Feb. 26, 2025

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Salt Lake City is launching a transportation study funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. The study will create a plan that analyzes needs and recommends and prioritizes potential solutions to improve transportation infrastructure and address the west-east divide.

“Future transportation investments must reflect the voices of westside residents—not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because the best solutions come from the residents who live with these challenges every day,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “The west side deserves more ways to connect, and this study is the next step in making them happen.”

Salt Lake City’s westside neighborhoods are separated from eastern parts of the city, including downtown, by Interstate 15 and several major railroad lines, including the Union Pacific Railroad and FrontRunner commuter rail, which affects the day-to-day lives of community members. 

These present a daily challenge for people who need to cross the barrier. Every day, residents are impacted by parked trains, which cause delays, increase travel times, and raise safety concerns for people driving, walking, and riding bicycles. Interstate 15 also limits the areas and opportunities to connect to the east side of the city, with crossings at just a few major streets. 

The SLC West-East Connections Study team will collaborate with community members, empowering the people most affected by the division to help define the nature of the problem and develop and prioritize solutions that address their needs. The study will analyze needs and recommend solutions for all modes of transportation–driving, walking, bicycling, and riding transit.

Applications for Community Advisory Board (CAB) members to collaborate with the study team are open to the public beginning Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Those who have experience with the impacts of the west-east divide, are excited to help address transportation solutions, and can help engage their neighbors and community members are invited to apply online at https://tinyurl.com/SLCWestEast. CAB members will be compensated for their time.