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MSD presents districtwide transportation master plan to Copperton council
Summary
The Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District presented a district-level transportation master plan meant to produce data-driven capital and maintenance priorities and give Copperton tools to pursue local funding for road projects.
Dan Torres, MSD economic development manager, told the Copperton Town Council on June 18 that the Municipal Services District is launching a districtwide transportation master plan that will produce both a systemwide capital list and jurisdiction-specific plans, including one for Copperton.
Torres said the plan will prioritize projects using quantitative criteria such as growth, safety, connectivity, condition and traffic demand. "We wanna prioritize projects using clear data driven criteria," Torres said. He told the council the project is funded primarily through WFRC grants with MSD contributing additional funds and that the district expects to select a consultant by late June and complete the work in 12 to 18 months if everything proceeds on schedule.
The plan is intended to align land use and transportation priorities and to make it easier for towns and cities in the MSD to pursue targeted grants or appropriations. "If you know what needs to be fixed, it's easier to go after grants or direct appropriations from the state," Torres said. He said the master plan will produce both a maintenance list and a capital projects list and will not replace the MSD board's political prioritization process; rather, it will supply data to inform those decisions.
Council members discussed how a district-level list could coexist with a town's ability to fund higher-priority local projects. Torres and other MSD speakers described options for local funding mechanisms, including a transportation utility fee and, where appropriate, stormwater or street-light utility fees. Torres said impact fees were unlikely to be appropriate for Copperton because of limited growth.
Council member Tessa Spitzer and others expressed support for the planning effort as a way to make priorities transparent and to use local funds strategically when systemwide funding does not prioritize a town's particular needs. Audience member Daniel Hoffman, who is assisting MSD with asset accounting, described the plan as complementary to MSD's work to identify and value transferred assets.
The council agreed it wants a seat at the table during the consultant phase, and MSD staff said they will include Copperton representatives in project outreach and scheduling.
Torres said the consultant selection closes June 26 and that the plan will produce detailed lists the council can use to pursue grants or to decide on local funding for projects.
