District 5: Amy J. Hawkins
What do you think is the top transportation issue in our city? How would you address it if elected?
The biggest transportation issue facing Salt Lake City is building the political consensus and will to invest in the Rio Grande Plan. By burying the rail lines that divide our city and reconnecting regional trains to the historic Rio Grande Depot, we can transform a fundamental barrier to east-west travel in our city. Burying the rails would create safer and far more reliable east-west crossings and unlock 75 acres of underused land for a new western downtown—what could become new sites for thousands of units of housing, transit, and green space. A Utah State University–led analysis estimates the project would generate more than $12.2 billion in total economic output. This wouldn’t just be an investment in transportation infrastructure, it’s a once-in-a-century opportunity to invest in growth, equity, and Utah’s future, just in time to showcase what’s possible for the 2034 Olympics.
In a typical week, how often do you travel by transit, bicycle, or foot, without the use of a car? Would you commit to going car-free for one week per year?
I am a committed jogger and dog walker, so I travel by foot in our city every single day. (I have a current 370-day streak of at least 10,000 steps a day.) I would commit to going car-free for one week per year, but I recognize that not everyone has that luxury either because of the location(s) of where they work, the need to juggle childcare or elder care with work responsibilities, or other reasons including restricted schedules and transit coverage of some zones of our city. It’s important to expand public transportation options in our city to make those options feasible for everyone.
How do you feel about parking minimums? Should the city continue to set parking minimums, or should it be the choice of the business owners?
I support reducing unnecessary parking minimums, but eliminating them entirely can create unintended consequences. When no parking is required, there’s also no requirement to include ADA-accessible spaces, since federal standards only apply when parking is provided. In some parts of the city, that means a development can legally offer no parking at all, accessible or otherwise. As someone with an older family member who has mobility challenges, my family often decides whether to attend an event based on how close ADA-accessible parking will be. The city should set clear accessibility and equity standards to ensure people with disabilities always have safe, convenient access.
In terms of funding city priorities, what is your philosophy: "we should provide services that inspire residents to use it" or "we should provide services with a demonstrated need?" Why?
Not all needs are equal—some are more urgent than others. When I think about city investments, I start by asking two questions: will this project improve public health or safety, and will it help close the gap between east and west Salt Lake, building a stronger city overall? Parks, trees, and safe crossings might not grab headlines, but they make a real difference in quality of life and health outcomes—especially in neighborhoods that have waited the longest for them. At the same time, we need to keep transformational projects like the Rio Grande Plan and Ballpark NEXT on the table. Some big investments are like medical research: they lead to breakthroughs and health benefits we can’t always predict. We should have the courage to invest in what matters, even when the rewards unfold slowly.
Community councils continuously field complaints of drivers speeding in neighborhoods. How would you address this in your district?
Every neighborhood deserves streets where parents feel safe letting their kids walk or bike to school, and older folks have enough time to make it through crosswalks. I strongly support traffic-calming infrastructure on a set of prioritized city streets. In Ballpark, I applied (2019) and re-applied (2020) for funding to create the Kensington Avenue Byway, securing $500,000 from the Salt Lake City budget for safer street crossings, speed bumps, and roundabouts on a calmer Kensington Avenue that now connects all of District 5 from east to west. I also submitted a Love Your Block and now a CIP application for new pedestrian infrastructure and safer street crossings around the new Ballpark Library Lab, and I strongly support expanding the Livable Streets program. I would support similar projects district-wide.
How does Salt Lake City get more people to walk, bike, take transit and leave their car at home?
Behavioral science tells us that people are most likely to do what they perceive as convenient. When walking, biking, or taking transit becomes faster, safer, or more pleasant than driving, people will naturally shift their habits. People are more likely to change when it feels like gaining freedom and well-being, not losing convenience. Cities that have successfully changed behavior rebalanced those incentives. The first hurdle is simply inspiring people to try transit—and making sure their first experience is a good one. We should invest in visibility campaigns and partnerships with UTA, such as extending TRAX service until 2 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, the 4th of July, or offering free fares with tickets and upping train frequency during major events downtown, when parking is tough and commuting to and from a large event in individual vehicles becomes time consuming.
