Latest news with #BUILD
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox creates new council to help prepare Utah for a bright future
As the state of Utah continues to grow rapidly, a new coordinating council will bring together various state agencies and other entities to coordinate and communicate plans for the future in order to keep quality of life in the state from decreasing. On Wednesday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed an executive order to create the BUILD coordinating council. BUILD stands for: Blueprint for Utah's Infrastructure, Land, and Development. The council will coordinate efforts between multiple agencies for long-term planning in the state and will be chaired by state planning coordinator and senior adviser to the governor Laura Hanson. Hanson said the creation of this council comes as Utah is at a pivotal point where the state is growing rapidly. When this growth first started, many Utahns were excited about it, Hanson said. 'But we've hit a point where Utahns are starting to feel a little anxious about the growth and a little bit of concern, worry that the Utah of the future may not be as high quality as the Utah of today,' Hanson said. The council will include people from various state agencies such as the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Quality. Other associations represented on the council include the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air, and the Utah Association of Counties. 'As Utah evolves, everything from water use to transportation is affected,' said Cox, according to a press release. 'This council will help us combine efforts and make better decisions to maintain the quality of life that makes Utah exceptional.' 'The goal of this coordinating council is to bring together decision makers and thought leaders and researchers in a whole variety of different policy areas, from transportation, air quality, economic development, housing, water, homelessness and public safety, the Olympics, but also local governments and private sector partners through the chamber to come together and have a conversation about what is the kind of Utah that we want for the future,' Hanson said. The council will meet to discuss the various planning efforts of the different groups and how to coordinate those efforts. Hanson said the goal is to 'ensure that we are moving toward the shared goals that we have as Utahns, and make sure that the future is just as great as it is today, and that we don't lose all the things that make Utah special, even as we bring in a larger population.' Different state agencies and other groups are developing their own long-range plans and goals within their areas, and this new council will provide a way for these efforts and different entities within the state to be aligned and coordinated. The creation of this council builds on HCR11, which was passed by the state Legislature in 2024 and focused on cross-issue impacts. 'Even if a policy area doesn't directly touch another policy area, there are indirect connections between these things like transportation and our air quality, like our housing and development patterns and our water consumption or preservation of agricultural land and open space. There are all these connections between these various different topics,' Hanson said. She added that, many times, policymakers and state agencies are focused on specific, individual issues, but regular Utahns are concerned about quality of life as a whole, and this council will be able to align many different issues in order to make sure Utah as a whole continues to improve. Specific areas that the council will be looking into include water, transportation, housing, air quality and recreation. 'It is very broad, which I think, is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity for us to think really holistically about where we want Utah to be in the future,' Hanson said. The coordinating council will meet together four times a year, with Hanson as the chair. Two yet-to-be-named co-chairs who will work with Hanson. One will be an executive branch co-chair and the other will be an external stakeholder co-chair. Hanson added that some sort of executive committee might also be formed within the council that can do work in between the quarterly meetings. The council's first meeting will be on July 22 at 9:30 a.m. at the Capitol. This meeting will be open to the public. At the first meeting, the group will start identifying what stakeholders want Utah to look like in the future and set statewide goals based on public input from the past. The different state agencies and entities involved will also be able to share their goals and plans for the future and how those can affect other areas and groups. 'So now we're building those connections, and it's really all about coordination. It's about talking together more. It's about being intentional about the future that we want.' The council will also develop an annual report that will be given to the governor and Legislature. This report will discuss changes that are happening in the state, constraints on natural resources and infrastructure, and will outline a list of high priority areas that need to be focused on as a state. 'We have limited resources, but we have tons of needs, and so this is an opportunity for us to come together and say, OK, with our limited resources, which focus areas are going to get us the biggest bang for the buck, what are the most critical things that can make or break quality of life in Utah,' Hanson said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox seeks to unite state agencies, organizations to strategize on Utah growth
New homes are under construction in Spanish Fork on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed an executive order on Wednesday bringing a handful of state agencies together to try and better manage the state's growth. The order creates the BUILD (Blueprint for Utah's Infrastructure, Land, and Development) Coordinating Council, tasked with streamlining efforts and long-term planning related to housing, transportation, water, energy, open space, recreation, air quality and quality of life. Utah routinely ranks among the country's fastest growing states, and the executive order is the latest example of elected officials trying to wrangle the population boom. 'As Utah evolves, everything from water use to transportation is affected,' Cox said in a statement on Wednesday. 'This council will help us combine efforts and make better decisions to maintain the quality of life that makes Utah exceptional.' According to the executive order, the council has five main responsibilities — creating a shared vision for Utah's future; making sure state agencies are aligned in their long-term plans; identifying ways to 'leverage state investments for greater impact'; and collaborating across state agencies to address growth. The council is also required to produce an annual report to the governor, lieutenant governor and Legislature. The order builds on a resolution passed by the Legislature earlier this year. Sponsored by Rep. Bridger Bolinder, R-Grantsville, HCR11 encourages state and local governments, as well as the private sector, to consider 'cross-issue growth impacts in decision-making processes.' 