It's remote, it's small, and it's situated in a decidedly red state. So why in the world does Salt Lake City lead the U.S. in per-capita transit spending? Angie Schmitt explains the city's unlikely story.
"It’s number one in the nation in per-capita transit spending. The only city in the country building light rail, bus rapid transit, streetcars and commuter rail at the same time. And that city — Salt Lake City — is a town of just over 180,000 in a remote setting in a red state."
Schmitt recounts the "remarkable story that began in the 1990s, when an organization called Envision Utah facilitated a regional visioning process and created a plan that has been recognized as one of the most promising smart growth models in the nation."
“How is it that the most conservative state… how is it they’re one of the most progressive in the country on transit?” said Dee Allsop of the communications firm Hart and Mind Strategies. “It’s because the case was made in a way that fit with people’s values.”
"The values they settled on were to have a city that was 'beautiful, prosperous and neighborly.'”
Read the full story: Salt Lake City: How a Remote Red-State City Became a Transit Leader
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