Filling In and Filling Out the Wasatch Front

Urban infillers, master planners, developers, and more, C.W. Group has found their niche to meet the Wasatch Front’s growing residential needs.
By Taylor Larsen

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“INVOLVED.”

That is one word that summarizes residential developer and builder C.W. Group. And they are involved in quite a bit. It’s how the company likes it.

“People don’t know everything we do,” said Darlene Carter, CEO of C.W. Group. According to her, their work in residential development, design, and construction is profound in depth and wide in breadth.

Throughout the overall company, they are homebuilders (Cole West Home), master-planned community land developers (C.W. Land Co.), commercial general contractors (Cole West Development)—and don’t forget their work in residential real estate development, architecture and design, commercial construction, and boutique urban and infill multifamily projects (C.W. Urban, and in-house architecture firm, C.W. Design).

Intentional Work Leads to Growth
Affordable housing, single-family homes, apartments, townhomes, nightly rentals, senior housing, you name it, C.W. Group is involved. "Every demographic or product type,” began Carter, CEO of C.W. Group. “We have an offering for them somewhere.”

What sets them apart isn’t that they do so much, said Colin Wright, Founder of C.W. Group. It is the volume, the quantity, “and we do it intentionally.”

The intentionality of the firm is present in everyone in the company, said the executives. “The energy here on a daily basis is unmatched anywhere. It’s not pro forma for us,” said Wright. Intentionality from C.W. Group comes from thinking about everything—future residents, neighborhood, market conditions, cultural attitudes, and more—and how all of it relates to the whole. 

“It’s countertops, it’s families,” said Colin before pausing, “I hear people talk about where [in the house] they’re going to put the doggy doors.”

The company’s intentionality has brought it a long way. Cole West Home and Cole West Development have experienced explosive growth since their inception in 2016 and specifically during the pandemic. Together with the work done via C.W. Land Co.—and the award-winning work from C.W. Urban and C.W. Design, 2021 Most Outstanding Adaptive Reuse Project winners with theCHARLI—the firm is poised to create a greater number of livable and vibrant communities.


Full Service, Full Experience

In an industry that struggles to change, C.W. Group wants to be dynamic in every sense of the word. One way they do that is by achieving as many things as possible in-house.

“We are involved in so much,” said Carter. “Every single day gives us a new way to look at every project. […] Our culture of creativity and our ability to change [quickly]” is a strategic advantage for the firm.

“By doing everything in-house, we eliminate a lot of wasted time coordinating” and therefore “get things across the finish line faster, because we have more time for execution,” said Carter. They continue to buy into the collaborative nature of construction and design. “Having the team under one roof is one of our biggest strengths. All team members are working towards a collective goal, and the synergy that creates is truly invaluable.”

The in-house nature of C.W. Group has another benefit. It allows everyone on the team to be accountable to each other.

“Too much of our industry is passing the buck,” said Bryce Willardson, VP of Commercial Operations for C.W. Urban. The firm has a plan to avoid the fragmented and often litigious nature of the A/E/C industry and is sticking to it. Mistakes still happen, he said, “but it’s on us to fix them. […] When there is a mistake, it’s ours and we have to own it.

The speed of trust and knowing that fellow team members are looking at projects with the same end goal in mind helps set the company apart from others. And it isn’t just the executive suite touting an idea. It is how they treat their partners, too.

“We really rely on subcontractors and engineers to bring their minds together to ‘MacGyver’ these projects,” said Jon Galbraith, VP of Architecture and Design for C.W. Urban. “There’s no other way to be successful nowadays,” so he and his colleagues continue to lean into and trust those around them.

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    Darlene Carter

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    Collin Wright

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Setting the Bar and Raising It

Collaboration, trust, and accountability continue to lead to breathtaking growth for C.W. Group, and they are proud that clients in particular and the industry as a whole are taking notice.

“The product we offer is some of the most innovative and high-design in the real estate market,” said Carter. After all, urban infill townhomes in Salt Lake City weren’t nearly as common five years ago as they are today. The company has influenced the market and Salt Lake City in particular by helping remedy the middle housing demand with projects like theMABEL, theABBIE, and theELLIE in Salt Lake City.

As developers follow in their footsteps, “We see that as a compliment—not competition,” she said. “Utah needs more housing. We welcome all our peers who want to be part of that solution.”

It isn’t just a lucky swing, according to Carter, especially since the company has completed scores of projects that have received rave reviews from residents.

As the products that C.W. Group planned and designed years ago are coming to market—theCHARLI, theRANDI specifically—Willardson was confident that some of the choices made in design and planning were the right way forward.

