Duchesne County COG approves support letter for U.S. DOT RAISE grant to improve transit access

The Duchesne County Council of Governments voted to approve a letter of support for a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant application aimed at improving first- and last-mile access to transit stops.

The measure cleared the meeting after Speaker 6 explained the grant’s purpose and timeline. "It's the first and last mile of the transit system," Speaker 6 said, describing projects that would make sidewalks, crossings and connections ADA-compliant so people can safely reach transit stops. He told the council that UDOT initially lacked capacity to file the application and the Association of Governments stepped in to spearhead it. He also said there is no required local match, though local funds can strengthen applications.

Council members discussed how candidate projects were drawn from existing county trail plans and community priorities, including a planned trail that would let children walk safely from a hill to local schools and bus stops. Speaker 5 framed the council’s action as endorsing the application only: "This is simply a letter of support for the application," he said. The council approved the letter with a motion by Speaker 5 and a second by Speaker 3; the chair called the vote and an 'Aye' was recorded.

Why it matters: RAISE grants fund multimodal transportation projects that ease access to transit and can help communities secure larger capital investments. Support letters from councils strengthen the application’s demonstration of local backing and project readiness. The council noted that even if the application is not funded this cycle, filing now positions the region better for future rounds.

Next steps: Council staff and the Association of Governments will finalize and submit the application by the stated deadline. No formal financial commitment by member cities or the county was required by the council’s vote.