Utah

'Free Fare February' a Huge Boost for Ridership in Utah
Early returns from Utah Transit Authority's fare-free transit experiment.

'15-Minute City' To Be Built in Utah
A community that focuses on reducing the need for car ownership and providing effective multimodal transportation and diverse land uses will be built from scratch on the site of the decommissioned Utah State Prison.

Utah Debates Solutions to Water Shortage
With a rapidly growing population and strained water supplies, Utah lawmakers and conservation groups debate how to best replenish the state's water sources.

'Quality of Life' Award for Utah Freeway Widening Prompts Criticism, Debate
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that the Utah Department of Transportation had won the "Quality of Life/Community Development" award. A social media pile on commenced.

Pandemic Debate: Civil Liberties vs. Individual Liberties
The American Civil Liberties Union stepped into the nation's masking debate in K-12 schools on the side of parents of students with disabilities. They won the first round in the U.S. Southern District Court of Iowa. Mask mandates are permitted again.

Biden Administration Targets Five States that Ban School Mask Mandates
President Biden asked his education secretary to see what could be done about states that prohibit school districts from enacting CDC public health recommendations. Miguel Cardona responded by empowering his Office of Civil Rights to investigate.

Lake Powell's Houseboat Launches Running Dry
Record low water levels are sinking Lake Powell's houseboat industry as climate change threatens water supplies in the West.

Colorado River Dams Could Stop Producing Hydropower
Officials are releasing water from upstream reservoirs as water levels in the river's major reservoirs fall to historic lows.

Pandemic Geography: Missouri Outbreak Driven by Delta Variant
With 65.4% of the nation's adult population at least partially vaccinated, daily new COVID cases have dropped to the lowest level since late March 2020. However, cases are increasing in some states, none more than Missouri.

Innovative Road Funding Pilot Program Advances in California
State Sen. Scott Wiener authored legislation dubbed the Gas Tax Alternative Pilot to extend the California Road Charge Program that completed its pilot in 2017. The program takes on more significance with the 2035 sales ban of gas-powered vehicles.

Water Supply Concerns Prompt Development Moratorium in Utah Town
Oakley, a small town in Summit County, Utah, has paused new development while it redraws its land use map and brings new water supply online.

New Drought Contingencies Triggered for Upper Colorado River States
The latest Bureau of Reclamation report on water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead trigger new drought contingencies in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

A Green Governor Vetoes Electric Vehicle Legislation
Washington Gov. Jay Insee distinguished himself in the 2020 presidential Democratic primary as the "climate candidate," yet he vetoed a section of a transportation electrification bill that set a goal of ending sales of gas-powered cars by 2030.

Drought Takes Hold of the American West
The megadrought continues, with contingency plans differing by location.

Biden Administration Rules Out Gas Tax Hike
Shortly after Transportation secretary-nominee Pete Buttigieg told a Senate committee that all options were on the table to pay for federal transportation investment, a spokesperson ruled out a gas tax hike.

Drought Contingency Plan Triggered for the Colorado River
Signs of worsening drought conditions in the American West are triggering early actions for states that depend on water from the Colorado River.

Community Impact Funds Could Subsidize a Fossil Fuel Railroad
A railway project designed to move oil and gas across eastern Utah has received millions in grant money from a fund designed to mitigate the impacts of fossil fuels.

Study Touts the Housing Affordability Benefits of Density for the State of Utah
The density debate can't be avoided in fast-growing Utah, according to the researchers and political leaders who support the findings of a new report from the University of Utah's Kem C. Garner Policy Institute.

The Next Generation of Nuclear Power Could Come Closer to Home
Nuclear regulators have recently given the green light to a new kind of nuclear reactor, the small modular reactor. A recent article in The Urbanist explains the case for a nuclear-powered urbanism.

Transit Capital Investments Planned in Utah
Utah finds itself in a unique situation, with money to spend on expanding transit capacity at a time when many transit agencies are plotting layoffs and service reductions.
Pagination
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