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WFRC outlines screening criteria for active-transportation projects as RTP update begins; funding round underway
Summary
The WFRC Active Transportation Committee reviewed the preliminary and technical criteria for selecting active-transportation projects for the 2027–2055 Regional Transportation Plan and heard an update on available WFRC construction funding and schedule for award recommendations.
Jory Jonner and George Goddard of WFRC presented preliminary and technical screening criteria the agency will use to determine which active-transportation projects are regional in scope and which will be advanced into the 2027–2055 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The presentation took place during the WFRC Active Transportation Committee meeting on Jan. 15, 2025.
Key points: WFRC said it will first screen candidate projects to determine whether they serve a regional function (connect neighborhoods within a city, connect two or more cities, fill gaps on a regional route, or link regional routes). Projects that pass the preliminary screen undergo a technical screening; projects that fail technical screening are placed in an “exploratory concepts” bucket that will remain visible on the Wasatch Choice interactive map but would not be carried forward into the constrained RTP.
Technical-screening criteria cited by staff include whether a project is part of Beehive Bikeways or the Utah Trail Network, whether it overcomes barriers (interstates, waterways, rail), whether it serves major destinations not currently served by regional active-transportation facilities, whether it improves safety features, and whether it has local/landowner support with minimal impacts to sensitive lands.
Funding update: WFRC staff reported that applications for WFRC active-transportation funding are under review. Ben Woodrich said available funds total approximately $1,200,000 in the Ogden–Layton area and $2,100,000 in the Salt Lake County area; field reviews and technical evaluations will happen in the coming weeks. Staff said technical advisory committees will make recommendations in March, TransCom will review recommendations and the regional council will consider projects in April; draft TIP materials will be released for public comment during July.
Why it matters: Committee members asked that the RTP approach not lose sight of short local trips (for example, safe routes to schools and neighborhood connections) even as WFRC prioritizes projects with regional connectivity. One council member urged that the plan retain support for shorter, frequent trips that shape travel behavior, including routes to schools.
Votes at a glance: The committee approved minutes from the Oct. 8, 2024 meeting and later approved adjournment; those were routine, voice-vote procedural actions recorded without roll-call tallies.
Ending: WFRC staff will continue outreach to local planners, refine screening criteria based on committee feedback, and present a draft preferred scenario at upcoming fall workshops followed by phasing and fiscal-constraint steps in 2026.
