Transportation planners briefed the council on phase 1 findings of the West East Connection ("WE Connect") study on Nov. 25, reporting community concerns about crossings that separate Salt Lake City's east and west neighborhoods.

"We're part of the Reconnecting Communities pilot program," Transportation staff said, noting federal funding and local partners (UTA, UDOT, WFRC). Phase 1 focused on problem definition through surveys, community advisory boards and open houses. Staff said they heard four primary categories of concerns: travel choice (unreliable crossings and constrained transit), health and wellness (air quality and access to care), access to opportunity (jobs and housing disparities), and community vibrancy (lack of grocery, social and retail amenities on the West Side).

Staff described outreach shortcomings in phase 1the survey response demographics did not proportionally match West Side populationsand pledged a more robust phase 2 engagement approach with neighborhood-specific events, paid community advisory board members, artist-led engagement tools and translated materials. The final study is planned for early 2027.

Councilmembers emphasized the need to include Latino and low-income residents more proportionally in outreach and to look beyond present conditions to anticipate 10-year changes in freight, FrontRunner frequency and development. Staff said phase 2 engagement (planned for January/February) will be neighborhood-led and designed to create community criteria for evaluating solutions, which could range from bridges and grade separations to community centers and non-infrastructure interventions.