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TO: |
Transit Commission |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Nichol Bourdeaux, Chief Planning & External Relations Officer |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Jaron Robertson, Planning Director |
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Megan Waters, Community Engagement Director |
TITLE:
title
UTA Moves 2055: 2027-2055 Strategic Long-Range Transit Plan
end
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Discussion
RECOMMENDATION:
Informational item for discussion
BACKGROUND:
UTA adopted UTA Moves 2050 in 2024 as the agency’s first long-range transit plan. The plan established a fiscally constrained program of transit projects and investments within UTA’s service area, aligned with UTA’s strategic goals and objectives and the Regional Transportation Plans (RTPs) developed by UTA’s metropolitan planning organization (MPO) partners.
UTA Moves 2050 established a long-range vision for the transit system and provided a framework for identifying, evaluating, and advancing future transit investments. The plan also established a foundation for coordinating UTA’s long-range planning efforts with regional transportation planning and future agency service and capital planning.
DISCUSSION:
Plan Update:
The 2027-2055 Strategic Long-Range Transit Plan (SLRTP), UTA Moves 2055, will update UTA Moves 2050 and establish UTA’s long-range transit vision for the next 30 years. The SLRTP will represent UTA’s contribution to the Unified Transportation Plan and will be developed in coordination with UTA’s MPO partners, the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) and Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG). This coordination will support consistency in project identification, phasing, financial assumptions, and public messaging across the regional transportation planning process. The SLRTP is anticipated to be completed and presented to the Transit Commission for adoption in mid to late 2027, consistent with the anticipated adoption schedules for the WFRC and MAG RTP updates.
Building on UTA Moves 2050, UTA Moves 2055 will expand the agency’s long-range planning framework to address additional agency needs and strengthen the process for advancing long-range concepts toward implementation. The SLRTP will provide a comprehensive, system-wide framework to inform future service, capital, and investment strategies. This work will include cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses of each public transit mode to help UTA evaluate and balance cost-effective and cost-beneficial services, inform future project and service prioritization, and support implementation of requirements associated with Utah Senate Bill 174 (2025).
The plan will also incorporate long-range agency needs beyond transit projects and services, providing a more comprehensive view of the investments and capabilities needed to support UTA’s future operations. Additional financial scenario analysis will be conducted using the updated financial model developed through the Utah Unified Transportation Plan. Finally, UTA Moves 2055 will establish a formal process and schedule for future SLRTP updates, creating a repeatable planning cycle for maintaining the agency’s long-range vision.
Public Engagement:
As part of the UTA Moves 2055 effort, UTA will hold two phases of public engagement. During the first phase, the public and stakeholders will have opportunities to review the 2050 recommendations and identify changing needs by providing comments and feedback to inform the plan update. Feedback will be considered during the plan development, and an updated draft will be shared with the public and stakeholders for review and feedback during phase 2 of public engagement in Spring 2027.
UTA plans to engage with communities through a mix of in-person and virtual opportunities, leveraging where community and stakeholder already are and providing easy-to-use digital tools that support meaningful public involvement. Key approaches to public engagement for UTA Moves 2055 include:
• MPO Workshops
• Public Open Houses
• Community Events and Outreach activities
• Project website, including online feedback and mapping
• Communication, education, and awareness building
Information about the Strategic Long-Range Transit Plan, including public engagement opportunities will be shared and updated at rideuta.com/UTAMoves.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
• Link to UTA Moves 2050: rideuta.com/UTAMoves <http://www.rideuta.com/UTAMoves>
• UTA Moves 2055 Public Involvement Plan