One of those choices is “one bedroom plus,” where a larger space for an office or reading nook gives the unit more character and space. Willardson said these types of units at theRANDI have been leasing especially quickly.

To Carter, the desire of potential residents to move into these properties is a testament to the people that make up C.W. Group. “We have some of the most knowledgeable industry professionals that help us stay in tune with a fluid market, which will always help us keep a competitive edge,” she said.


People and Passion

How do they find professionals who buy into this vision?

Willardson explained it this way: “You can teach a passionate person any hard skill,” but teaching passion to someone who has the hard skills? That “doesn’t work.”

Passion is visible in plenty of ways beyond the energy brought forth by team members. Abbie Wardle, Director of Marketing for C.W. Urban, talked about the passion for brand identity—and how that can be seen. “We like to focus on providing an experience for our residents beyond just purchasing or renting a home,” she said. “They are buying into a lifestyle.” 

C.W. Urban takes note of every detail—from their architecture to the signs visible on a drive past their properties. Every part of the company's identity matters; that is reflected in their work. 

“We want the entire process to be an experience from the first time a prospect touches our brand to the time they close on or rent a home from us,” said Wardle. 

A mission, a brand, a group of passionate people, and a set of motivated leaders have “given us the keys to figure this out,” Galbraith said. Carter and Wright don't just push orders, they are supportive mentors who ask, “What can we give you so you can succeed?”

Wardle, Willardson, and Galbraith said that the executive leadership genuinely cares about and empowers everyone in the company. A quote Carter uses that perfectly surmises their management style comes from French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

Emphasis on Community across Utah

The vast and endless sea, according to C.W. Group, is creating community.

“Our mission is to create micro-communities that enhance, strengthen, and contribute to the greater fabric of existing areas,” said Carter. It comes in one of their trademarked phrases, “We Build Community™.”

They do it via best practices in design and construction and an eye for where their housing products are needed most. 

“Through thoughtful land planning, we create neighborhoods that encourage exploration and discovery,” continued Carter. “We believe in intentional design and development that brings a positive impact, growth, and progress to enhance existing communities.”

Neighborhoods and communities across the Wasatch Front may receive the most attention, but C.W. Group has projects in Summit County (theVILLAGE), Morgan County (ROAM), Weber County (theBASIN), as well as single-family and townhomes in Davis, Iron, and Washington counties. They are as far outside of the Wasatch Front as Richfield and working on a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit project named Sandstone Apartments. 

Future Focus

They want to break through preconceived notions as to what’s possible in residential real estate. C.W. Urban’s penchant for the high design of “missing middle” housing like townhomes is one way, but their quest to make highly desirable, single-family for-rent housing is what they are most excited about.

“I don’t think anyone has done anything like theYARD,” said Wright of the master-planned community set to transform an old industrial district in Salt Lake City’s Poplar Grove neighborhood. Rehabilitating old land, creating community, creating the missing middle housing with 180 townhomes—all in one go— “no one has ever done that.”

thePEARL in Daybreak is another of C.W. Group’s projects that the company is excited to bring forward. According to Wright, thePEARL will be suburban but walkable, words that require a double-take when seen together. It will be a community that can walk to a grocery store, do recreation in the nearby lagoon, and enjoy living in new housing.

According to executives, build-to-rent housing is the future of real estate development.


“Nationwide, there is more attention and more capital placed on master-planned, build-to-rent communities,” said Wright. Their company sees rising interest rates and inflation changing the emphasis on homeownership, with residents looking for alternative solutions.

“Build-to-rent [housing] is going to shatter a stereotype where people who rent do so because they don’t have the money to buy,” said Carter. “In these communities, we are providing a product that is highly amenitized and built around convenience, which makes the decision to live there more of a lifestyle choice than a financial decision.”

With all the market and demographic changes, all of the ideas and new faces coming into Utah, and all the projects on the docket, C.W. Group is prepared to make the most of it, creating high-quality housing in the process.




C.W. Group – Parent Company

Total Revenue in 2021: $160,595,528

Total number of employees to date: 130


C.W. Land Co.

