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MPOs report progress helping municipalities meet SB 195 connectivity requirements
Summary
Four MPOs told the Senate Transportation Interim Committee they are assisting municipalities to meet SB 195’s requirement to identify priority transportation connections that remedy barriers and improve multimodal access.
Representatives from the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), Mountain Land Association of Governments (MAG), Dixie MPO and Cache MPO updated the committee on progress implementing the connectivity requirements added by SB 195. The law requires municipalities in MPO regions to identify priority connections to remedy physical impediments that hinder vehicle, transit, bicycle or pedestrian access to significant destinations and to amend those priorities into general plans by July 2027.
MPO staff described resources to assist municipalities: a statewide regional grid network study (initiated with legislative funding in 2023) that identifies regional barriers and project concepts; long‑range Regional Transportation Plans that inform local project pipelines; a street‑connectivity guide and an interactive story map that identifies low‑connectivity neighborhoods and data exports for local analysis; and technical‑assistance funds to help cities hire consultants for plan updates. Survey outreach to municipalities shows varied progress: some cities have begun or completed plan updates while others are in early assessment stages.
MPO representatives noted common impediments: costly right‑of‑way purchases, existing development that blocks potential connections, topography, and funding constraints. They said some projects — for example, bridges or underpasses — can be expensive, and local funding programs are oversubscribed. Cache MPO highlighted recent local bridge and intersection projects that improved connectivity. MPOs pledged continued assistance to municipalities and coordination with the League of Cities and Towns.
