Chamber group hosts discussion of tackling need for strong infrastructure

A company cannot succeed without a transportation system to get its raw materials and finished products to where they need to go. Transportation and transit systems need to be in place to get employees to and from the workplace. Some manufacturers need large amounts of water or electricity.

Those infrastructure issues, in a state with a population expected to double by 2060, were the focus of a discussion last week hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber and the Utah Transportation Coalition during Infrastructure Week. Panelists representing various infrastructure interests spoke about the importance of infrastructure in keeping Utah economically competitive now and into the future.

For what a couple of panelists described as things “largely out of sight and out of mind to the public,” the costs could be substantial to maintain or expand infrastructure. A 2015 “report card” from the Utah section of the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Utah’s infrastructure — bridges, dams, canals, levees, roads, drinking water and supply, hazardous waste, solid waste, transit, wastewater and stormwater — an overall C-plus grade. It estimated it could cost $60 billion over the next two decades to maintain existing infrastructure and provide infrastructure for growing areas of the state.

Tage Flint, chief executive officer of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, said that through 2060, drinking water infrastructure in the state will need $33 billion —$18 billion to repair and replace existing infrastructure and $15 billion for infrastructure to address population growth.

“I think that’s the state where we have to get that word more out to the public so they understand, as their water rates start to climb, why that is the case,” Flint said.

Carlos Braceras, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation, said the future likely will feature more shared ownership of vehicles and sharing of rides, as well as providing options — like bicycle sharing and walking paths — for driving-averse millennials.

“That’s going to be a big part of our transition, and all of these things, I believe, are going to help us make a more-efficient use of the transportation system because as we consider growth in the state of Utah not only a challenge but I think it’s our opportunity: to provide Utah the unique opportunity to be the place for companies to choose to locate their work in,” Braceras said.

“We celebrate that growth, but as a transportation provider, we need to figure out ways to make sure that we preserve the mobility so that we can have the growing economy and quality of life.”

Flint said his office constantly gets calls from site consultants checking out areas for clients considering Utah for expansions, and a reliable water supply for companies and employees is at the top of their lists.

“The first time that we say, ‘No,’ we’re going to start damaging our economy in terms of growth,” Flint said. “I think it’s important always to note that all of these [infrastructure] services have to have a very good and positive report to these folks as they investigate Utah for their locations.”

In addition to costs, each infrastructure element represented on the panel has other challenges.

“With our population expected to almost double over the next 35 years, I tell people we will not be doubling the amount of lane miles that we have on the state system, particularly in the urbanized area along the Wasatch Front,” Braceras said. “So for us to be able to enable the mobility we expect that helps supports our economy and quality of life, we’re going to have to be thinking quite differently about how we get around.”

That likely will feature more use of electric-powered vehicles and driverless vehicles, plus automation that can help a vehicle “communicate” with traffic signals, bridge decks frozen in winter, and other vehicles.

“It’s going to be a blur. We’re not going to snap our fingers and say that we’re now having the Jetsons driving around, but it’s going to be this progressive change where automation starts to help in a driver-assist mode and start to take over some of the human functions, and what do we need to do as transportation providers to provide that change to take place?” he asked.

As for transit, Todd Provost, vice president of operations for the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), said short-term rail expansions are relatively complete. But UTA will need to maintain its current assets while also maintaining service for the 110,000 people who use its bus and rail systems. Another issue is that UTA also faces what he called “a tidal wave of retirement” by longtime employees. Four recent retirements meant the loss of more than 135 years of UTA service. “You don’t just hire and plug-and-play and get that experience back,” he said.

Rocky Mountain Power’s major question is how to best use existing infrastructure with new infrastructure, such as solar and wind energy, according to Chad Teply, vice president of strategy and development at RMP.

Each panelist pushed for better public-private collaboration. Teply suggested that more businesses subscribe to the company’s renewable-energy and energy-efficiency programs. Braceras said businesses need to better understand how transportation matters affect their operations and to help elected officials understand the link between the transportation system and business success. Flint said more businesses need to be involved in discussions about how to best use water resources.

And then there are those costs.

“How we fund the infrastructure needs in our state is a question that we’re grappling with,” said Andrew Gruber, executive director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council. “The public sector and the private sector and the community need to work together to consider what the needs are as our population grows, how can we make sure that we have a good transportation system that people can move around easily, that we have clean and available water, that we have power. … We have to make sure we as a community that are providing good and prudent plans for the infrastructure that is needed for our state, and at the same time being very careful about investing limited taxpayer dollars.”

Gruber said the state so far has “done a great job” in balancing those considerations.

“How we tackle these issues — paying for infrastructure and making sure that as we go forward in the future we have good mobility, a strong economy, and greater quality of life for generations to come — those are the issues we have to tackle.”