[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6103205,"mediaKeyId","2800404-34db5f5ef735e6932eaa12815771c3ae","parentId",2800404,"title","Legislature raises TIF share, clarifies lighting authority and creates county infrastructure bank funded by Salt Lake County tax","audioSeconds",747,"startMs",1139000,"endMs",1886000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2800404-34db5f5ef735e6932eaa12815771c3ae&start=1139&end=1886","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2800404-34db5f5ef735e6932eaa12815771c3ae/thumbnail_1139000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6103205/Utah/Legislature-raises-TIF-share-clarifies-lighting-authority-and-creates-county-infrastructure-bank-funded-by-Salt-Lake-County-tax","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103205-7b55c5bff1e20ccbb745371b933065d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129458&Signature=Jy2fBO02LEHEoAhyZQLtBnekLjgAa6z6oBrRgijUOIdMszY2jvvZZUEbG0g~nJZv4tOqIkIRCY2Y6FfF7MiL~vzKHXQsk2GnimOSJfdZWC3BG1PuWPqlhXKfap3BIbfqu8AOD3x6644Qq8NzpN5bY5XYNBbzDivvozmsygqV1Mh4FrNi1t3OZb3FE7Gjkc-ESLvB1dkPGDs3Xbj5FdUI3Vgz8tm2BEdscjgUomaC~hnxS72kRwRVGZs--2k7Vxkd-TJ5L4W0ZBzOtKUTWtfqLmaOLFxsFSlTnP7meJoUKF7jSE0oI~VD7YVUsDIXOwp2tjV7Pwe~dx8Zluz8Nf3Keg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-27T20:28:30Z","article","UDOT staff summarized multiple legislative changes that will affect planning and programming, including an increase in the share of state sales tax flowing into the Transportation Investment Fund (TIF), new allowable uses for TIF, project earmarks tied to Salt Lake County and the creation of a county‑level infrastructure bank funded by a Salt Lake County local option sales tax.

Key items summarized by UDOT staff
- TIF sales tax increase: Staff said the legislature raised the statewide sales‑tax share earmarked for the Transportation Investment Fund from 20.68% to 27.68% of statewide sales tax collections. UDOT staff described the change as largely revenue‑neutral in the near term because the fiscal package included a roughly $330 million ongoing general‑fund appropriation to offset the increase; staff warned that percentage‑based revenue will grow over time.
- Corridor preservation and transit: The legislature clarified that TIF funds may be used for corridor preservation and, in some cases, for corridor preservation that supports transit (for example FrontRunner or similar rail corridors). Staff stressed the commission must balance corridor preservation purchases against programmed capacity projects to avoid creating cash‑flow shortfalls for projects already in the STIP.
- Salt Lake County bank and local earmarks: The 2024 session created a County of the First Class Infrastructure Bank, and Salt Lake County’s recently adopted fifth local option sales tax will capitalize that county bank beginning July 1. UDOT staff said statute requires that the initial, legislated uses of those funds be paid first; the statute also requires a commission rule to administer the bank, and staff brought a draft rule for review (the rule mirrors the state infrastructure bank process and sets the interest rate as the state's AAA general obligation bond rate plus 0.5%).
- Large earmarks and local projects: Staff identified several legislative earmarks and appropriations cited in the bill summaries: up to $300 million for improvements on 300 West in Salt Lake City, $3 million for an environmental study of I‑15 in the Salem/Benjamin area, $2 million for a local Kane County project near Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, and a $20 million ongoing transfer into a corridor preservation account for the \"Marta del Rey\" corridor (statute name as referenced in the workshop). Staff also described a new Salt Lake County affordable‑housing infrastructure grant program funded with $70 million of transportation bonds; that program will be administered by a board that includes UDOT and housing and economic development officials.
- Black license plate revenues: The legislature redirected most proceeds from a popular special black license plate to TIF; staff estimated the change could provide additional annual revenue in the low single‑digit millions depending on continued plate adoption.

County bank rule and SIB applications
UDOT presented a draft commission rule to implement the County of the First Class Infrastructure Bank; staff said the rule closely matches the state infrastructure bank rule and sets application, prioritization and repayment procedures (statute authorizes loans and “assistance”; staff noted the language differs slightly across legislative sections and recommended the commission consider a consistent definition). Staff stressed the Salt Lake County tax will fund the bank over several years and that the statute included several legislative directives prescribing how initial proceeds must be used, so UDOT does not expect to accept open competitive applications for several months.

State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) activity
UDOT staff provided the SIB balance and reported two pending loans: a Provo City loan (approved by the commission; the loan agreement is being finalized) and a Saratoga Springs application that requested $11 million but, given current SIB cash, UDOT staff said they could only offer about $6.2 million immediately; Saratoga Springs representatives will present the revised request. Staff emphasized that the SIB is capitalized from prior legislative actions and loan repayments and that approvals must reflect available cash and scheduled repayments.

Why it matters
The legislative changes change how much recurring sales‑tax revenue flows into TIF, broaden allowable TIF uses (including corridor preservation and some transit uses), create a bank limited to counties of the first class funded by local option tax proceeds, and place several local project earmarks into statute. Those changes will alter long‑range cash flow projections and constrain near‑term discretionary programming choices.

