Introduction
Transportation is the backbone of every community – both large and small. An equitable transportation system provides access to jobs, education, services, and many other essential needs. It supports economic development through a robust, well-maintained, well-functioning system of roadways and paths. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is responsible for planning for a safe, efficient, and effective transportation choices based on how Utah is expected to grow and change in the future. UDOT is committed to a respectful, inclusive, and equitable approach to ensure the concerns of all Utahns are identified and addressed, resulting in better transportation outcomes to provide opportunities for all.
Population growth presents the biggest challenge to Utah’s transportation system. For several years, Utah has been among the fastest growing states in the U.S., and it is currently the fastest growing state according to World Population Review (2023). People born here are staying put and people are moving here because Utah is seen as one of the best places to live. With population growth at an all-time high, the need for effective transportation planning is critical to future transportation needs. UDOT has worked with community leaders, transportation agency partners, and public and private sector stakeholders to craft a vision for Utah’s transportation system as the pathway to maintain and enhance a high quality of life for all residents of the state. Utah has identified four transportation outcomes that will enhance quality of life: better mobility, strong economy, good health, and connected communities. These outcomes represent the goals for UDOT’s Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan 2023–2050 (LRP) and are tied to both UDOT's strategic goals and required federal measures.
UDOT’s LRP is updated every four years and includes a set of projects to address the transportation needs of rural Utah. Regional Transportation Plans (RTPs) for the urban areas of Utah are created by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and will be merged with the LRP to create Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan. Links to the RTPs and the Unified Plan are found at the MPO logos below.
For the first time, the 2023-2050 LRP represents a merging of Utah's quality of life vision with UDOT’s strategic goals and federal performance measures to create a performance-based plan that connects to local, state, and federal transportation objectives. Lessons learned from past planning efforts were drawn on throughout the creation of this plan to unify goals at all levels and ensure that, as UDOT embraces performance based planning and programming, state and local goals are aligned to enhance quality of life for the people of Utah.
Detailed plans for the urban areas can be found at the links to each MPO below, in addition to the comprehensive Unified Transportation Plan. The Unified Transportation Plan will be updated to the 2023-2050 plans once each planning jurisdiction has adopted their RTP.
The anticipated population and employment growth during the timeframe of this plan is displayed in the charts below. This represents the assumptions in the travel models that are based on Utah socioeconomic projections from the Kem C. Garner Policy Institute.
