Utahns tell UDOT: Consult with us

A Utah State University survey shows residents feel the Utah Department of Transportation needs to do a better job of involving them in its planning process.

The study also found Utahns want UDOT to focus more on alternative transportation modes such as public transit.

The report, released this past week, was funded by UDOT as part of its 2030 long-range transportation plan. UDOT will use the information as a self-evaluation tool in making decisions about how it plans, what it concentrates on and how it communicates with the public.

"What we were looking for more than anything is for this survey to give us an idea of how we should move forward with that long-range transportation plan — what sorts of things the public would like to see and how they would like to be approached," said UDOT spokesman Tom Hudachko.

"It's always beneficial for an agency who serves the public to know what the public thinks."

The study was conducted by the university's Natural Resource and Environmental Policy Program in conjunction with its Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism.

The research involved telephone surveys, personal interviews and the formation of focus groups. It looked at the state's overall transportation system, costs, traffic congestion, environmental quality, bicycle and pedestrian safety and accessibility for the disabled.

"One of the recurring concerns that emerged during our interviews and focus groups was that although UDOT was fairly effective at informing the public about what they intend to do, they don't appear to be as effective at soliciting ideas from the public about what the public feels they need and want from their department of transportation," Dale Blahna, associate professor in the College of Natural Resources and a co-author of the study, said in a press release.

The study suggested UDOT attempt to coordinate with state and local transportation groups and the public to develop more transportation options and work toward a more multimodal transportation network for Utah.

Hudachko said UDOT already has "laid some pretty significant groundwork in becoming more of a multimodal transportation department," beginning with environmental work for the I-15 reconstruction project, which recommended construction of the TRAX light rail line parallel to the freeway. UDOT and the Utah Transit Authority worked closely together in building the two related projects.