Total lots sold in 2021 to public and large private homebuilders: 1,271


C.W. Urban
Projected residential starts in 2022: 901

Projected residential deliveries in 2022: 389

Total controlled residential doors: 2,000+


Cole West Home 

Projected revenue in 2022: $120 million

Projected closings in 2022: 200


Cole West Development

Developer of 700+ for rent doors over the past 36 months

Contractor on 400 income-restricted apartments

Calder Richards Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainable Evolution

By UC&D • October 1, 2025
In 2005, Calder Richards Consulting Engineers formed after the merger of two smaller structural consulting firms who, interestingly enough, both started in 1986. Calder Richards has provided a steady structural support for Utah’s built environment ever since. As the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary, UC+D spoke with Managing Principals Shaun Packer and Nolan Balls to look back over the company’s history and celebrate what has helped their firm stand out to deliver solid projects in Utah and beyond. Their responses were edited for clarity and brevity. UC+D: What have been some catalytic moments for Calder Richards since that initial merger? SP: Winning the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona is the first one. The big reason for the merger between Richards Consulting Group and Calder Consulting was to build a large enough company to go after bigger projects like that.” NB: That was my first project when I was hired straight out of college. We helped design the 17-story hotel and casino, a conference center, as well as parking structures, a central mechanical building, and a pool building. Talking Stick helped get us through the downturn a few years later. UC+D: What have been your key market sectors you all have targeted over the last 20 years? NB: We were breaking into K-12 along the Wasatch Front soon after the Talking Stick Resort and it’s been our bread and butter since then. SP: Absolutely, but I credit our firm for always adapting to the current environment. We’ve been fortunate to do so much K-12, but we used to do a lot of office work, and now we are working on conversions like the Ebay Headquarters to CTE/Innovation Center for Canyons School District as the market has shifted away from commercial office. UC+D: Schools have certainly evolved over the last 20 years, how has your work as structural engineers evolved? SP: We are seeing more creative design on the architectural side, certainly. We see many more two-story designs; more windows and daylighting. But we’re utilizing more powerful tools and continually building our understanding of the structural materials that are in use more than ever—tilt-up concrete, steel columns and beams, especially—to be the architect’s trusted partner. NB: Schools have definitely changed, and we’ve had better experience in helping projects move forward successfully when we are involved earlier in the design process. As we got involved early on in West High School’s schematic design, we were able to provide structural solutions and options to accommodate the architects’ design intent. UC+D: How has company growth changed Calder Richards? SP: It’s certainly changed the number of people in our office. We started with around 10 people when we merged, and today we have 27. But we often say that we don’t want to grow just to grow—we want to grow sustainably. We don’t lay people off when works slows down, and we have an expectation that sometimes there will be overtime work, and other times you may be waiting for our next project to begin.

The (Epi)Center of it All

By By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Nested in the middle of the University of Utah (U of U) campus sits the aptly-named Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, the second living learning community (LLC) project designed on campus by Los Angeles-based Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign. After nearly a decade since their first LLC project, the award-winning Lassonde Studios (UC+D’s 2016 Most Outstanding Public Building over $10 million), Mehrdad Yazdani, the design firm’s Principal and Studio Director, said their work on a sequel was an exciting prospect for the firm, and enlisted Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects and Okland Construction to serve as the respective local architect and general contractor. Today, the Epicenter serves as a striking piece of architecture and construction, one whose curvilinear shape asks users and visitors plenty of questions. But moving from idea to execution has been a work in progress. One query from Yazdani stood out as it relates to students and the built environment, and helped begin the journey to create the Epicenter: “How does your living environment as a student impact your success as a student and as a changemaker?” A Project for an Evolving Campus Katie Macc, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Institute, said LLCs like the Epicenter and Lassonde Studios next door have been massive steps forward in advancing entrepreneurship and social impact. But both play a major role in creating “college town magic”—a phrase coined by University President Taylor Randall that invokes a vibrant campus where students can find community and have one-of-a-kind experiences. With more on-campus student housing in the works, the state’s flagship university is hoping to shed the “commuter school” label and deliver a level of desirability that matches the resources students commit to higher education. “There is some soul searching going on across university campuses,” said Macc of the challenge at hand. “We have to be convincing that going to college matters.” She said overall university enrollments across the nation are decreasing as students grapple with tuition costs, COVID and its isolating aftershocks, and a different perspective on higher education. Universities are no longer a place where students come to learn what they couldn’t learn elsewhere—remote learning and the internet have opened a fissure in that idea that will never close. Instead of that educational transaction, being at a university must include building community and creating in-person experiences only available on campus. Macc said that the Epicenter helps steer the campus experience toward the future, with design goals to create a base of operations for two changemaking organizations and a living and learning home for 778 students. The three-story commercial portion of the building, known as the “Changemaker Pavilion”, includes office space for The Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity (second floor) and the Sorenson Impact Institute (third floor). While each organization has a different focus, both are firmly invested in helping students access and create the resources needed to change the world. Each entity works hand-in-hand as owners of the Epicenter to host events and “create a full spectrum of ways for students to get involved,” said Chad Salvadore, Chief Financial Officer for the Sorenson Impact Institute. “We’re dialing in the programming to energize the student body,” said Salvadore of the work done at the Epicenter. With over 60 majors represented among the 778 students who live there, he said that the diversity of students is less a reflection of their chosen major and more a desire to reside in a space built for students to work their entrepreneurial muscles. “Living here is a mindset—you can engage across many different paths you choose.”

