Bicyclists may have a new regional ally in WFRC's Active Transpo Committee

Davis County Commissioner
Louenda Downs will chair the
Active Transportation Committee.
(Photo: Davis Clipper)

The Wasatch Front Regional Council, Utah's regional planning arm and one of the movers and shakers in the planning and transportation realm of the Wasatch Front, has formed a new Active Transportation Committee that will focus on bicycling and walking primarily. The committee is lead by the delightful Louenda Downs, Davis County Commissioner and the brains and heart behind the success of many trail and other transportation projects in our neighboring municipalities to the north. Other members of the committee will come from UDOT, Utah Transit Authority, Utah Department of Health, among others.

WFRC spokesman, Sam Klemm, said that the committee will focus on the "needs and policy recommendations for pedestrian and bicycle facilities...across the Wasatch Front." This means that the regional planning organization will assist and hopefully improve the connectivity and seamlessness of project implementation between counties along the WF.

The WFRC was influential and key to the success of the recent completion of the Jordan River Trail north of 1800 N, connecting Salt Lake and Davis Counties.

Commissioner Downs, far left, at the opening of the
northern section of the Jordan River Trail in June.
(Photo: Facebook)

I like that the name of the committee is not the Alternative Transportation Committee. Bicycling should not be termed an alternative. It is a viable, fun, and widely-applicable option for most people. It's not the 2nd choice or the backup plan. We are vehicles and we are traffic. So good job, WFRC, on the name.

Commissioner Downs also used the words "option" and "choice" in an Ogden Standard-Examiner interview to describe active transportation modes. Pretty great, right? "The benefits are pretty much endless," Downs said. "We know roads and transit are vital, but when we're planning, everything needs to come to the table."

Anyone interested in the committee, its decisions and members, or any other inquires are invited to contact the WFRC for further information or visit their website at www.wfrc.org.

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