Master Transportation Plan Amendment

We need this, there are plenty of ways to make sure a road won't destroy the environment. 2100 and Redwood road are getting way too backed up and high density housing continues to go in throughout Lehi and the surrounding areas. We need more options and this would be great. It would benefit society, businesses and the community here. I don't understand some of these comments but the area is growing and the infrastructure needs to grow as well or eventually the area will run into some major issues.

I’d like to say that I’m strongly FOR this proposal. I commute on this road during the week, and the traffic gets worse by the week. I’m so glad there is a solution in motion otherwise the traffic will be at a standstill a year from now. You can’t expect people to live in an area that has no effective and quick way to get in and out of. This is greatly needed.

I suggest a compromise. If there is to be a road/highway built across the north shore of the lake, there has to be a lake restoration project in conjunction with the road. Otherwise, no-go with the road.
Talin L.
Lehi

Utah Lake and the lake bottom do not belong to Lehi or to any single community along its shores, nor do they belong to any one generation of decision makers. Proposals involving the destruction of any portion of the lake for the perceived convenience of a few - commuters in Lehi and the surrounding area in this case - must not be entertained. The ecological integrity of Utah Lake and the health of Utah Valley are worth effort of recalibrating our transportation expectations.

I do not support! As a lifelong resident of the valley it sickens me to see this as a way forward. Please stop destroying our natural resources.

I grew up on the north shore of Utah Lake and travel regularly to Saratoga Springs to visit friends. My brother owns a dermatology practice there. I commute to Thanksgiving Point for work. I understand the traffic congestion Lehi faces.

I strongly oppose any roadway crossing the lake. Like others have already said, Utah Lake is an invaluable natural resource in part because we live in a desert. Water is an incredibly tenuous resource that makes all of our lives possible. The health of the lake should be of utmost concern to us. The lake is still recovering from a very long history of abuse including damages done from Geneva Steel. Please let's learn from the past and innovate for the future.

Utah Valley seems to have congestion issues that no amount of pavement can possibly alleviate. General traffic studies indicate that when new lanes are built, they tend to get filled and congested again quite quickly. When will we have enough pavement on the ground (and over the water)? How much is too much? What do we want our valley to look like? What kinds of wildlife to we want to be able to support here? How much space should we make uninhabitable? What are we comfortable destroying and killing for our convenience?

Surely we can think of something more enduring and less destructive than yet more miles of pavement. Plenty of places in the world that appreciate the health and beauty of their natural resources rely on public transit much more than we do.

Laura Leavitt
Provo

This offshore freeway is NOT the answer. This should have been discussed before building in Eagle Mountain a and Saratoga Springs got out of hand. Do not destroy Utah Lake’s ecosystem because someone didn’t have the foresight to see the possible traffic concerns.

Utah Lake is an invaluable natural resource. Unfortunately, in the past, this beautiful body of water has not received a healthy respect. A consideration that would have seen it avoid devastation due to ignorant and hasty management such as it has weathered since the late 1800s. But we have grown as a society and now have the knowledge and consciousness to better consider our actions.

Taking a page from the indigenous peoples who inhabited this land long before European settlement, when considering an action upon the environment in which we live, it is wisdom to reflect on the consequence of such action seven generations forward.

That being said the best solution, it seems to me, would be to provide a Trax line that could offer public transportation between American Fork/Lehi to the cities on the east side of the lake. This would relieve the load of drivers who use Pioneer Crossing. It would furthermore, be better for the environment two fold; One, we would not be interrupting the ecosystem of the Lake to build a highway; Two, the amount of fuel emissions could potentially be decreased through use of public transport vs. single car drivers.

On a very specific note, I would be concerned that having any kind of roadway across the lake will result in the death of winter sheltering bald eagles. Utah Lake is one of the areas where this beautiful raptor, and symbol of our nation, takes refuge during the colder months - from about November through March. They can often be seen skimming the surface of the water as they hunt for fish. A roadway creating a sudden obstruction to their flight paths, no doubt, will compromise this refuge for these long time inhabitants.

This is, of course, just one example of how this roadway will create problems for the lake and it's ecosystem.

Again, I think we have come to a point where we understand that we are not the only living beings on this planet who deserve protection and consideration. It is clear we are intrinsically connected to this planet and all of the living organisms upon it. By choosing to protect this lake and not disturb the process of it's recovery from past mistakes, we are also choosing to protect ourselves and the future for our children's, children's children.

I urge you to decline the Master Plan Transportation Amendment which would consider building a roadway across Utah Lake.