It's A Knockout

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
On January 2, 1957, Gene Fullmer, a scrappy, underdog fighter from West Jordan stunned the boxing world with a 15-round unanimous decision over the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden. Fullmer captured the world middleweight championship and established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers during the late 50s and early 60s. Since then, the Fullmer name has been synonymous with boxing in Utah, with brothers Gene, Jay, and Don establishing the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym in 1978, and offering free boxing instruction and life mentoring to thousands of youths—carrying on a tradition they learned from their trainer, Marv Jenson. Their legacy of community giving will live on in the new Fullmer Legacy Center in South Jordan, a 16,500-SF facility that will serve as a permanent home to the boxing gym—after years of bouncing around to various temporary facilities—along with a museum, snack bar, and gift shop. “The Fullmers are the first family of boxing in the state of Utah—that’s well understood,” said Dave Butterfield, a founding board member of the Fullmer Legacy Foundation. Butterfield served as Chairman of the Board from June 2016 to early 2025 and was influential in helping raise money—nearly $6 million via donations to date, which includes $2 million from the Utah Legislature. Project Driven by Vision to Find a Permanent Home for Fullmer Brothers Gym It was Jay Fullmer who led the charge to teach boxing in the community. By 1978, the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym had formally opened at the Butterfield farm chicken coop in South Jordan, recalled Larry Fullmer, Don’s oldest son and the man who spearheaded the efforts for the Fullmer Legacy Center. From there, Larry said the facility moved to Riverton Elementary, an old church house in West Jordan, a sugar factory, a former fire station, and the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park in South Jordan, where it had resided since 2011. When they got word that Salt Lake County planned to transfer ownership of the park to Utah State University, Fullmer knew they needed to find a long-term home for the boxing gym. Fullmer met with Butterfield and Robert Behunin—who at the time was a Vice President with Utah State University—in 2016 and told them he just wanted a “tin shed of our own” for boxing. Behunin countered by saying, “If you want people to donate money, you need something better than a tin shed!” They quickly formed the Fullmer Legacy Foundation (FLF), and by 2018, the wheels were in motion on a building. Doc Murdock, a long-time trainer at the gym, connected Larry with his former roommate at Brigham Young University, Vern Latham, who is a Principal at Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture. VCBO offered pro-bono services initially while helping FLF put together an RFP, while North Salt-based Gramoll Construction provided value engineering and other services in an effort to get the project launched. Larry expressed sheer gratitude for the contributions of both firms in helping make the project a reality, especially for many generous donations from various foundations and individuals. “[VCBO] believed in us early on and did our first phase of planning at no charge—they have been amazing and so professional to work with,” said Larry. “Gramoll helped us get the budget done as tight as it could be. This project had the absolute tightest budget. We met weekly with architects and the general contractor to see the progress—I’ve never seen such an amazing process. Construction started in November ’23, and every time I would come to the jobsite in the first six months, I’d get emotional.” “We leaned on our relationships with contractors for flooring, ceiling, tiles, donated furniture and got deep discounts and a lot of in-kind donations,” said Phil Haderlie, Principal-in-Charge for VCBO. “To me, the story of this project is the grassroots effort of people seeing the value—this is something that came from their heart. It will have a long-lasting impact on the community.”

Firms Making Moves

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Horrocks CEO Bryan Foote (left) shakes hands with Matt Hirst, former President/CEO of CRS Engineering & Survey. Horrocks acquired CRS a year ago in a move that has proven to be a seamless fit for more than 60 CRS employees.

Q&A with Nathan Goodrich

By UC&D • August 1, 2025
Nathan Goodrich

100 Years & Five Generations

By Brad Fullmer • August 1, 2025
Paul founded Paulsen Construction in 1925 after immigrating from Norway 16 years prior. Sprague Library in Sugar House was originally built by Paul, and then restored nearly 100 years later, led by current President John Paulsen.

