Alternative Transportation High on Mayor's Budget Priorities

May 07, 2008 by Jeff Robinson

(KCPW News) Alternative transportation is a top priority in Mayor Ralph Becker's proposed $780 million budget for the next fiscal year, which he pitched to the city council last night. Becker proposed to multiply the funding for bikeways by 10, from $50,000 to $500,000.

"We're also hiring a full-time bikeway and trail coordinator who will really be working on all the various opportunities we have around the city to improve our bikeway program and our trail program," said the mayor.

The mayor also included $100,000 for environmental studies of a proposed trolley in Sugar House. That money would be matched by UTA, South Salt Lake, and possibly federal dollars he asked for during a trip to Washington, DC last week.

Becker is also proposing to add five staff members to the police department, which he says will free up officers with desk jobs to be out on the street.

"In my original budget, I had in there five new police officers," said Becker. "As we worked through this with [Chief] Burbank, he felt we would achieve our goal of having better field presence with our police force by giving them the support they need so they're in the field more."

On the revenue side, the mayor is proposing to increase the business license fee to $100, and to increase parking ticket fines. He also wants to cut the free parking period at the main city library down to half an hour, a move he estimates would bring in more than $200,000.

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