The Transportation Coordinating Committee approved three amendments to the regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) at its meeting, adding funding for a Perry pathway, additional work on the Utah Trails Network and a separate design-standards project for paved trails.

The amendments are meant to help deliver short-range active-transportation projects identified in the regional plan and to improve bid-readiness and consistency for future trail work. Committee members voted to adopt the board modification by unanimous voice vote.

Ben Withrich, WFRC staff, described the first amendment as a Box Elder County project in Perry on Twelfth West from 2250 South (Davis Street) south to 3600 South (KOA Road) that will construct a separated west-side multiuse path. Withrich said bids returned “well over the engineer’s estimate,” and the amendment adds local and state funds so the project can proceed. The materials provided to the committee show an additional “over $555,000 of local funds” and $945,000 of state Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) active funds, bringing the project total to about $3,900,000.

The second amendment adds scope and funding to the Utah Trails Network project to expand public outreach, data evaluation and local trail contacts. Withrich said the addition of those items “will improve the deliverable” for the network’s initial phase; the committee approved $395,000 in additional funds for a total project cost of $1,000,000.

The third amendment creates a new project to develop paved-trail design standards for the Utah Trail Network. Withrich and Tiffany Pocock (UDOT) said the aim is to fill gaps in existing multiuse-trail guidance—covering widths, striping and signing—and to help contractors prepare better bids. The new design-standards project was presented with a $600,000 budget request.

Members discussed procurement and bidding trends before the vote. Nathan Peterson, UDOT Region 1 deputy director, said that while single-bid situations do occur, many projects currently receive about three to four bidders on average. Peterson also noted that engineering estimates are typically in the middle of contractor bids.

The TIP packet provided to members included four sheets of projects the regional council had already reviewed; committee members were shown a signed resolution from the council as part of the meeting materials. The committee approved the board modification motion by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The committee also approved the minutes from the August 15 meeting by voice vote earlier in the session.

The committee materials and staff presentations referenced the WFRC regional transportation plan and advised members that the STIP app (Statewide Transportation Improvement Program application) lists programmed projects, schedules and funding for the near-term five-year window.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve minutes from the August 15 meeting — outcome: approved (voice vote, unanimous). Mover/second: not specified in the transcript. Notes: minutes were approved prior to other business.

- Motion to approve TIP board modification (three amendments: Perry Twelfth West pathway; Utah Trails Network scope expansion; paved-trail design-standards project) — outcome: approved (voice vote, unanimous). Mover/second: not specified in the transcript. Notes: committee recorded unanimous assent by voice vote; no roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript.

The committee packet and staff presentations include project-level cost and scope details; members were encouraged to use the STIP app to review the five-year program of funded projects.