'A growing population means an increased demand for housing, transportation, water, energy, and open space and recreation,' Bolinder said earlier this year. 'Growth issues are interrelated and decisions on one issue often affect other growth-related issues.' The council will be made up of the following: The senior adviser for long-range planning, who also serves as the Utah planning coordinator and will act as the chair of the committee The senior adviser for housing strategy and innovation The Utah energy adviser The state homeless coordinator The executive director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget The executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity The executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources The executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation The executive director of the Utah Department of Public Safety The executive director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality The executive director the Utah Department of Heath and Human Services The commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food The commission will also include a number of representatives from higher education and local governments, like: The University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute Utah State University's Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air Southern Utah University's Utah Center for Rural Life Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2034 The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce The Utah League of Cities and Towns The Utah Association of Counties Envision Utah A rural region Association of Governments An urban region Association of Governments SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox signs executive order to establish new council focused on Utah's future and ‘quality of life'
SALT LAKE CITY () — On May 28, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed an to establish the BUILD Coordinating Council — a new council aimed at helping the state of Utah plan for the future. BUILD is an acronym for 'Blueprint for Utah's Infrastructure, Land, and Development,' according to Cox's executive order. According to the governor's office, the council will 'bring state agencies together' to help the Beehive State work toward meeting demands for housing, energy, air quality, and more. 'This council will help us combine efforts and make better decisions to maintain the quality of life that makes Utah exceptional,' Cox said. 6 Utah cities ranked among the best 250 places to live in the U.S. — and Salt Lake didn't make the cut The executive order establishes the council and describes some of its duties. It describes Utah as 'one of the fastest growing states in the nation' and says that means there is an increasing demand for resources in the state. The council will work to 'advance shared statewide goals' and 'facilitate greater coordination' in the state, as well as work to improve or maintain the quality of life for current and future Utahns. The members of the BUILD council will meet quarterly to establish goals, review changes occurring in the state, review and draft long-range plans, endorse final plans, and produce annual reports for the governor and lieutenant governor, among other duties. 'Chaired by the State Planning Coordinator, the council will include senior advisors and executive directors from key state agencies such as transportation, natural resources, environmental quality, health and human services, agriculture and food and others,' the governor's office said. Representatives from various other entities will also be invited to participate. The executive order does not apply to the legislative and judicial branches of the government, higher education institutions, independent entities, and a handful of other offices. The governor's office said the establishment of the BUILD Coordinating Council 'builds on the intent' of a 2024 concurrent resolution to recognize the 'importance of cross-issue growth impacts.' The executive order went into effect on May 28. Syracuse police seeking assault suspect that left victim in critical condition 19-year-old worker killed in accident at Eagle Mountain construction site Gov. Cox signs executive order to establish new council focused on Utah's future and 'quality of life' Trump punts on Musk criticism of 'big beautiful bill' White House to send DOGE cuts package to Congress as Speaker promises quick action Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The government aims to cut funding for safer streets. Here's who would be hurt most.
The Department of Transportation has ordered a review of federal funding for bike lanes and plans to target recent projects that 'improve the condition for environmental justice communities or actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.' The move, outlined in a department memo obtained by Grist, is part of the Trump administration's broader goal of steering federal infrastructure spending toward fossil fuels. The restriction of federal funding comes as health experts warn that pedestrian deaths have surged. DOT officials did not respond to requests for comment. The undated memo, reportedly sent March 11 to DOT offices, ordered an immediate freeze on all grants made after January 2021, invoking a series of executive orders aimed at dismantling federal diversity and climate initiatives. It instructs agency employees to identify projects that provide 'funding to advance climate, equity, and other priorities counter to the Administration's executive orders.' It specifically targets any funds for projects 'whose primary purpose is bicycle infrastructure,' one of many steps President Donald Trump has taken to boost the fossil fuel industry. It also calls for flagging projects that might prioritize benefits to disadvantaged communities or reduce emissions. This likely includes hundreds of grants awarded through Safe Streets and Roads for All, a $5 billion initiative created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The goal of these efforts is to help communities address roadway safety concerns, said John Tallmadge, the executive director of Bike Durham, a nonprofit group in Durham, North Carolina. The group is supporting a series of infrastructure improvements in Durham that were counting on funding from the agency's BUILD grants, also expected to be impacted. The Durham project would add sidewalks, crosswalks, and bus stops to the city's busiest transit corridor, which is used by thousands of people each day. 