[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6626990,"mediaKeyId","2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f","parentId",2732840,"title","WFRC outlines multi-year upgrade to regional travel model, plans activity-based approach by 2029","audioSeconds",560,"startMs",6322000,"endMs",6882000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f&start=6322&end=6882","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f/thumbnail_6322000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6626990/Utah/WFRC-outlines-multi-year-upgrade-to-regional-travel-model-plans-activity-based-approach-by-2029","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626990-91f4ba87b7e5345fc2dd25d12b2bb9e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157921&Signature=W7iz5UGuG4ro1hDWYg8GB-bC~X4CisrmwPAqCiqz~1Ju-YG9rBBb7Iwkt278nNvjiEiQrCckDSsGx158LCT9zOxrcs~xNYOEqi4Cz2QrY95YD5HXaAiYKwcy~b0drylBzSgm0unDcaAoWAvEa2lM0PFxkfWf17olB9Zeg4KCHe2voCvBuYtf7meoszpPj7mc7l4gzbcSydasJjcnzemxW9MFDt3PaVboGwwm1TjdyhLyHwhSqJtjET93t4fqXbA3SHT~5~XqRaLf9kMqdbmZlyjwNQeWmr5bxPyRiGAVxenr2AuIvdpN4RplEseYE9reTLtYGkO1J~jSRnM387dF~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-20T18:50:47Z","article","Bert Granberg, WFRC analytics staff, briefed the Regional Growth Committee on a planned upgrade to the Wasatch Front regional travel model to incorporate an activity-based modeling (ABM) approach and related visualization tools.

Granberg summarized the model’s history and purpose, noting the region’s travel-model lineage dates to the 1960s and has been updated in stages to include transit modeling and integrated land-use forecasting. He said a recent peer-review recommended moving toward an activity-based approach and that the ABM integration would better represent how households chain trips and make travel choices.

Granberg said the proposed project would adapt an existing ABM implementation from another metropolitan planning organization and customize it for the Wasatch Front to shorten development time and reduce costs. The three-year project timeline targets summer 2029 for delivering an ABM-capable regional model to support the next regional transportation plan cycle.

Key benefits outlined by Granberg include improved representation of multi-stop trip chains, better evaluation of emerging travel choices and policies (for example, tolling, transit fares and new mobility modes), and closer integration with location-based and household-travel-survey data. He noted investigators already plan to use the household travel survey recently completed and commercial location-based services data to calibrate model outputs.

Granberg estimated consulting costs of a little over $1 million over three years and said WFRC and partner agencies — including UDOT, UTA and the Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) — would seek to share the investment. The project is intended to keep the region aligned with national best practices and to make future joint investments with other MPOs more efficient.

Committee members asked about using mobile-device and raw location-based data in model calibration. Granberg said WFRC will continue to use household travel survey data and work with commercial location-based data providers; another committee member recommended building in-house capacity to process raw mobile-positioning data rather than purchasing pre-processed products.

Granberg characterized the upgrade as a major technical investment that will support air-quality conformity analyses and future scenario testing for transportation investments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regional Growth Committee Meeting - Recorded March 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","WFRC staff described a planned three-year project to integrate an activity-based model (ABM) into the Wasatch Front regional travel model, intended to improve trip-chaining representation, incorporate new data sources and support next regional transportation plan analysis.","taxTitle","Regional Growth Committee, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Utah Lobbyist / NGO, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",77381,"location","Utah","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6626995,"Regional Growth Committee recommends certification of Sandy station-area plans and approves TLC awards for 13 projects",3228,3038000,6266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f&start=3038&end=6266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f/thumbnail_3038000.jpg","/articles/6626995/Utah/Regional-Growth-Committee-recommends-certification-of-Sandy-station-area-plans-and-approves-TLC-awards-for-13-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626995-85b16fb9b49e55791aed081a20c9ed98/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157921&Signature=C3lrwFEpajIcw7wdOWrOB4rt6ZMrRCsaGWriuVCUlzKvWp3UxgTNTuRP~KrZLFwctQPGyJCDsWECbfBmxZgyjmGqKdsuoM1jFloGfpKjxBAHGMFhExOiFcxFnqKEIdxuZmYagOCJmk3He23NXX675RNFlPoJ1XUGrmY8Do5Dn3RugKACzQtvryJNzGxIuu~SBopTRxVCPGjucf~ESuY7jYFdgqQGbVqoqjwkr5cMM0YoIaHxWk7JRrydxiYuGOSVxayFUNeriFbT6m8pQz0PIvKIajgUER0SCOlLZPDjfZbELZ~GIWgOl18KDk-~CqrKAXPPpFz3UospbWQi-MyRwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Regional Growth Committee voted by voice to recommend that the Wasatch Front Regional Council certify five Sandy station-area plans and to advance the certification to the full council.

Byron Head, community planner with WFRC, explained station-area plan requirements and said the Sandy submission covered five station areas selected for certification this cycle. \"These plans have to mention housing, sustainable environmental conditions, access to opportunities, and transportation choices and connections,\" Head said.

