Project

In July 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded the Utah Transit Authority a $20 million grant that will be used, along with matching funds, to build hundreds of active transportation projects connecting to the regional rail system.

UTA and more than 30 cities and counties, non-profit groups and state and local organizations worked closely together to secure the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funding. The projects funded by this grant will benefit residents of more than two dozen cities in Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah and Summit counties.

The TIGER funding will be used for hundreds of projects throughout the UTA Service Area designed to make it safer and easier to walk and bike to transit. The projects are also designed to improve air quality by making it easier for residents to leave their cars at home as they travel to and from public transportation.

The project will take a regional approach to addressing first/last mile connections, enhancing transit access for residents throughout the UTA service area. Anticipated benefits of the project include:

• Enhanced safety by connecting sidewalk, trail, and bike network gaps
• Increased ridership
• Better access to stations via active transportation and transit
• Economic benefits from connecting planned or existing housing, commercial and mixed-use developments to local transit stations which connect residents to job centers, educational facilities and human services

UTA is working with project stakeholders to help finalize the project list. Details on specific projects will be finalized by the end of 2016, and construction on some could begin as soon as early 2017.