Thank you so much,
Jen Smith
Resident of Orem,
Long time lover and advocate for beautiful Utah Lake

I am strongly against this proposal. Car tires are the largest contributor to microplastics in the water. It would be a big mistake to build a major roadway next to a fragile environment like Utah lake. If you did some research, you would immediately find out that 78% of the microplastics in the ocean come from car tires. This kills fish. In addition, this roadway would drastically downgrade the beauty of our natural environment, all for the cause of money making

I strongly OPPOSE the creation of this off-shore freeway. As someone who regularly makes the east-west commute through Lehi and personally understands the traffic congestion problems we face, I strongly OPPOSE the construction of yet another east-west corridor.

This off-shore freeway will only "solve" traffic for a short period of time before it too reaches peak-hour gridlock. Building this freeway will not solve our capacity problems in the long term, instead it will merely enable more suburban, car-centric sprawl in Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.

This is a textbook example of induced demand. We would literally be better off throwing our tax dollars in Utah Lake than wasting them on another freeway in a doomed effort to alleviate congestion.

Traffic congestion is not something that can be "solved" in this location. Counterintuitively, it is something that should be embraced and managed in order to make Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain stronger. These car trips and traffic congestion represent economic potential that can and should be harnessed closer to their point of origin rather than facilitating long, wasteful, polluting commutes.

We get what we build for. When we build for more traffic, we get more traffic. Humans are smart and adaptable. They will adapt their lives to the options available, which is why it is crucial that we build better transportation and land-use options (i.e. transit), not just more of the same bad option (i.e. another freeway).

Both the Envision Utah Valley Visioning survey and the state's Guiding Our Growth survey show that people want LESS sprawl, FEWER highways through cities, and MORE transit. They show that Utah Valley residents prefer a development pattern that is more centered around walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented, mixed use urban cores.

Instead of subsidizing more sprawl, UDOT and Lehi should adopt better land-use policies and help fund more transit options. Currently Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain are served by only one express bus. The northern Utah County bus network should be greatly expanded, and UDOT should use these freeway dollars to instead construct an east-west FrontRunner commuter rail line.

For the sake of our tax dollars, for the sake of our air quality, for the sake of Utah Lake, for the sake of our open space, our communities, and our economies, we need to get serious about breaking our dependence on cars and freeways. We need to get serious about reducing vehicle miles traveled. We need to get serious about better land use and building more transit.

Do NOT build this freeway.

I strongly opposed this amendment. I believe the scope of this proposal has been unwisely limited to car-centric solutions. While increased congestion is indeed a problem in need of a solution, a much more graceful solution exists in expanding public transportation options than in destroying a vital wildlife habitat. Studies have shown that adding more lanes to freeways does not in fact reduce congestion. By investing in expanding public transportation, you will be reducing freeway traffic while expanding opportunities for those citizens who do not have access to cars, all while cutting carbon emissions and preserving a beautiful part of our state's natural resources.

Thank you for your consideration. I hope you will choose the right solution.

Regards, Rebekah Rawlings

Thank you for taking public comments on this important issue to Lehi and Utah Lake.
The wetlands and hollows of Lehi are already being ravaged. Trees are coming down and habitats are being destroyed and replaced with high density housing. So just decreasing the amount of high density housing approved in West Lehi would benefit the city.
There is a border along north Utah Lake that you know is a wildlife protected area. Trying to go around that by going into the lake shore is a solution that only meets the needs of those who failed to plan and act sooner.
1900 S. and 2100 N. should be widened accordingly. There is a lot of open space especially around 2100 N. that should be utilized. If those routes are expanded, there is no need to redo Pioneer Crossing. Even adjusting the timing on the lights of Pioneer Crossing would help with traffic flow.
Ultimately if a highway is needed through Utah Lake, it should be miles away from the shoreline toward the middle of the lake. This would reduce habitat loss and the noise level of the traffic would be further removed from people who are trying to enjoy the north shore.

Thank you for seeking solutions that are long-term and truly the best for
maintaining the beautiful areas of Lehi and quality of life.
Christina M Nielson.
Lehi resident 22 years.

I strongly support this amendment. There are numerous examples across the nation and world where engineers have successfully and beautifully built bridges and roads near and/or over bodies of water. The growth in Saratoga springs and eagle mountain is exponential and is only going to increase in the coming decades. The infrastructure is horrendous and dangerous and absolutely needs to be addressed. I think this is an excellent solution that can be done WHILE maintaining and preserving the wildlife and north shore.

I travel on pioneer crossing everyday, from/to Saratoga Springs and it is a parking lot during rush hours. I moved to Utah from the east coast, and there are many successful examples of roadways over bodies of water. Examples are New Jersey meadowlands and Louisiana. When done correctly those roadways do not affect ecosystems surrounding the roads. I support the plan.

