To the Honorable Governor Spencer Cox and members of the Utah State Legislature:

As you consider authorizing additional investments in Utah’s road and transit systems during this legislative session, the signatories of this letter — representing public, private, and community stakeholders across Utah — respectfully urge you to also invest in constructing high priority, regionally important “active transportation” (i.e., biking and walking) projects throughout the state, with the goal of completing a core backbone of safe and family-friendly active transportation facilities serving dozens of communities across Utah.

Utah is experiencing a “bike boom” during the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by unprecedented sales and by bicycling trips increasing by over 50 percent throughout the State during 2020. This growth in active transportation has actually been building for many years. Utah is already known for its world-class recreational biking. Utah is poised now to make the leap to be a world-class place for biking as a means of transportation and commuting as well, to the benefit of residents and visitors alike. Building safe, family-friendly active transportation infrastructure draws people to it; a prime example is the 18-mile Murdock Canal Trail in Utah County, which runs through multiple communities and was ridden over 460,000 times in 2020.

Biking and walking are universally recognized for their benefits to individual and community health across all demographic groups. They improve air quality and decrease traffic congestion. They increase physical activity and decrease healthcare costs. They improve transportation choices in order to access social, educational, and job opportunities. And they bring recreational opportunities to the front door of Utah residents. But in order to bring these benefits to more people, Utah needs to invest to complete key connections and pieces of our active transportation systems.

Utah’s transportation agencies have worked together under the banner of Utah’s Unified Transportation Plan, along with many other stakeholders, to identify regionally important active transportation projects that are ready for investment, including those reflected on this map. Projects should be planned, prioritized, and managed through established processes to ensure the funds are utilized efficiently for maximum impact.

Being a world-class state for biking, for recreation and for transportation, will enhance Utah’s unparalleled quality of life, by providing safe, inexpensive, and healthy transportation choices to all of Utah’s residents. State funding, leveraged by additional public and private-sector funds, would allow a significant leap forward for Utah.

Thank you for your consideration and for all you do to make Utah the best state in the Union.
Respectfully yours,

Please take two minutes and click HERE to add your name in support of this effort. Thank you!