LAYTON — Nothing is proposed yet, but state officials are discussing several controversial options to fund an estimated $16.5 billion need for future road and transit projects.

On the table: toll roads, increased taxes, impact fees, earmarking of state revenues for transportation, partnering with private groups to build roads — and more.

On Friday, the governor hosted an all-day summit in Layton to discuss these funding options and hear from the public, government and business leaders. The goal of the summit was to collect information for an initiative that will outline ways to fund Utah's transportation funding deficit, said Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert.

The initiative, which he said would be multi-faceted with multiple phases, could be unveiled by the end of the year. Some aspects will likely require legislation to implement.

"It would be a failure if we don't come up with something and do something," said Herbert. "The governor and I are committed to taking the information received here (at the summit) and putting together some sort of transportation initiative."

The initiative will likely include the authorization of public-private partnerships to build toll roads. Last month, state officials traveled to Texas to see how that state has partnered with private groups to build toll roads.

Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, has already opened a bill file for the 2006 legislative session entitled "authorization for toll roads."

"You can't pass these options up," he said.

During the summit, four hour-long discussion panels were held. The panels centered around transportation funding, innovative funding solutions, partnerships between state and local government, and multi-modal approaches to solving transportation needs. Mass transit was a heated topic of debate, centering around whether more or less transit options should be built.

All members of Utah's congressional delegation made appearances.

"The reality of the transportation challenge is that it never goes away," said Utah Sen. Bob Bennett. "The population of Utah is growing. The population is going to continue to grow and we cannot sit back and say we've built the roads . . . and therefore do nothing else."

Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini, encouraged more communication in transportation planning. "I don't know how to fund it all, but I do know, if we don't communicate, we can't begin to fund the needs in the state."

For the past two years, government officials, business leaders and transportation planners have been aggressively pushing for additional funding for transportation. Many have said that transportation affects quality of life and economic viability.

But action has yet to be taken. Like Herbert, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. pledged that the state take action to fund transportation.

"A viable transportation system attracts business and it creates jobs," said Huntsman. "On our current projectory, can transportation systems continue to support the economy and our quality of life? I think the answer is no."

He continued: "Through this discussion, we have got to somehow, some way, take what's been in the minds of many, abstract solutions, and turn them into concrete."

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