Utah County population continues to skyrocket. Estimates place county population at 900,000 by 2030 and 1.2 million by 2040. According to the Mountainland Association of Governments, most of this growth will be on the west side of the valley.
A February snowstorm brought the state of our present road system to light in cold reality. There was a transportation gridlock in the northeast and northwest portion of the county. Motorists were stranded for hours waiting for help and vehicles were left abandoned on the road, further exacerbating the problem.
The Mountainland Association of Governments in conjunction with the Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Transit Authority and north Utah County cities has been working diligently on finding an east west route based on public input and invites our comment on how best to fix some of the transportation problems. Workshops will be held throughout the County. (Desert Morning News, February 7, 2008)
The Utah Department of transportation has proposed adding lanes to the I-15 corridor from Salt Lake County to Payson which will mean construction of new interchanges all along the corridor in Utah County.
We are moving in the right directions. Utah Transit Authority has plans to add commuter rail to Provo with station outlined along the route.
My position as a state senator would be to act as a facilitator between state government and local city and county governments to help move these projects along more rapidly.
We cannot wait. Our growth demands immediate action.
