UDOT commissioners briefed on proposed program values and STIP schedule; commission to vote next month

Utah Department of Transportation officials briefed the Transportation Commission on recommended program funding values and the schedule for assembling the State Transportation Improvement Program, saying the commission will be asked to approve program values at the next meeting and projects in June.

Ivan Hartle, UDOT financial programming manager, told commissioners the department presented program values at the March workshop and that the values frame which projects staff will recommend for the next three years. “The program values allow us to then say … we project over the next 3, 5 years that we will have this type of pavement condition out of the system,” Hartle said during the workshop.

Hartle and other staff walked commissioners through the STIP calendar: after commission approval of program values, UDOT will publish draft projects for public comment in June, return in June for project approval, then submit the STIP to FHWA and FTA in August for federal review, with a federal action goal of October 1. Ben Hewitt, deputy director for planning and investment, emphasized that some program funds will be passed through to metropolitan planning organizations; Hartle noted roughly 20% of federal highway funds flow to the state’s four MPOs for local programming.

The staff presentation also explained the department’s conservative fiscal assumption: values are recommended on a flat federal funding forecast in case the next federal highway authorization is continued by a flat continuing resolution. Hartle said that approach reduces the risk of promising growth that may not materialize and that, when possible, UDOT would rather present additional money later than cut projects after approval.

Why it matters: Program values set the envelope for which projects will be advanced, which in turn affects how federal funds are programmed and when FHWA/FTA must approve the state plan. Commissioners were reminded tomorrow’s agenda will include a formal vote on program values and that the public comment period on the project list will follow.

The commission did not take formal action during the workshop; staff requested direction to proceed to the public project posting and to return next month for commission action on program values and the June project approvals.