Mayor Maureen Zoltanski of Sandy (introduced herself in the meeting as the city's mayor) described the plan as the product of substantial public engagement and a recent comprehensive general-plan update, and thanked WFRC for technical and financial assistance. Jake Warner, Sandy city planner, told the committee the five plans together contain about 16,000 residents now and the areas have potential for substantial additional housing and commercial development.

WFRC staff recommended certification following review and consultation with UTA. The committee then considered a motion to recommend certification to the Wasatch Front Regional Council. A member moved to recommend certification and a second was recorded; the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The transcript records an \"aye\" and no opposed voices; the meeting did not record individual tallies.

Separately, WFRC announced 13 new Transportation and Land Use Connection (TLC) awards for 2025. The TLC program provides competitive technical assistance and modest project funding to local governments to support plans, code updates, active-transportation studies and other small-area projects. WFRC staff said roughly $1.5 million in TLC funds were awarded this year, matched by more than $200,000 in local contributions.

Projects awarded this year include small-area or center plans (Murray Oakwood Village Center, Riverdale Stringtown master plan, South Ogden City Center), citywide plan and code work (Sandy land development code update, South Salt Lake zoning code update, Plain City general plan and land-use code), contextual transportation or corridor studies (Kearns 5400 South Corridor Study, South Davis Greenway feasibility study) and ADA, municipal services and design standards work for smaller communities.

By voice vote the committee approved moving Sandy's station-area certification recommendation to the full council; WFRC staff will present the certification to the Wasatch Front Regional Council at a subsequent meeting for final action.

The committee also heard brief testimonials from Sandy leaders on the role WFRC technical assistance played in the city's general-plan update and ongoing code work.","WFRC staff recommended certification of five Sandy station-area plans; the Regional Growth Committee moved and seconded a recommendation to the full council. The committee also announced 13 Transportation and Land Use Connection (TLC) awards totaling about $1.5 million in WFRC funding matched by local funds.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6627000,"WFRC government affairs manager summarizes 2025 legislative session: corridor preservation, transit and housing tools highlighted",1419,2016000,3435000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f&start=2016&end=3435","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f/thumbnail_2016000.jpg","/articles/6627000/Utah/WFRC-government-affairs-manager-summarizes-2025-legislative-session-corridor-preservation-transit-and-housing-tools-highlighted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627000-4e02e2688f1a1e7d4cf1478465ef47bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157921&Signature=MgEfK97mszgFCOu4fw6gme2GLyZbFPZPIhH5J5X-uWes~O22PiMK3Wi0CP73DaKVNeLIzf-lOx~BK33Lqos9x47KOAN9rQSNhqgHvYKV7TUq1ysF0fIO7tUjwtKDKCcbJiAhgMryVlpZ-TRwywMilcSI-ac0tEgoLu14XNOLsghZJ~4sjONHQu50GveoNPkn2BXQEKFF2ZbUi0ERp-nMBiBJsPLOV35HP8MLdDFAblEqnqFqvhf-~zMmxjQ53vKWkDIwY1vVBIqfWvNkW1GA0jZqaoJZ-JbVm3lnmJuBkNSNk~Yg~ebuOkr1a~XyXmBKY4aHjDvYjN3r5yO1PEpz9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Miranda Jones Cox, government affairs manager for the Wasatch Front Regional Council, briefed the Regional Growth Committee on major outcomes from the 2025 Utah legislative session and highlighted items likely to affect regional transportation and land-use planning.

“This legislative session was maybe a little bit different than ones we've seen in years past,” Jones Cox said, noting a large volume of bills and a $30,800,000,000 state budget. She told committee members many recent policy tools and appropriations are building on prior sessions rather than creating an entirely new funding surge.

Jones Cox identified several appropriations and bills of note:
- A $20,000,000 ongoing allocation from the Transportation Investment Fund to the corridor preservation fund for planning and land acquisition for future transportation projects.
- Authorization of a $70,000,000 UDOT bond to seed an affordable housing grant program; transportation projects are an eligible use under the program.
- A $300,000,000 appropriation for SR-89/Third West in downtown Salt Lake City tied in part to convention center and downtown redevelopment.

On statutory changes, Jones Cox summarized two major transportation bills. SB 195 (Transportation Omnibus) requires enhanced connectivity planning in municipal general plans and adds a five-year reporting requirement for station-area plan implementation that requires communities to report back on progress five years after plan adoption. The bill also contains provisions limiting certain roadway reductions in a defined downtown Salt Lake City area unless those projects are included in a UDOT-approved mobility plan.

HB 502 (local option sales tax and associated measures) includes adjustments to distribution timing for local-option sales tax proceeds tied to transit and creates, among other provisions, an affordable housing grant program funded in part by UDOT-authorized bonding; it also funds a number of county and municipal projects from county-specific transportation funds.

Jones Cox also highlighted changes to housing-related tools, including updates to the housing and transit reinvestment zone (HTRZ) requirements and the new authority to create convention center reinvestment zones for certain projects. She said the bills clarify format and financing expectations for HTRZ proposals, including unit mix and budget detail.