At the workshop several commissioners expressed concern about queueing loan requests and commitments against bank balances that are limited until repayments arrive; commissioners asked staff to be explicit in May about which projects are deliverable under the proposed program levels and to present rule wording that reconciles differing statutory terms (\"assistance\" vs \"grant\" language) before the commission adopts the county bank rule.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Utah Transportation Commission Staff Update and STIP Meeting March 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","UDOT summarized legislative changes that increase the Transportation Investment Fund share, authorize new TIF uses including corridor preservation and transit, create a Salt Lake County infrastructure bank and contain several Salt Lake‑area earmarks.","taxTitle","Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Government Divisions, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",74903,"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},6103210,"UDOT proposes higher program funding for pavement, bridges and signals as STIP timeline moves to May vote",1238,35000,1273000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2800404-34db5f5ef735e6932eaa12815771c3ae&start=35&end=1273","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2800404-34db5f5ef735e6932eaa12815771c3ae/thumbnail_35000.jpg","/articles/6103210/Utah/UDOT-proposes-higher-program-funding-for-pavement-bridges-and-signals-as-STIP-timeline-moves-to-May-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103210-a33a17f1b8fe0523d1069c463dd03cce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129458&Signature=WQFbxXx9AJHUie7XhcPbJbrJ8EFfG2mUnOGj3JNCSFpWQp8I3lWFDFU~lSrvkSV5PQhqcVre2a~-0ye0brNNAxmDHGSPEGYf90quKIqAnROAn5f419~fxGTp1kIlPYJ~J6D8nxhzRXW8BSsy2RCZNEgWJaLHW8AoJvjViwoGkh~iu~AZEsivJO176NOY2Z6CEnENtGKFOsMjeBdFpartWUqIkD~LaV9xnVzin~OdF8GDqiOAaSatOU01jy8rXplhaSv9gB7CMG3yeWwwtAu1jmOAOQ8R1Ev8OpChNkRONwENFrVDuVn9zdGXFa-EHKqd6fRng-O3UPIMGlwn8C~cOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","UDOT staff presented program-level funding recommendations and asset-condition analysis at a commission programming workshop, asking commissioners to approve funding levels in May and project lists in June before a 30‑day public comment period and federal submission this summer.

The workshop framed the request as program-level decisions — ‘‘program levels’’ such as pavement, bridges, signals and ITS — that will later be translated into project authorizations. Tiffany Palgotch, speaking for program development, said, \"Per Utah code, it is the commission's responsibility to determine priorities and funding for our for the development of the STIP,\" and walked commissioners through the timeline: May approval of program levels, June approval of project lists, a 30‑day public comment window, then federal partner review.

Why it matters: the staff recommendations drive which projects are advanced into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the document that UDOT must hand to federal agencies for approval. Staff said the work today and in May represent the foundation for multi‑year programming and for meeting statutory performance targets.

What staff proposed and why
- Pavement: Project development staff proposed adding roughly $5 million to the high‑volume pavement program and about $3 million to the low‑volume pavement program to hold current condition targets. Project Development Director Carmen Swanwick told the commission those increases are intended to offset higher material and labor costs in recent years and to maintain a target share of pavement in ‘‘good’’ condition.
- Bridges / structures: Staff recommended increases to the structures program (roughly a $19 million increase in the package) and said some of the reconstruction money would be directed to very large bridge replacements in the 2027–2028 time frame. Swanwick noted UDOT inspects state bridges every two years and that the share in “good” condition has declined; the added funds are intended to stabilize the condition curve under the program assumptions.
- Pavement reconstruction: UDOT described a standing reconstruction program for large, high‑value pavement projects (often $35M+ or projects that require multi‑year funding) and said structure replacements of comparable scale had been added to that program.
- Traffic signals and operations: Staff showed a small but notable increase in the budget request for traffic signals (new and rebuild) and associated detection and operations work, reflecting higher equipment and contractor costs and the age profile of signal controllers and electronics. A separate operations/ITS request covered increased device counts (CCTV, dynamic message signs, roadside units) and replacement needs because many roadside devices have roughly a 10–15 year service life.
- Street lighting: Staff said the 2024 legislative changes clarified UDOT’s authority to maintain certain highway lighting (interstate lights and signal‑attached intersection lighting that performs a functional safety role, not decorative fixtures). UDOT staff told commissioners that about 40% of lights surveyed were inoperable in a prior statewide sample and that the department asked the commission to fund highway lighting repairs and to hire a small statewide crew; the legislature also authorized UDOT to use available funds to maintain those systems and to hire staff to do the work.

Federal funding uncertainty and IIJA programs
Staff noted a critical caveat: many federal programs used in the multi‑year plan originate under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). IIJA apportionments expire in federal FY2026, and UDOT staff marked several programs in their draft spreadsheets with asterisks to indicate the amounts beyond 2026 are not yet guaranteed. The department said it would program only amounts that are reasonably expected to be apportioned and would return with updated recommendations if Congress changes the federal framework.

Next steps
UDOT asked the commission to approve program levels in May; staff will bring lists of projects meant to fit those program levels in June, then open the draft STIP for a 30‑day public comment period before federal submission. Staff emphasized that commissioners may reallocate money across program lines before the May vote and that regions and program leads are available to discuss tradeoffs ahead of the vote.

Speaker attributions
Direct quotes and on‑the‑record attributions in this article come from the following meeting speakers: Tiffany Palgotch (program development), Carmen Swanwick (project development director), Ben Hewitt (Deputy Director, Planning & Investment), and Sharra (finance director). If a statement in the body cannot be traced to one of those named speakers in the transcript it is presented unattributed.

Ending: The commission has scheduled a May vote on program levels, with staff returning in June to seek approval of project lists that will form the draft STIP sent later this year to federal partners for review and approval.","UDOT staff presented program‑level funding recommendations at a commission programming workshop, asking commissioners to set program levels in May and approve project lists in June to form the draft State Transportation Improvement Program.","actionData","errors"]

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Legislature raises TIF share, clarifies lighting authority and creates county infrastructure bank funded by Salt Lake County tax

UDOT proposes higher program funding for pavement, bridges and signals as STIP timeline moves to May vote