Demand UDOT Extend the Comment Period on this Major Proposal

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) released to the public its plans to expand I-15 from 400 North in Salt Lake City to the Highway 89 interchange in Davis County on November 14th.

The 60-day comment period comes just after Veteran's Day, is (as you know) during Thanksgiving, and ends on January 13, after both Christmas and New Years Day.

In short, UDOT is presenting a proposal wants to MAKE I-15 A 20 LANE FREEWAY counting shoulders and HOV lanes (currently, most sections are 12 to 16 lanes).

This proposal is slated to destroy several homes and businesses and cost billions. 

And the worst part? MORE LANES = MORE TRAFFIC, NOT LESS! Don't believe us? Just look up induced demand. 

That is why we are asking you to contact UDOT and let them know how you feel about this project and demand that the public comment period continue to be expanded so that the public has a genuine chance to let UDOT know how it feels about this project. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY

Contact UDOT project managers and your elected officials ASAP!

Email Project Managers:
Send a civil but firm email to the project managers working on this project and requesting that the public needs more time to understand how the project will affect the community. Remind them that it is bad form to not consider how holidays may impact peoples ability to properly consider the pros and cons of any project let alone one that has such a long-term impact on Utahns. Because of this, we need 90 days for public comment so that all community members can make their voices heard.

Call Project Managers:
Hearing someone's voice can make a real impact! Call the project managers affiliated with this project and ask for more time to digest the proposed project plans to provide quality feedback. 

Call or Email your Elected Officials:
Calling or emailing your elected city and state officials about this issue is a key way of making your voice heard. Reaching out to elected officials is the only real way for them to know how the people they represent truely feel. Contacting elected officials can really amplify your message!

Here's who you should contact:
Tiffany Pocock, I-15 Expansion Project Manager, tpocock@utah.gov  801-965-4612
Dan Adams, I-15 Expansion Public Engagement Team Leader, dadams@langdongroupinc.com 801-520-4762
Carlos Braceras, Executive Director Utah Department of Transportation, cbraceras@utah.gov 

To find your elected officials, visit https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp and search your local cities official website. 

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UTRU feels that Utahns have the right to choose their transportation options, and that expanding I-15 while ignoring other ways of getting around only makes communities more dependant on cars...and that these communities will continue to suffer from the traffic, air and noise pollution, and disconnected neighborhoods that come with this dependency. Instead, we ask that the State of Utah invest in transit in order to actually address the transportation options related to growth.