Sweet Streets at the 2023 Utah Legislature: Here’s what you need to know

The 2023 legislative session was a big one for safe streets and active transportation. Lawmakers budgeted $45 million for the buildout of a statewide trails network, FrontRunner got a $200 million injection for a new Draper station and more sections of double-track, and the state is putting more attention toward those tricky areas where sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and passenger rail get tied up around freight trains. 

A Sweet Streets First

It was a big year for Sweet Streets too! Our efforts have focused on city- and neighborhood-level decisions but 2023 saw board members on Capitol Hill, testifying in committee and meeting behind the scenes with lawmakers to advocate for statewide, people-first policy. And our incredible network of allies showed up, contacting their representatives and demonstrating critical support for and opposition to various pieces of legislation. Together, we are a political force, and Sweet Streets is excited to build on the experiences and successes of this year during future legislative sessions. 

Streets-related highlights from Capitol Hill:

• Pedestrian-first living requires government to rethink the way it builds things and whether or not you’d ever want to live at The Point — a planned 15-minute community at the site of the former State Prison in Draper — it’s success will go a long way toward convincing elected officials throughout the state to rethink zoning rules, road design and transit investment, much like how its failure could set the urbanist effort back another decade. Fortunately, the plans now include a FrontRunner station, which makes the whole pitch of car-lite living at The Point more realistic while bolstering car-free travel in the broader area. Keep an eye on: Proposed federal funding for FrontRunner double-tracking, which would move the timeline for 15-minute headways up to 2029 if approved. 

• Lawmakers got serious about building a statewide network of paved, multi-use trails by not only appropriating $45 million this year, but setting up $45 million in ongoing active transportation funding every year moving forward. Sure, it’s a fraction of what Utah spends on highways every year, but trail money gets you considerably more bang for your buck. Trails cost less per mile to build, less per mile to maintain and can comfortably carry more people per mile than cars on roads. It’s almost like we should have been building trails all along ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Keep an eye on: the last-mile connections where these trails meet surface highways. 

• Sweet Streets board member Alex Cragun testified in opposition to HB395 and several Sweet Streeters emailed members of the House Transportation Committee to voice their concerns about the bill, which would have made it illegal for cyclists to travel in the roadway if a bike lane or trail is nearby. Several committee members testified about their personal cycling stories and the bill failed to advance out of committee. Keep an eye on: A general lack of understanding of the cycling and pedestrian experience among many Utah lawmakers. 

• Board members met with the Senate’s Democratic Caucus in support of SB105 and Sweet Streeters helped raise a show of support for ending the state ban on automated traffic enforcement, aka Photo Cop. The bill would have launched a pilot program to study the efficacy of photo cops in school and construction zones, which are prone to the worst incidents of traffic violence. Despite heavy opposition in the Utah Legislature — remember, it’s outright *banned*— the bill’s targeted approach earned enough support to pass out of the Senate. Keep an eye on: Sweet Streets will be exploring photo cop and ways to support future legislation on the issue. 

Honorary Bike Caucus

An unofficial list of the lawmakers who sponsored pro-cycling/pedestrian legislation or testified in support of people-first street policies. Consider sending them a word of encouragement — it can go a long way in what is often a thankless job — their contact info can be found at le.utah.gov. 

Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton

Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City

Rep. Brett Garner, D-West Valley

Rep. Jeff Stenquist, R-Draper

Rep. Nelson Abbot, R-Orem

Big Picture

The tide is turning. Decision-makers are beginning to understand that a vibrant and healthy Utah requires a change in the way we approach transportation and city planning, with support increasing for laws that encourage smart growth and investment in alternatives to car-dependency.

Sweet Streeters are at the heart of that change and the 2023 session laid the groundwork for meaningful progress on people-first streets.