February 2020 Funding Our Future Update

February 21, 2020 — All of the most recent quarterly updates are live on the Funding Our Future website, check out the progress in the critical need areas! Read on to learn more about recent and upcoming engagement on Funding Our Future programs and projects.

Streets

In 2021, Salt Lake City will begin reconstructing 300 West from 900 South to 2100 South. At the end of last month, Salt Lake City held multiple workshops to gather feedback from businesses and property owners along 300 West. Yesterday, February 20th, Salt Lake City staff participated in a mobile tour around 300 West with members of the Salt Lake City Accessibility Advisory Committee and the Disabled Rights Action Committee of Utah to learn about how to create a more accessible, complete street. Read more about this tour here. Soon to be added to the Funding Our Future website will be a map showing all of the GO bond streets reconstruction projects. On March 4th, SLC will be hosting a Facebook Live Q&A discussing all the upcoming Funding Our Future streets reconstruction projects as well as this new map, so be sure to watch! Don’t forget, Funding Our Future sales tax revenue is also allowing Salt Lake City to double the number of lane miles maintained each year for the City’s best streets—extending the life of the entire street network.

Transit

With the Clear the Air Challenge a little more than halfway over, now is the perfect time to learn more and submit your thoughts about the Frequent Transit Network (FTN). Transportation emissions cause nearly 50% of the pollutants that become trapped in our airshed during inversions, so finding ways to get out of the car really makes a difference! This is why Salt Lake City continues to invest in programs that make using transit easier and more affordable for residents. If you haven’t already heard, the FTN is a partnership between Salt Lake City and UTA (supported by Funding Our Future sales tax revenue) which has funded bus routes 2, 9, and 21 to now provide frequent, early morning, late night, and Sunday service. Salt Lake City hosted a Facebook Live Q&A about the FTN in January. Tell us what YOU think about the FTN (and what you would name it) by taking the survey here!

Housing

Following in the footsteps of the other Facebook Lives, Salt Lake City Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) will be hosting a virtual workshop of their own in April, which is Fair Housing Month. Stay tuned for more details about this Facebook Live focused on affordable housing and the many housing programs that Funding Our Future sales tax revenue supports. Also, the Census, which determines funding for housing programs and so much more, is coming to SLC—make sure that you and everyone in our community is counted! Whether you’re a renter, from another country, or a student, if you live in our community then you should count. You can also still apply to work for the Census, Spanish speakers and noncitizens are encouraged to apply!

Safety

Because of Funding Our Future sales tax revenue, the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) was able to fund 50 new patrol officers to support the community policing model that residents requested. This is the current status of those officers:

-23 have completed the police academy and Field Training Officer Program (FTO)

-1 was a rehire, no academy or FTO required

-13 have completed the academy and are currently in FTO

-13 will complete the academy in March 2020 and will move to FTO

SLCPD is also updating their police beats. A new police beats map will be released later this spring.