Transportation and Land Use Connection Program

The Transportation and Land Use Connection (TLC) program is a partnership between the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Utah Transit Authority (UTA), and Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (GOPB).

The TLC program provides technical assistance to local communities to help them achieve their goals and plan for growth. The program helps communities implement changes to the built environment that reduce traffic on roads and enable more people to easily walk, bike, and use transit. This approach is consistent with the Wasatch Choice Vision and helps residents living throughout the region enjoy a high quality of life through enhanced mobility, better air quality, and improved economic opportunities.

Mission

The Transportation and Land Use Connection supports local governments in their planning efforts, implementing the Wasatch Choice Vision.

Goals

Maximize the value of investment in public infrastructure.
Enhance access to opportunities.
Increase travel options to optimize mobility.
Create communities with opportunities to live, work, and play.

Explore TLC projects

How to Apply

Submit a Letter of Intent

The application process is a two-step procedure. Interested parties should submit a letter of intent. View our evaluation criteria beforehand. Letters of intent were due on September 25, 2025.

Letter of Intent form

Complete an Application

Upon receipt of approval for the project’s letter of intent, interested parties should submit an application using the TLC application form. Program staff and partners will review the applications based on the TLC project selection criteria. Applications were due on December 11, 2025.

Application

Award Notification and Next Steps

Applicants will be notified in March if their project will receive funding, and WFRC staff will follow-up with additional information regarding next steps at that time.

Eligibility and Criteria

Eligibility

Assistance is available to municipalities, counties, townships, and multi-jurisdictional groups of local governments within the WFRC's area of responsibility (Box Elder, Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Tooele, and Weber counties). WFRC encourages applications from two or more jurisdictions working together, within county boundaries.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to the following.

Using Wasatch Choice resources, such as Envision Tomorrow Plus (ET+), to generate land use scenarios for planning purposes.
Projects that involve multi-jurisdictional coordination and regional collaboration.
Activities that help to implement previously-adopted plans, such as revisions to ordinances or other land use regulations.
Assistance with public participation related to developing or implementing local plans.
Site assessments to determine the feasibility of projects, such as transit-oriented development projects or first/last mile strategies.
Studies or specific plans related to important local issues, such as housing, transportation choices, or market studies.
The development of local visions or plans.

Non-Eligibility

Project phases, such as land acquisition, engineering, or capital investment, are not intended to be pursued through TLC program.

TLC was created to assist communities with challenging planning projects. For a competitive project, financial and in-kind community contribution is required. A minimum matched financial commitment of 6.77 percent is required. Applicant match percentage will be evaluated based on jurisdictional size. Community project managers participate in meetings and work closely with the consultant (if applicable) and WFRC point of contact to see projects through to completion.

TLC partners including WFRC, UTA, and UDOT evaluate applications utilizing the selection criteria. Additionally the partners consider non quantifiable factors including the management of any ongoing projects and equity. Equity considerations include regional equity of awarded projects, whether the application addresses an equity concern, or if the application is from a geography identified as an equity focus area.

Selection Criteria

Ability to Match: The applicant’s percentage of local funds committed toward the total project cost. The percentage is based on jurisdictional size and requires a minimum of 6.77 percent.

Project Type: The type of project that the applicant intends to complete. Please note that projects with a policy or ordinance component score better in this category.

Alignment with the Wasatch Choice Vision: The project’s ability to implement the Wasatch Choice Vision.

Alignment with the TLC Goals: The project’s ability to support each of the four program goals.

Regional Collaboration: The extent that the applicant incorporates multi-jurisdictional and/or multi-agency collaboration.

Consultants

The pre-qualified consultant pool and most recent request for statements of qualifications are linked below.

Pre-Qualified Pool of Consultants

WFRC & MAG Planning and Model Development Consultant Pool Year 1 2026-2028 RFSQ

Additional Assistance

Ordinance Assistance

The Ordinance Assistance opportunity aims to help communities in implementing their planning goals through local ordinances. The program provides technical assistance regarding ordinances related to parking, subdivisions, street connectivity, zoning, and more.

Undertaking audits and updates to these ordinances is a time-consuming and technical effort. Wasatch Front Regional Council staff will work with local staff, appointed officials, and/or elected officials to understand the community’s ordinance needs and conduct the audit at no-cost to the local communities. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Projects will be accepted based on the project’s support of local goals and the Wasatch Choice Vision, as well as WFRC staff capacity.

Reach out to WFRC staff Byron Head for more information.

Learn more

Application

Technical Assistance for Station Area Plans and Ordinances

As a result of the 2022 state Legislative session, HB462 (titled Housing Affordability Amendments) passed and was signed into law requiring a city that has a fixed-guideway public transit station (rail or BRT), the city must develop a Station Area Plan for that station and update its general plan and zoning to implement the Station Area Plan. The Wasatch Front Regional Council can provide technical assistance to help communities implement Station Area Plans in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, the Utah Transit Authority, and the Mountainland Association of Governments.

SAP Technical Assistance