Transportation deficit worries Utah officials

Rep. Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, a featured speaker at the meeting, said more education is needed to push the public and lawmakers to fund the $7.8 billion transportation deficit and projects such as commuter rail.

It may also take the realization that a major tax increase may be down the road if something isn't done now.

"When the Legislature realizes the levels of 'revenue enhancements' that will be necessary to fund this, they'll say, 'Wait a second, we've got to lessen the pain,' " she said.

Over the next three months, Herbert will meet with officials from all 29 counties to discuss specific transportation needs. A summit will be held in September, with the goal of coming up with a Huntsman-Herbert transportation plan for the coming years.

Any legislation that comes from the summit will be on the agenda for next year's session. But the process needs understanding and cooperation between all groups involved, Herbert said.

"I submit more needs to be done. We have a long ways to go on the transportation issue," he said. "But I think we can take multiple smaller steps as opposed to one giant leap. It will take some prudence and a need for everyone to gain understanding."

In the coming months, lawmakers will also convene a special task force to study the issue of transferring control of state roads to local government. The goal is to study whether local government can maintain the roads for less than the state.

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