Reconnecting Communities grant

Salt Lake City received a grant from the USDOT as part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. Funding will be used to prepare a plan that analyzes needs and recommends potential solutions to improve transportation infrastructure surrounding the west-east divide.

Funding partners and local match commitments

Salt Lake City • Utah Transit Authority • SLC Community Reinvestment Agency • SLC Public Utilities

Agency partners, including the Utah Transit Authority, the Salt Lake City CRA, and the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, will focus on the technical and infrastructure needs and potential solutions.

Read the full Grant Application Narrative.

Historical overview

The east-west division began in 1870, the year the Transcontinental Railroads famously joined in Utah. This was only 27 years after Europeans first settled in the area and well before the modern City Government. The railroad was celebrated, but it also divided the city. Homesteads and farms built west of the rails became less desirable as industrial uses dominated along the railroad and the nearby Jordan River was used as a dumping ground.

In the following decades, the arrival of the freeways made the division worse and brought unsafe conditions and pollution to the west side. Large bridges were built to carry cars over the rail lines with high-speed interchanges to help vehicles get on and off the freeways. Later, freeway widening expanded the infrastructure barriers.

Now, finally, is the time to begin to come to terms with this divide. Reconnecting Communities is a robust community-centric planning effort to envision solutions for east-west crossings focused on a 6.1 mile highly urbanized corridor.

Related plans and studies

Westside Transportation Equity Study (2021)

Connect SLC – Transportation Master Plan update (2024)

Salt Lake City Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan (2015)

Salt Lake City Transit Master Plan (2017)

9 Line Trail Extension Study (2018)

Westside Master Plan (2014)

Ballpark Station Area Plan (2022)

Salt Lake City Transportation Master Plan (1996)

Wasatch Front Central Corridor Study (2017)

Salt Lake County Active Transportation Implementation Plan (2017)

Regional Transportation Plan (2019)

Utah Freight Plan Summary (2017)

Letters of support

The SLC West-East Connections Study has broad support from government agencies, community councils, freight operators and business advocacy groups. This study will build on this support to bring together groups who are actively working to improve life in Salt Lake City.

“I want to express our support of Salt Lake City’s initiative to address east-west connections across the Interstate 15 (I-15) and north-south rail corridors, particularly for people walking, biking, and taking transit.” – Salt Lake City Council

Salt Lake City Council – Westside Coalition – NeighborWorks – Downtown Alliance – Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR)* – Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) – U.S. Representative Chris Stewart – Central City Community Council – Central 9th Community Council – Fairpark Community Council – Glendale Community Council – Jordan Meadows Community Council – Poplar Grove Community Council – Rose Park Community Council* – Ballpark Community Council – Capital Hill Neighborhood Council* – 300 West Merchants’ Association – Bicycle Collective – Bike Utah – Building Salt Lake – City of South Salt Lake – Cycling West – Fisher Brewing – Fourth Street Clinic – Gardner Batt LLC – Granary District Alliance – GREENbike – Lux Events – Neighborhood House – Rio Grande Plan co-author, Cameron Blakely – Rio Grande Plan co-author, Christian Lenhart – Salt Lake Bees Minor League Baseball* – Utah Rail Passengers Association – Salt Lake City Arts Council – Salt Lake City Public Library – Salt Lake City Transportation Advisory Board – Salt Lake City Bicycle Advisory Committee – Salt Lake County– Salt Lake Education Foundation* – Salt Lake Garfield & Western / Patriot Rail – Shelter The Homeless – Sorenson Community Center – Sweet Streets – University of Utah – City & Metropolitan Planning* – Utah Inland Port Authority – Utah State Fair – Volunteers of America – Wasatch Front Regional Council

* East-West Connections support for similar grant.

Read the comments from the general public.

Media and articles

Train-Bicyclist Fatality during 999 Social Bicycle Ride (July 2018)

Train-Pedestrian Fatality at 900 South (August 2018)

Train-Pedestrian Injury at 900 South (December 2018)

Train-Bicyclist Fatality at 900 South (October 2023)