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INFRASTRUCTURE

AND

TRANSPORTATION

February 2020

Updated September 2022

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Transportation, just getting around our neighborhoods, driving to the store or bank and going to work has become more and more difficult, frustrating, time-consuming and dangerous.  A lot needs to be done and a lot is already in the works but few people really know what or when.  As a state legislator, I will have direct access to the people who have the answers and potential solutions.

 

Our Legislative District needs a House Representative who has and will continue walking along these congested and dangerous roads until they are improved.

2000 West looking north.   June 25, 2019.

Avoid 2000 West

 

Catastrophe

 

in the Making

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We need a state legislator who has the transportation experience and foresight to demand that the Utah Department of Transportation immediately 

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extend the current 2000 West Project to widen the street from two to four lanes from 2050 North north to 6000 South in Roy. 

 

Environmental assessments, property acquisition of much of the currently vacant property (at much less cost to the taxpayer), and design work must begin now.   The catastrophic bottleneck that will occur when four lanes of traffic even AFTER the currently proposed 2000 West Widening Project is completed will funnel into two lanes in less than a block north of 1800 North on 2000 West.  Such massive congestion will create intolerable traffic jams at 1800 North and 2000 West and continue to back up traffic to 1300 and 800 North that the public has been putting up with for years.  Additionally, traffic will be stuck going east and west at 1800 North and already dangerous left-hand turns will be come impossible to make in and out of businesses, including the busy Walmart.  

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Terrible congestion along 2000 West looking north.  August 20, 2021.

June 6, 2022.  2000 West and 1800 North.

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1800 North near 1000 West at 4:45 pm April 21, 2020

Clinton, West Point, and Sunset residents continue to suffer, many choosing to drive through side streets and into  neighborhoods to avoid narrow sections of 2000 West or having to just wait idling for trains to cross 1800 North.

A number of our local roads are losing their base, creating terrible road conditions.

 

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School children crossing 1800 North in Sunset

CLEARFIELD

HILL AIR FORCE BASE WEST GATE

SOUTH LEFT-HAND TURN LANE

REQUIRES RE-DESIGN

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THE PROBLEM

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Currently, vehicles traveling south on Main Street at 650 North are restricted to the one right lane of the two-lane left-hand turn lane going east towards HAFB West Gate.  The traffic backup is intolerable during peak travel hours creating dangerous turns and severe traffic congestion that backs up vehicles for blocks going both north and south.

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THE SOLUTION

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If elected as your state legislature I will work tirelessly to redesign and obtain funds for a two-lane east entrance to vehicles going south onto I-15.   The design will require taking additional property north of Taco Bell so that three lanes of traffic can be accommodated going east.  The right lane would be required to turn south onto I-15, the middle lane can either turn south or continue on into HAFB, and the left lane would be required to continue onto HAFB.  By allowing smoother faster traffic through a congested intersection with more vehicles allowed to turn left onto I-15, north and south traffic delays will be greatly reduced and the number of traffic accidents minimized.

Video recorded on March 8, 2022

Additionally, I will work vigorously with our powerful Davis County legislators in leadership positions at our State Legislature, Davis County has a great opportunity to:

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  • Accelerate the fully funded $200 million 1800 NORTH AND 1-15 HAFB WEST GATE PROJECT that will help reduce traffic on 2000 West going through West Point, Clinton, and Clearfield neighborhoods.

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I will work vigorously with local governments and continue collaboration among city public work departments to

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  • Ensure multi-jurisdictional roadwork projects gets completed in a timely manner.

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Deteriorated road on 800 North in Clearfield and Clinton, 2019

Getting Actual Local Transportation Project Started and Accomplished

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I have been volunteering my time and efforts to improve transportation in our local community for the past decade.  I have undertaken citizen petitions and proposed various traffic safety design improvements that have actually been carried out in real life.

