Wasatch Front Council urges Riverton to back bold transit and trail corridors; Mountain View Village first‑phase eyed
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Summary
Wasatch Front Regional Council presented a 30‑year regional transportation vision for the southwest valley, highlighting a possible Red Line rail extension through Mountain View Village, a Redwood Road bus‑rapid‑transit corridor and a $45 million/year Utah Trail Network. WFRC staff urged Riverton to include corridors in local plans and pursue feasibility studies to increase funding readiness.
Wasatch Front Regional Council planners told the Riverton City Council on Jan. 20 that the region’s 30‑year transportation plan (horizon 2055) is where large projects are first identified and prioritized. Ted Knowlton, WFRC chief planner and deputy director, said the council’s ongoing update will refine a preferred scenario and noted the agency is in year three of a four‑year planning cycle.
Knowlton described three items of special interest for Riverton: a conceptual Red Line rail extension that would link Daybreak through Bangerter Highway to FrontRunner and the east‑side Blue Line; a Redwood Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor; and an enhanced‑bus service on 100/126 South. He said the Red Line extension is a “big lift” but suggested a phased approach, adding that an extension to Mountain View Village could be a practical first phase.
WFRC and local staff emphasized that implementation depends on three factors: ridership demand, land‑use that supports frequent transit, and funding. “Before a project is built it first appears in the regional transportation plan,” Knowlton said, and encouraged Riverton to include preliminary station locations and alignments in local plans to help secure state and federal funding.
Active‑transportation planning was part of the presentation. Hugh Van Wagenen, WFRC active‑transportation specialist, outlined the Utah Trail Network vision and said one of the first rounds of funding could bring roughly $45 million statewide for trail priorities. He recommended that Riverton identify priority segments and consider feasibility or concept studies so projects can compete when UDOT and the trails division program construction funds.
Council members asked for timeframes and assurances that incremental investments would not be wasted. Knowlton estimated a first phase to Mountain View Village could be completed in “6 to 12 years” in an accelerated scenario, while acknowledging full corridor completion is longer‑term. WFRC reiterated that local commitments—master‑plan language, small local funding for studies, or preliminary station siting—help projects score better for scarce regional funds.
The presentation closed with staff offering to provide the Transit Fresh Look materials and a document summarizing alternative implementation pathways. WFRC said it will post the preferred‑scenario materials online and share them with the council this week.
