Transportation, Administration

Rule R907-68

Prioritization of New Transportation Capacity Projects

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 36178
Filed: 05/14/2012 10:05:08 AM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

The purpose of this rule change is to bring the rule into alignment with the Department of Transpiration's strategic initiatives by changing "capacity" to "mobility," to renumber it to place it in Title R940 Transportation Commission, Administration, and to make other technical and stylistic corrections.

Summary of the rule or change:

The change replaces "capacity" with "mobility," renumbers the rule to fall under Title R940 Transportation Commission, Administration," and makes other technical and stylistic changes.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 72-1-201
• Section 72-1-304

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There is no anticipated cost or savings to the state budget because the change only aligns the language of the rule with the department's strategic initiatives.

local governments:

There is no anticipated cost or savings to local government because the change only aligns the language of the rule with the department's strategic initiatives.

small businesses:

There is no anticipated cost or savings to small businesses because the change only aligns the language of the rule with the department's strategic initiatives.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

There is no anticipated cost or savings to persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local government entities because the change only aligns the language of the rule with the department's strategic initiatives.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no anticipated compliance costs for affected persons because the change only aligns the language of the rule with the department's strategic initiatives.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

There is no anticipated fiscal impact on businesses because the change only aligns the language of the rule with the department's strategic initiatives.

John Njord, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Transportation
Administration
CALVIN L RAMPTON COMPLEX
4501 S 2700 W
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84119-5998

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Christine Newman at the above address, by phone at 801-965-4026, by FAX at 801-965-4338, or by Internet E-mail at cwnewman@utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

07/02/2012

This rule may become effective on:

07/09/2012

Authorized by:

John Njord, Executive Director

R9[ 07]40. Transportation, Administration.

R9[ 07-68]40-6. Prioritization of New Transportation Capacity Projects.

R9[ 07-68]40-6-1. Definitions.

(1) "ADT" means [A]average [D]daily [T]traffic, which is the volume of traffic on a road, annualized to a daily average.

(2) "Capacity" means the maximum hourly rate at which vehicles reasonably can be expected to traverse a point or a uniform section of a lane or roadway during a given time period under prevailing roadway, traffic, and control conditions.

(3) "Commission" means the Transportation Commission, which is created in [Utah Code Ann.] Section 72-1-301.

(4) "Economic Development" may include such things as employment growth, employment retention, retail sales, tourism growth, freight movements, tax base increase, and traveler or user cost savings in relation to construction costs.

(5) "Functional Classification" means the description of the road as one of the following:

(a) Rural Interstate;

(b) Rural Other Principal Arterial;

(c) Rural Minor Arterial;

(d) Rural Major Collector;

(e) Urban Interstate;

(f) Urban Other Freeway and Expressway;

(g) Urban Other Principal Arterial;

(h) Urban Minor Arterial; or

(i) Urban Collector[;].

(6) "Major New Capacity Project" means a transportation project that costs more than $5,000,000 and accomplishes any of the following:

(a) Add new roads and interchanges;

(b) Add new lanes; or

(c) Modify existing interchange(s) for capacity or economic development purpose.

(7) "Mobility" means the movement of people and goods.

(8) "MPO" as used in this section means metropolitan planning organization as defined in [Utah Code Ann.] Section 72-1-208.5.

([8]9) "Safety" means an analysis of the current safety conditions of a transportation facility. It includes an analysis of crash rates and crash severity.

([9]10) "Strategic Goals" means the Utah Department of Transportation [S]strategic [G]goals.

(1[0]1) "Strategic Initiatives" means the implementation strategies the [D]department will use to achieve the ["S]strategic [G]goals["].

(1[1]2) "Transportation Efficiency" is the roadway attributes such as ADT, [T]truck ADT, [V]volume to [C]capacity [R]ratio, roadway [F]functional [C]classification, and [T]transportation [G]growth.

(1[2]3) "Transportation Growth" means the projected percentage of average annual increase in ADT.

(1[3]4) "Truck ADT" means the ADT of truck traffic on a road, annualized to a daily average.

(1[4]5) "Volume to Capacity Ratio" means the ratio of hourly volume of traffic to capacity for a transportation facility (measure of congestion).

 

R9[07-68]40-6-2. Authority and Purpose.

[Utah Code Ann.]Section 72-1-304, as enacted by Senate Bill 25, 2005 General Session, directs the [C]commission, in consultation with the [D]department and the [M]metropolitan [P]planning [O]organizations in the [S]state, to [issue]make rules that establish a prioritization process for new transportation projects that meet the [D]department's strategic goals. This rule fulfills that directive.

 

R9[07-68]40-6-3. Application of Strategic Initiatives to Projects.

The [D]department will use the [S]strategic [G]goals to guide the process:

(1) The [D]department will first seek to preserve current infrastructure and to optimize the [capacity of]mobility provided by the existing highway infrastructure before applying funds to increase [capacity]mobility by adding new lanes.

(2) The [D]department will address means to improve the [capacity of]mobility provided by the existing system through technology like intelligent transportation systems, access management, transportation demand management, and others.

(3) The [D]department will assess safety through projects addressed in paragraph (1) and (2) above. The [D]department will also target specific highway locations for safety improvements.

(4) Adding new capacity projects will be recommended after considering items in paragraph (1), (2) and (3).

(5) All recommendations will be forwarded to the Transportation Commission for its review/action.

 

R9[07-68]40-6-4. Prioritization of Major New Capacity Projects List.

(1) Major [N]new [C]capacity [P]projects will be compiled from the State of Utah Long Range Transportation Plan.

(2) The list will be first prioritized based upon [T]transportation [E]efficiency [F]factors, and [S]safety [F]factors. Each criterion of these factors will be given a specific weight.

(3) The [M]major [N]new [C]capacity [P]projects will be ranked from highest to lowest with priority being assigned to the projects with highest overall rankings.

(4) The [C]commission will further evaluate the projects with highest rankings considering contributing components that include other factors such as [E]economic [D]development.

(5) For each [M]major [N]new [C]capacity [P]project, the [D]department will provide a description of how completing that project will fulfill the [D]department's strategic goals.

(6) In the final selection process, the [C]commission may consider other factors not listed above. Its decision will be made in a public meeting forum.

 

R9[07-68]40-6-5. Commission Discretion.

The [C]commission, in consultation with the department and with MPOs, may establish additional criteria or use other considerations in prioritizing [M]major [N]new [C]capacity [P]projects. If the [C]commission prioritizes a project over another project that has a higher rank under the criteria set forth in R9[07-68]40-6-4, the [C]commission shall identify the change and the reasons for it, and accept public comment at one of the public hearings held pursuant to R9[07-68]40-6-7.

 

R9[07-68]40-6-6. Need for Local Government Participation for Interchanges.

New interchanges for [E]economic [D]development purposes on existing roads will not be included on the [M]major [N]new [C]capacity [P]project list unless the local government with geographical jurisdiction over the interchange location contributes at least 50% of the cost of the interchange from private, local, or other non-UDOT, funds.

 

R9[07-68]40-6-7. Public Hearings.

Before deciding the final prioritization list and funding levels, the [C]commission shall hold public hearings at locations around the state to accept public comments on the prioritization process and on the merits of the projects.

 

KEY: transportation commission, transportation, roads, capacity

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [June 1, 2006]2012

Notice of Continuation: December 2, 2010

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 72-1-201; 72-1-304