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The Legacy Corridor Extension

The northern extension of the Legacy Parkway (West Davis Corridor) Project currently under from Farmington through to West Point and possibly beyond will have a great environmental impact on the city of West Point.   This extension is supposed to greatly relieve projected traffic congestion and increase commuter access for West Point and Clinton residents to employer destinations further south.

 

If elected, I am committed to making sure that the wishes of West Point residents are heard as the project moves forward and that all their concerns about adverse impacts are addressed, even as it appears that it will destroy Larapin pond, a three-acre, 35 year old man-made body of water used by migratory birds.  Before any permanent construction occurs, I commit to:

  • hold special public townhall meetings

  • undertake impartial polls to explore what West Point residents really want to do about this important transportation proposal.

  • place a legislative ban on billboards, limit maximum speeds, and restrict large truck traffic.

  • strongly encourage the work schedule of the West Corridor Extension to start first on the actual construction of those lanes of traffic that will have the least impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.

  • require the formation of a Legacy Corridor oversight board composed of local government officials, residents, and Utah Department of Transportation to make the only authorized major changes, if any, after the extension is built so that no after broken  promises like occurred on the Southern portion can occur again on the Legacy Corridor.

 

As your representative I will stand with you on ensuring that our transportation network in our Communities are more efficient and safer.  I will join with you on the frontlines and battle excessive traffic construction intrusion and its negative impacts on our community and our way of life.

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Property adjacent to proposed Legacy Cooridor extension.  The white shed will be demolished.

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This new emergency vehcle had about 5,000 miles when photographed in 2019.  The state needs to do more to reduce the need for putting more miles on it.

2020 General Election Infrastructure Video

INFRASTRUCTURE

New Concern

June 2020

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Workers trenching and installing new fiber optics in Clinton (January 2020).

More and more of what is now unseen in our communities are part of the underlying physical structures that allow our neighborhoods to function effectively, providing an essential foundation upon which all of us depend for our basic survival:

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  • Roads

  • Bridges

  • Railways

  • Water and Sewer lines

  • Gas lines

  • Irrigation lines

  • Electrical lines

  • Cable lines, now fiber optics for quick and crucial internet access

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Our homes and businesses require electricity and gas to operate our ranges, stoves, microwaves, computers, television or home entertainment centers, lights, our heating and air conditioning systems.  Our sanitation depends on the delivery of clean water and disposal of sewage waste.  Getting to and from work requires decent roads and rail tracks in good condition.  And now Corona Virus has amply revealed the essential need for virtual access to educational resources for our students and the ability to work from home.

THE PROBLEM

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Some residents in my conversations from last year are starting to notice areas where our infrastructure is breaking down, from water lines failing to road deterioration or broken street lights going unrepaired.   As our neighborhoods age, more prevention, maintenance, and upkeep will be required.  Now the terrible impact of COVID-19 coronavirus has demonstrated how essential remote internet connections are in keeping all residents in touch with medical help in a safe and efficient way (Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CNN March 21, 2020).  Even decisions regarding new development consisting of more expensive infrastructure and longer-lasting materials and construction needs to be considered, including the installation of fiber optic networks.  For some communities with a smaller business tax base where more and more land is devoted to homes in residential development, the upkeep and maintenance of our infrastructure will become more and more of a burden for residential homeowners.

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THE SOLUTION

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More attention by our elected officials needs to be focused on "balanced" land use development with fewer homes being built and more economic development to serve our existing communities and residents already here.  Local businesses often bring in increased tax revenue to help pay for important infrastructure maintenance and development of advanced tele-commuting and tele-medical services, and tele-education ("Infrastructure bill gains new steam as coronavirus worsens" The Hill March 31, 2020), shorter distances to commute as well as commercial trucks having to travel to supply goods and services thus significantly reducing the negative impact on our streets and reducing air pollution.   The resulting balance between the number of homes and businesses that serve them may bring reduced need for increases in local government taxes, lower health costs from better air quality,  goods and services closer to residents saving all of us both time and money and even now "saving lives."

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