Many roads are built and widened due to the population being widely dispersed. Because of this, there is less traffic and traveling long-distance across the valley by car takes the least amount of time. However, since our jobs, family, friends, and entertainment options are furthest from where we live, our driving trips are longer and it is less convenient to walk, bike, or ride public transportation. Investment in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is low. A personal vehicle is needed to complete most daily trips. As a result, we spend the most time in the car and the most money on fuel and maintenance. Road and transit infrastructure investment includes a bridge across Utah Lake, a freeway to Eagle Mountain, TRAX through the valley, and FrontRunner that’s double-tracked to run every 15 minutes and is extended to Payson. Significant additional funding is required to build the new public transportation infrastructure.
The chart below shows the cost in billions of dollars countywide on road and transit construction across scenarios:
The chart below shows the annual average costs spent by an household on driving across scenarios:
The chart below shows the average annual hours spent in a vehicle by a family of 4 across scenarios:
The chart below shows the travel time in minutes across Utah Valley during the PM rush hour across scenarios: