Environmental Manager Red Soper and Project Manager Teri Newell with the Record of Decision. 

Many people and multiple areas of expertise were needed to complete this process. Public communication and outreach were critical to building relationships and gaining credibility with stakeholders directly impacted by the project and those with an interest in its outcome.

On November 17, 2008, the Federal Highway Administration approved and signed the official Record of Decision, formalizing the preferred roadway and transit alternatives and their phased implementation in the Mountain View Corridor.

After five years of research, analysis and public outreach, a Final Environmental Impact Statement was released on September 26, 2008. It identified a multi-modal transportation system for the year 2030, including a freeway, transit-way and trail system.

Though the public hearings were a valuable forum for public involvement, information was also available to the public through city and community council presentations, online and newspaper advertisements, comment cards and posters as well as the project website. The project website received 13,818 visitors and more than one million people were reached through public involvement efforts.

West Jordan Opening Event

The Draft EIS was presented at various city council meetings where a summary of the document was provided to the public. The Draft EIS and fact sheets were available at the public hearings, local copy centers, local libraries and on the project website. Approximately 600 people attended the public hearings and 2,500 comments were received and responded to in the Final EIS. The overwhelming response to the document was a direct result of the team's efforts to provide opportunities for public comment.

Given the technical nature of the Draft EIS, the project team created 12 fact sheets focusing on key issues including the EIS process, alternatives, relocations, natural resources and bike and pedestrian features.

Draft EIS

The Draft EIS was published in the fall of 2007 and included specifics concerning the planning process, alternatives and impacts. The Draft EIS spanned five volumes, contained 4,400 pages and weighed 18 pounds.

As a follow-up to the town hall meetings, the EIS project team held a regional open house to represent the results of the tolling analysis. The team also posted the results on the project website. 

The panel discussion included three key topics including perspectives on the statewide funding shortfall and how to increase transportation revenue, the MVC tolling analysis findings and local issues and impacts to users. Panelists represented a broad spectrum of viewpoints regarding tolling.

On November 18, 2017, UDOT completed an additional two miles from 5400 South to 4100 South of the Mountain View Corridor to make a total of 17 miles of open roadway and trails in Salt Lake County, from Redwood Road at 16000 South to 4100 South. Mountain View Corridor partnered with West Valley City to hold the opening event.

With the knowledge that a fully-tolled roadway would raise some controversy, and in the spirit of continuous public involvement, the EIS team produced a 15-minute presentation that outlined the state's transportation funding issues. The presentation was given at town hall meetings in each of the corridor's 15 cities and included a question and answer session.

Over a four-month period, the EIS team interacted with more than 600 individuals face-to-face regarding the MVC EIS funding issue and tolling analysis. Making the issue completely transparent to the public was important to the team and provided valuable feedback.

Funding Challenges

After three years of planning, the EIS project team was confronted with the issue of funding. To tackle a projected $16.5 billion statewide transportation funding deficit, the team added a tolling option to all highway alternatives.

Maps of preliminary corridor alignments at the open house provided individuals with details regarding the number of lanes and the locations of interchanges, transit stations and park-and-ride lots.

On December 15, 2012, UDOT opened an additional six miles on the Mountain View Corridor. The event was held in West Jordan and included a Polar Bear 5K Fun Run.

High-resolution maps were posted to the project website, giving individuals the opportunity to understand the potential of various corridor alternatives on their properties.

Alternative Refinement

In 2005, the project team held a series of open houses in potentially impacted areas where residents could see the preliminary location of the corridor and potential alternatives.

The EIS team sought to raise project awareness among residents and future users of the new roadway and facilities. In addition to face-to-face conversations between team members and residents, the team provided access to project information, concept maps and project timelines.

Concepts Outreach

In 2004, the Mountain View EIS team went on a two-week tour of the corridor to present eight initial roadway concepts and two transit concepts. The tour featured informal public gatherings in high-traffic locations of the potentially affected neighborhoods. The centerpiece of the tour was a mobile billboard, which served as a backdrop for the gatherings.

Growth Choices

In 2003, a visioning process called “Growth Choices” was conducted as part of the Environmental Impact Statement. A stakeholder committee consisting of area mayors, property owners and interest group representatives reviewed various growth scenarios. A Vision Agreement was reached and growth principles were incorporated into the EIS process.