SALT LAKE CITY — A wide-ranging state transportation bill that unexpectedly stalled in a committee meeting on Monday was revived on Tuesday following modifications to sections involving Salt Lake City and towing dispatch that derailed it.
Members of the House Transportation Committee voted 9-1 to advance an adjusted version of the bill on Tuesday. Their vote followed testimony from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and members of the state’s towing industry, who spoke about their appreciation of the alterations that were made a little more than 24 hours after the measure failed to advance with a 4-4 vote.
“(It’s) a better bill for Salt Lake City than where we are with SB195 from the 2025 legislative session,” Mendenhall told the committee, thanking Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, and Rep. Kay Christofferson, R-Lehi, the bill’s sponsors, for accepting all of the adjustments the city has requested since the original version was unveiled last month.
Likewise, representatives of the state’s towing industry had “great conversations” with the bill sponsors, where they “worked through the hard things that unfortunately come up in our industry” to come to an agreement with the bill, said Barbara Christensen, president of the Utah Professional Towing Alliance.
Salt Lake City changes
SB242 covers all sorts of transportation law changes, ranging from small tweaks to road rules to funding for transportation projects all over the state, but two topics brought it to a screeching halt on Monday.
One is a provision that prohibits Salt Lake City from building “highway reduction strategies” on major routes throughout most of the city. It calls on the city to work with the Utah Department of Transportation on city corridors that are “important to the transportation network.” It also calls on the city to mitigate the impacts of recent traffic calming projects placed along sections of 200 South, 300 West and 400 South.
The bill cleared the Senate with a 20-7 vote last week, mostly on party lines, largely in response to this section.
Mendenhall said Tuesday that Salt Lake City was already looking for ways to implement safety for all users, which is outlined in the bill. While last year’s SB195 brought together discussions for transportation improvements, it also created challenges for future projects, which SB242 repeals.
The latest version of SB242 tweaked the language to indicate new or existing parking structures or lots within the proposed impact area, which is between Foothill Drive and Redwood Road, and 600 North and the city’s southern boundary.
“This current bill further solidifies what is really a strong relationship between UDOT and the capital city,” she said.
UDOT wants to be “technical experts” who help Salt Lake City reach its transportation goals for residents, regardless of the mode of transportation they use, said Carlos Braceras, the department’s director.
He also clarified that the agency has no intention of ripping out any of the city’s recent traffic calming projects, as some have interpreted the bill. Rather, the department might help create new signage or other elements that make projects easier to understand for everyone on the roadway.
“We’re not stepping in to make decisions for Salt Lake City. … We’re not going to step in and take over anything,” he said.
Still, it wasn’t enough to sway residents who voiced opposition to the bill over impacts to Salt Lake City’s ability to make decisions on its roads. Traffic calming projects are among some of the most-requested improvements the city hears from residents every year, city leaders have previously pointed out.
House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, cited this as her reason to be the lone holdout, voting against the bill on Tuesday.
“I just don’t feel comfortable with us telling municipal government what to do on their streets,” she said.
Other tweaks
The latest version of SB242 still allows the Utah Highway Patrol to use a third-party vendor to assist in dispatching tow trucks, which relieves that pressure from state troopers and likely allows for quicker response times, said UHP Col. Greg Holley. It also removes a provision requiring tow truck operators to enter information into a database, which caused concerns on Monday.
The new version stated that the vendor may not require more information than what’s already required to solve the impasse.
Some other adjustments were also approved on Tuesday, including to a provision that allows buses to temporarily stop in parking stalls or bike lanes. This is aimed at allowing Utah Transit Authority bus drivers to stop in certain areas longer if they’re ahead of schedule, so they can get back on schedule, according to the agency, but it was adjusted to ensure that drivers don’t drive in those lanes.
The committee also removed funding language tied to road projects in Bluffdale, Midvale and Taylorsville for further review. Rep. Cal Roberts, R-Draper, who proposed the measure, said he believes there will be a “path forward” for the projects, but “extra diligence” is desired.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration by the full body. If approved by the House, it would go back to the Senate to approve the new modifications before going to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk. All bills must be passed by the end of Friday to go into law this year.
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