Over 400 hundred attendees gathered at the Little America Hotel on September 26th to participate in the 2nd Annual Move Utah Summit. The Summit, organized by the Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) Move Utah program, is the only event of its kind in Utah. It brings together hundreds of health and transportation experts, state and local officials, and policymakers to collaborate on improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
The day was packed with engaging content specifically tailored to this year’s theme, “Make a Connection.” The theme was meant to highlight the importance of both the literal and figurative connections within a community through a multimodal transportation system that improves mobility, facilitates a sense of community, and improves health.
Where we live and how we get around matters. Because a zip code can be a stronger determinant of life expectancy than an individual’s genetic code, it is important to plan and build our communities in a way that can promote good health.
As UDOT, we are focusing our efforts on building “Communities of our Dreams.” This meansplanning for a transportation system that provides opportunities for people to ride a bike, walk to school, take the bus, ride a train, or drive a car. Our focus is on moving people, not cars.
As part of our Summit programming, we invited some of the foremost thought leaders in the state to engage in a multidisciplinary, collaborative dialogue regarding Utah’s Transportation Vision Quality of Life Framework. Panelists included:• Connected Communities- Teri Newell, UDOT, Planning and Investment Deputy Director• Better Mobility- Carlton Christensen, Chair, Utah Transit Authority Board of Trustees• Strong Economy- Theresa Foxley, President and CEO, Economic Development Corporation of Utah• Good Health- Greg Bell, President, Utah Hospital Association & Board Chair, Get Healthy Utah
Each panelist represented one of the four pillars within the Quality of Framework and spoke to attendees about how these elements are being considered in the development of Utah’s first-ever statewide transportation vision.
As Utah’s Transportation Vision continues to take shape, I am encouraged by the unprecedented level of collaboration taking place with UDOT and its partners. Through the Move Utah program, we are working to align our efforts with the Vision by fostering active, healthy, and connected communities through robust planning and implementation of biking and walking initiatives, programs, and projects throughout Utah. For more information about the Move Utah program, please visit move.utah.gov.
Heidi Goedhart
Active Transportation Manager
Utah Department of Transportation