'Numerous locations along this corridor have had pedestrian fatalities,' Tallmadge said. These safety concerns were highlighted in a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found Americans were 50 percent more likely to die walking in 2022 than in 2013. Its author, Rebecca Naumann, said infrastructure that prioritizes safety over speed — like the improvements Durham hopes to build — are proven solutions that protect everyone. She notes such designs have helped other high-income countries, like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, reduce traffic deaths in recent decades. The opposite is true of the United States, which as of 2022, saw more pedestrian deaths than any of the 27 other countries Naumann studied. One DOT project manager, who requested anonymity to avoid professional retaliation, told Grist the memo and executive orders will make it 'terribly difficult to use federal transportation dollars where it's needed most.' That's bad news for more than bike lanes: Sustainable transportation not only makes communities safer, it lowers travel costs; improves access to important services like medical care, schools, and work; and helps mitigate climate change. 'It's frustrating to see these solutions stall when so many communities urgently need them,' he said. As Tallmadge noted, delays and revisions to federal grants will increase the cost of any project — the opposite of government efficiency. Read Next Trump's funding freeze is wreaking havoc on climate science Zoya Teirstein Other funding likely to be caught up in these restrictions include projects within the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program, which supports multimodal travel; the BUILD program, which is designed to meet local or multi-jurisdictional needs; and the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, which helps communities harmed by past transportation decisions. Grants recently awarded under these initiatives range from $22 million for electric buses in Rhode Island to $157 million for green spaces that connect Atlanta neighborhoods currently divided by highways. 'The restriction of funding for projects like the Atlanta BeltLine and its RAISE Grant is an assault on disadvantaged communities,' said U.S. Representative Nikema Williams, the Democrat who represents a wide swath of Atlanta. 'These projects improve equity and mobility while spurring economic development.' The DOT memo follows recommendations outlined in the conservative Project 2025 policy agenda that has shaped much of the Trump administration's work. It broadly argued that the federal government should not fund local transportation projects. Instead, it suggests 'user fees' and enabling 'private companies to charge for transportation' through ventures like toll roads, removing air pollution regulations, restricting electric vehicle infrastructure, and eliminating federal funding for bicycle lanes, ferries, and other transportation. Yet the move to restrict programs like BUILD, which rely on community input, clashes with Project 2025's emphasis on local decision-making, said Caron Whitaker, the deputy executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. The Atlanta BeltLine project, for example, was supported by private and public entities at almost every level of government in Georgia. 'Why are we pulling back grants where local governments choose what they want to do?' Whitaker asked. 'If safety is a federal issue, then local fatalities matter,' she added. 'If the economy is a federal issue, then local economies matter.' The League, which is circulating a petition protesting the DOT's review, recently led meetings with congressional aides to discuss the importance of funding active transportation projects. One former DOT employee who spoke to Grist said the scale of Safe Streets and Roads for All means there will be widespread impacts. 'Safety is a bipartisan issue. You see Republican and Democratic representatives and senators touting the announcement whenever they're awarded,' he said. 'I think people just think, 'Oh, this probably just hurts the coasts and the big cities,' but there's definitely rural areas that were trying to improve safety.' It takes a lot of work for communities to get a federal grant, he said, often alongside finding matching funds. Whitaker agreed. 'It puts local governments in a tough position,' she said. Because the Safe Streets program funding was congressionally allocated, explicitly including 'bicyclists,' Duffy's move to cut programs 'whose primary purpose is bicycling' may not even be legal. Last week, a coalition of nonprofits and cities sued to reverse the federal freeze on grants, including the March DOT memo. 'Since our nation's founding, the Constitution has made it clear,' wrote the Southern Environmental Law Center, who is litigating the case, that 'Congress controls federal spending — not the president.' These efforts may limit transportation research nationwide. The DOT funds research and technical assistance projects through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, or NCHRP, which is also subject to review. 'If the policy memo is applied broadly to NCHRP, there could be a significant loss in current and future funding,' said Jennifer Dill, director of the Transportation Research and Education Center. 'Without more research about countermeasures and solutions to fatalities, it will be hard to reverse that trend.' She worries Duffy's recent actions will limit states' ability to effectively use federal money for local priorities. At headquarters, morale among many of those remaining at the DOT is at new lows. At first, the DOT project manager who spoke to Grist hoped to come up with ways to rephrase grants to avoid triggering words like 'equity' and 'climate.' But the new restrictions have escalated into an unprecedented level of scrutiny, with the political appointees reviewing every contract. 'It's gone beyond just switching words to get through the censor,' he said. 'It's not only making people afraid to carry on with good work that was underway, but has a chilling effect on everything we do going forward.' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The government aims to cut funding for safer streets. Here's who would be hurt most. on Mar 27, 2025.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
East & West 5th Street reopen to drivers amid Project BUILD
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — The City of Greenville announced on Wednesday that the construction on parts of East and West 5th Street have been completed. As part of Project BUILD, the city has been refining roads and pathways in Greenville since August 2023. The project is being funded by a grant from the US Department of Transportation and involves four greenway and sidewalk projects and three streetscape projects. These projects are for East and West 5th Street, Dickinson Avenue, Town Creek near Town Common and around Moyewood and the ECU Health Campus. Improvements for driving will be made as well like constructing roundabouts and fixing misaligned intersections. The city will also make more ADA compliant improvements For more information on the BUILD project, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
