive map and comment form through a30-day public involvement period in January and February 2023. Once this public involvement concluded, WFRC worked with communities, UDOT, and UTA to ensure the refinements in phasing remained fiscally constrained for each transportation mode.
For additional information regarding the RTP, please contact Jory Johner.