While 30 minutes into a daily commute that can reach an hour one way, it’s easy for many Salt Lake County residents to wonder why on earth we don’t have an east-west freeway that would accommodate all the current and future growth on the west side of the valley.
That was certainly one of the shared frustrations as I rode with the mayors of Riverton, South Jordan and Herriman recently during a rush-hour drive to see firsthand the transportation infrastructure challenges facing our southwest city residents.
With large-scale projects like Olympia Hills being proposed, as well as the growth challenges facing Utah communities across the state, we have to decide today what kinds of communities — and what kind of Utah — we will leave to our kids as they raise their families. After working on these issues for some time now, here’s my view on some general principles that can help guide our decision-making in Salt Lake County, and the state overall.
To start, we know that “community” is first and foremost a local issue. I’ve been grateful to feel that sense of community with my neighbors in my hometown of Taylorsville in all the years that we’ve raised our family in the heart of Utah’s most populous county. There is a sense of shared pride among residents of a city that creates a foundation where families of all types can flourish.
We also know that the way cities, communities and neighborhoods are designed has a significant impact on the sense of community. Street connectivity, walkable and bikeable trails, mixed-use developments and access to public transportation all play a role.
As we make decisions across all levels of government regarding growth, we must remember that local leadership with an eye toward preserving and creating genuine communities ought to drive the discussion. I believe the government closest to the people tends to govern best for the people, and that principle extends to planning and zoning as well as community creation.
Local leaders also must be cognizant of how the actions of one municipality can affect another. We are increasingly an interconnected region, and the flow of traffic between and through multiple cities is a daily reality. Increased collaboration and coordination among cities that share transportation infrastructure will make a tremendous difference. There are already efforts like this underway by mayors in Salt Lake County, and this ought to be lauded and encouraged.
State leaders can provide a sense of vision and high-level coordination and support. We should look at ways the state can take a more proactive role in collaborative planning for large-scale infrastructure needs, including water supply, sufficient revenue for regional transportation projects and workforce development to match the countless jobs that have been created here or recruited to come here over the past decade.
We know we desperately need an increase in housing supply and options for people in all socioeconomic circumstances. But as we look toward new developments to deliver that, we must be careful that we’re engaging in smart development that is adequately balanced with infrastructure.
For any developments that come my way as a county council member, I’ll be looking at a number of different factors, some of which include the following: density levels and whether that region can support that concentration of additional residents, whether the infrastructure is on pace with the addition of new residents and proximity to major transportation corridors.
There are of course many complex aspects to consider. But if we engage in smart growth that is locally driven, regionally coordinated and state supported, we can provide opportunity as well as community for the next generation of Utahns.
Aimee Winder Newton is a Republican on the Salt Lake County Council.