Committee members raised questions about corridor preservation funding and the relationship between state corridor preservation funds and local county measures, such as a vehicle-registration fee used by Davis County for preservation. County and UDOT representatives said state and local corridor funds typically support different scales of projects — state funds for state facilities and local funds for local corridors — and agreed to present a fuller explanation at a future RGC meeting.

On governance, SB 174 (Transportation Governance Amendments) clarified roles between UTA and UDOT on oversight of fixed-guideway capital projects, enabling UDOT oversight while retaining the ability to delegate oversight to UTA on projects where UTA has demonstrated capacity.

Jones Cox said WFRC will publish its bill and appropriations trackers and an end-of-session summary to provide more detail. Committee members asked staff to follow up with more analysis of how corridor preservation funds interact across counties and state programs.","WFRC staff reviewed key legislative outcomes including corridor preservation funding, a UDOT bond for an affordable housing grant program, changes to station-area planning reporting, and bills directing greater coordination between UDOT and local transit projects.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6627004,"Regional Growth Committee members prioritize transportation, housing and parks in annual orientation",658,474000,1132000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f&start=474&end=1132","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732840-2a8aa5dfe7810b8cbea6404034186a3f/thumbnail_474000.jpg","/articles/6627004/Utah/Regional-Growth-Committee-members-prioritize-transportation-housing-and-parks-in-annual-orientation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627004-2e59705a65631cacfa5c16dfaab676ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157921&Signature=d4yhKKKxbE6dk7WHMRK0zROpOIP8juaHjl4BI3IkzFA1yDeT0tGrwIAGPJDzGyBokoNRTtNzphCp5JPWkI~LhHw5rENsKuHvnKmfx3ogf50T5KThwJhoi7UsrMKdn8joBxNVi54LEeDVVV48JetdvGJxVCtuDm4Nm3~Q9R9ynoClDolPgP0jekRduBGkDaiH74p2IwX2BBMvIkbFcu5Ev0Nlf38nRrenru7BLiy0tw3EFDlgY50nqn8VISymYHpFB5DDsvwOTElbZcsSiiz9FhgmcVmug5gEWE3Zr-37x14xDPjRJGMiVgZL2xyb~nAcpVw7lSVhKZ55-KAUwhb9sw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wasatch Front Regional Council's Regional Growth Committee met in Sandy on March 20, 2025, to review the committee's role and ask members what topics the committee should prioritize in the coming year.

Ted Knowlton, deputy director at the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), told the committee the panel serves as a steering committee for the Wasatch Choice vision and “focuses more on planning, focuses more on long-range issues, focuses on the coordination of transportation and growth.”

The committee was shown the vision's four core strategies — transportation choices, housing options, parks and public spaces, and city and town centers — and invited to respond via a live poll. Committee members and participating local officials emphasized transportation and housing as top priorities, and several members urged greater attention to parks and public spaces as a means to manage growth and preserve quality of life.

Laura Hansen, representing the governor's office, argued parks and public spaces deserve more emphasis because “they're expensive” and “don't generate tax revenue,” creating a local funding disincentive. She suggested exploring state grant programs, including the state's outdoor recreation grants, to support local park acquisition and design.

Julie Fulmer, mayor of Vineyard, raised community concerns about “smart city” technologies and the potential for surveillance tied to downtown connectivity projects, saying public outreach and clear messaging are critical to countering local resistance to change.

Knowlton described the committee's three main focus areas — planning and analytics, implementation and engagement — and explained the regional transportation plan cycle. He said 2025 is the year for developing a preferred scenario for transportation and locally derived land-use visions, with phased implementation to follow in 2026 and adoption targeted for 2027.

Committee members asked staff to collect and share the poll results and public comments with the committee and to consider future presentations on public outreach strategies, green space preservation, and advanced mobility topics.

The committee heard that its role also includes advising technical advisory committees made up of local planners and coordinating station-area plan certifications and other local land-use efforts. Members asked staff to bring forward opportunities for education and communications training for elected officials to help address local concerns about growth.

Looking ahead, the committee agreed to retain transportation and housing as primary near-term focuses while continuing outreach on parks/public spaces and public engagement strategies. WFRC staff said they would compile the feedback and circulate it to committee members.

Less critical administrative business on the agenda — including approval of meeting minutes and meeting scheduling — was completed by voice vote before the discussion and polling.","At a March meeting of the Wasatch Front Regional Council's Regional Growth Committee members reviewed the committee's role steering the Wasatch Choice vision and ranked near-term priorities: transportation choices, housing options and parks/public spaces.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

WFRC outlines multi-year upgrade to regional travel model, plans activity-based approach by 2029

Regional Growth Committee recommends certification of Sandy station-area plans and approves TLC awards for 13 projects

WFRC government affairs manager summarizes 2025 legislative session: corridor preservation, transit and housing tools highlighted

Regional Growth Committee members prioritize transportation, housing and parks in annual orientation