To the Lehi Planning Commissioners:

Thank you for serving on a municipal board that holds the future of our communities in your hands. Utah Lake is a nationally administered asset so I feel that I have standing to address this issue even though I’m not a Lehi resident. Please reconsider building an offshore freeway in this remarkable part of our valley. I believe that the Lake should be kept free and wild, so the Master Plan Amendment is detrimental to my best interest and welfare. The surrounding area of wetlands and habitat would be affected negatively — the shrinking quality and quantity of our open natural spaces are of great concern to me.

Utah Lake benefits our whole county and is a centerpiece for all of our residents; it’s a highly productive large freshwater lake, removing our pollution, available for a variety of recreational needs, and is no doubt as big a contributor to our ecosystem as the mountains. Unforeseen consequences from turning it into a freeway corridor should be of utmost concern to all of us.

Intruding into the natural features of the Lake with a bridge structure threatens to set a dangerous precedence for other communities to selfishly try the same thing. Part of the attraction of such a large open space is the public being able to navigate freely over it. An offshore freeway would unduly affect this use. With a growing population, we should be preserving and enhancing as much open and public features as we can so that future generations may have the same enjoyment as we do.

The proposed Amendment is detrimental, intrusive, and unsuitable.

Thank you for your consideration.

Cheri Condie

I completely oppose this amendment. Do not build an off-shore freeway! Utah Lake is a delicate ecosystem that people have been working to improve. This project would extremely disrupt that.

Hi! My name is Derrek Wilson, I grew up in Lehi and I, despite not currently living in the city currently (although my family still lives there), want Lehi to develop intelligently and in an ecologically sound manner. Utah Lake has endured decades of pollution from industrial facilities, storm water runoff, and wastewater nutrient loads. The State has put significant effort (and financial investment) into ensuring the recovery of Utah Lake, as well as its shore and surrounding wetlands. Including a potential freeway through the north reach of the lake is shortsighted and would damage restoration work (which includes millions of taxpayer dollars). Further, the roadway would be unlikely to withstand legal challenges under the Public Trust Doctrine, and these challenges would be costly to the citizens and City of Lehi. A Master Transportation Plan that identifies potential roadways through Utah Lake should not be approved.
I would hope the City (both the Planning Commission and City Council) would invest more money in proven modes of transportation that reduce roadway traffic. Some examples are robust public transportation (busses and trains), extensive bike paths that connect neighborhoods to public transit hubs, and better zoning so people can live closer to where they work.
In a valley where we are out of attainment for air pollutants (the largest source of which are cars), it is unwise to build 30+ year infrastructure that locks in these polluting ways.
It would be unwise (from both a financial and environmental stewardship angle) to approve a Master Transportation Plan that proposes any roadways through Utah Lake or its connected wetlands.
Thank you!

I strongly oppose this amendment. Utah lake deserves to be protected. If the proposal is moved forward with, it will effect every other resident and city that participates with the lake. Our demands right now should not eclipse our desires for the future.

I support Satchel Morgan's comment: increased roadway/free capacity induces demand. The amendment appears to be well-intentioned, but seriously misguided. Please consider this opening statement in the study: "The scope of the study was very narrow, limited to only Pioneer Crossing." After studying the MTA and proposed amendment, I am convinced indeed that the "study [is] very narrow." A more serious solution will include holistic consideration of mass- and public-transit connectors, including a Trax line connecting to the American Fork Front Runner station.

Thanks, Jacob Alder (Not a current Lehi resident, but former SLC resident and have friends and family in Lehi)

Please consider the following articles:
1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.5822/978-1-61091-899-2_27
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00166216
3. https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/science/article/pii/S0191261510000226

Please reconsider the proposal of an off-shore freeway. Along with being an eyesore and an environmental concern, building this freeway or widening any road is simply a waste of time. The fact that more lanes of traffic do not actually reduce traffic has been accepted by economists and urban planners for decades. Adding more lanes or making new ones is a temporary fix to an existential problem that will only get worse as Utah's population grows. What Lehi and every city needs is a permanent solution, which is a robust public transportation system. Public transportation systems are not only proven to reduce traffic but also help those in low-income households, who often cannot afford to drive a car everyday due to costs of insurance, maintenance, and purchasing one in the first place. Thank you for considering this comment.
-Satchel Morgan

Article explaining why more lanes of traffic only serve to increase traffic: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-09-28/why-widening-highways-doesn-t-bring-traffic-relief