Snyderville Basin planners hear how transportation and engineering roles intersect on long-range projects

Carl Miller, the county's transportation director, and Brandon Bridal, the county engineer, briefed the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission on March 11 on how the transportation planning and engineering divisions coordinate on long-range projects, local road maintenance and permitting.

Miller said the department's mission is to "work closely with federal, state, and local governments as well as regional transportation service providers to plan for and make improvements to our transportation system and reduce traffic congestion and promote active transportation." He described a three-person core planning team responsible for long-range planning, programming and active transportation.

The work session emphasized long-range, multimodal planning. Miller outlined a long-range transportation plan that looks 10, 20 and 30 years ahead, and said the county recently joined a Wasatch Back Rural Planning Organization (RPO) so the county's long-range plan is considered alongside metropolitan planning organization plans when UDOT programs projects. "The RPO means that we are not at the level that the federal government...would recognize us as an MPO, but it gets us a lot of the same benefits," Miller said.

Miller also described the department's programming role—securing and prioritizing funds, including a local transportation sales tax. He said the county has shifted scoring criteria to prioritize safety and connections to destinations such as schools and parks rather than only increasing lane miles. The county operates the Summit bike-share program, Miller added, and plans to update the active transportation plan this year and next.

Bridal summarized engineering duties, saying the engineering division is the county "keeper of the county right of way." He listed permits handled by engineering—excavation permits for cuts in the road, structure permits for facilities in right-of-way, and road-closure permits—and described the department's role in access spacing, driveway and intersection review, and construction inspection. "We do go out and assess all of the county roads every year and put it in this program, and that's kinda how we decide" which roads are repaired, Bridal said, describing an annual surface-life assessment used to set maintenance priorities.

The meeting included extended commissioner questions about regional trail planning, UDOT projects, floodplain mapping and options to reduce stormwater runoff from parking lots. Miller described the Utah Trails Network run by UDOT and said projects accepted into that network become UDOT-owned and maintained; he said the county has submitted items including the Parley's Canyon connection and the Fosten Spur Trail and will compete for funds.

On the relationship with UDOT, Miller said the county has been included at every step of a large environmental review and that a draft environmental impact statement is nearing completion. "They have included us in every step of the of the way in that process," he said, while noting final decisions and federal funding remain UDOT's responsibility.

Commissioners also asked about floodplain mapping and stormwater. Bridal said FEMA maintains floodplain maps and generally leads large mapping updates; project applicants must provide floodplain studies when they propose work in FEMA-designated flood zones. On stormwater and permeable surfaces, Bridal said impervious surfaces require sizing retention/detention to control runoff and that stormwater staff inspect and manage required facilities.

Several commissioners asked how planning staff and transportation can better coordinate with the planning commission during plan development and development-review cycles. Miller said transportation staff want to be engaged early in the county's long-range and active-transportation planning and to provide comments on development proposals as they come forward.

The presentation and materials will be emailed to planning staff for distribution to commissioners, Miller said. The work session ended before the 6 p.m. public meeting.

Ending: Commissioners thanked staff for the briefing and said they want continued early coordination as the county updates the long-range and active-transportation plans.