Utah State Legislation passes transportation bonding bill that enables I-15 Tech Corridor project to begin in 2018.
When I was a Boy Scout, they taught us all sorts of cheers to make us look like buffoons: pretend to chew a watermelon and spit out seeds, acting like some sort of sprinkler stuck in place, or giving a literal round of applause. A little embarrassing, no doubt.
Surprisingly, one of those cheers is going to come in very handy right now, the one where everybody pats themselves on the back for a job well done. That’s because the traffic problem in Silicon Slopes is going to be addressed sooner rather than later, thanks to the recent success of the Flippin’ Traffic campaign. Go on, pat yourself on the back. I’ll wait.
“We’re excited about the success of the Flippin’ Traffic campaign and want to recognize our partners at STACK Real Estate and 97th Floor for their incredible influence and hard work in this important effort,” said Silicon Slopes executive director Clint Betts. “Lehi is the heart of Silicon Slopes and improving traffic in that area will be critical to the continued growth of the Beehive State’s tech community. We also want to thank the Utah State Legislature and Governor Herbert for their leadership and foresight on this issue. It’s a real privilege to live in a state that proactively supports economic growth and innovation.”
In case you are a terrible human being and chose not to read my original article about Flippin’ Traffic, I will grant you pardon and deliver a quick recap. Let’s break it down with a few bullet points:
- Current rush hour traffic along the I-15 Tech Corridor is hot garbage. As business expansion continues to happen, this problem will worsen.
- A project was approved by the Utah Transportation Commission allocating funds towards improving this area, but not until 2020.
- Flippin’ Traffic aimed to change that by getting a transportation bonding bill passed, allowing Utah to borrow the money two years early and start construction in 2018, then pay it back with the funds allocated in 2020.
The movement towards solving I-15 traffic problems is coming to fruition— the transportation bonding bill has passed through both the Senate and House, now awaiting Governor Herbert’s signature to bring it to reality. The bill will bond $1 billion over the next four years, expediting traffic projects within Utah and specifically along the Tech Corridor. The Flippin’ Traffic movement is a success!
“The more efficient we are at getting people from point A to point B, the better the tech community can recruit and retain the talent needed to conquer the world,” said Andrew Bybee, owner of STACK Real Estate.