State of Industry; State of Progress

By Utah C&D • August 1, 2025
West Valley City Veteran’s Memorial Expansion Owner: West Valley City Architect: EDA Architects GC: Okland Construction Estimated Completion Date: September 2025

Showroom Showstopper

By Taylor Larsen • August 1, 2025
Commercial office is not dead. The market is alive and well, according to the design pros at HB Workplaces team. Their new office and showroom in Draper, and what it has done for employees and clients, is a case in point. All it took was a change in scenery. Transitioning from the B'Nai Israel Temple, built in 1890, to a new space was a welcome change for the team. "I just remember working between 2015 and 2020, and it was just," Keilian Meyer trailed off as he described the former office, a historic religious building converted into an office and showroom in 1987. Minimal natural lighting, rooms and layouts misaligned for team needs—their space wasn't bringing out anyone's best work. Meyer, Marketing Director for HB Workplaces, said going to work didn't engender a sense of engagement. "It was kind of punch in and punch out." But everything coalesced with their move. "The timing aligned perfectly," Meyer said of the June 2024 move and their rebrand from the year before from Henriksen/Butler to HB Workplaces. Dual Purposes Come to Life It aligned with every real estate broker's favorite word: location. Planting the HB Workplaces flag in the award-winning Baltic Pointe made perfect sense, especially with its epicenter locale between the booming economies of Salt Lake and Utah counties. HB Workplaces CEO Dave Colling summed it all up succinctly: "Our new headquarters is not just another building; it's a statement of our appreciation and stewardship of design, built upon decades-long heritage of our own, along with MillerKnoll, underscoring our commitment to excellence." The mass timber ceilings in HB Workplaces' first-floor office in Baltic Pointe—the first of their kind for a commercial building in Utah—are part of that commitment. Everything seems warmer, healthier, and better under the all-lumber ceiling. "We've always been drawn to inspiring architecture, and the natural warmth and intentionality of this structure made it a natural fit," said Meyer. HB Workplaces sought to make their mass timber home a showpiece for the beautiful and wide-ranging possibilities of today's commercial interiors, serving as an office for the HB Workplaces team and a showroom for interior designers and architects looking to envision their next project. That dual nature comes through perfectly across the space, with the showroom piece especially highlighted in the "Living Room" and its 382 SF of mid-century modern glory. The unforgettable Eames Lounge chair catches the eye, but closer inspection reveals some nods to the B'Nai Israel Temple's stained glass windows and other homages to the deep histories of the Herman Miller and Knoll brands. The room's mid-century-style lounge chairs, couches, ottomans, and side tables—all MillerKnoll line, of course—combine with gentle lighting to create the perfect spot for hosting. Brit Badger, HB Workplaces' VP of Client Development, explained how the Living Room is ideal for getting to know their design partners and clients, especially for a first meeting. "It's not all the same seating everywhere, like it would be at a conference room," she explained of how the varied seating choices—the Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair is often first dibs—help to create a relaxed and comfortable environment. "It's cool to see who chooses what. It's a fun way to start."

ASCE 2025 Report Card For Utah

By Brad Fullmer • August 1, 2025
Bragging about a “C+” might seem gauche, but Utah is one of only four states to earn that high a grade, according to the May 28 release by the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) of the 2025 Report Card for Utah’s Infrastructure. The cumulative “C+” for the Beehive State is the highest mark ever given by ASCE to any individual state—the report card itself spans 12 categories of infrastructure and is virtually unchanged from 2020 (ASCE issues report cards every four years). Utah's grade is also one step higher than the national infrastructure average grade of “C” in the ASCE 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which dropped in March. Roads (B+) and Bridges (B) remain the stars of the class, as the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) continues to receive consistent state funding in furthering its aggressive program of building new projects to meet ongoing demand, while diligently maintaining existing infrastructure. “Our transit and transportation are doing fabulous," said Anna Lisonbee, President of ASCE Utah and an Engineer-in-Training at South Jordan-based Hansen, Allen & Luce. “UDOT and UTA are lauded as some of the most efficient [organizations] nationwide, so we’re doing very well in that category.” Aviation infrastructure was the only category to see a grade increase—somewhat predictable given the sheer amount of capital investment made over the past decade at Salt Lake International Airport, Provo Airport, and other regional airports statewide. Three categories—bridges, s tormwater, and transit—saw grade decreases. The remaining eight categories held steady from 2020. "Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and state leaders have taken steps to ensure the reliability of infrastructure systems as more people move here to enjoy Utah's thriving communities, amazing outdoors, and high quality of life," said Craig Friant, Utah Civil Practice Lead for South Jordan-based Wilson & Company and Chair of the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure. Utah grades per category: Roads: B+ Bridges: B Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Transit: B- Aviation, Dams, Hazardous Waste: C+ Stormwater, Wastewater: C Canals: D+ Levees: D-

Toward The Promised Land

By Taylor Larsen • August 1, 2025
"What gets you out of Egypt doesn't take you to the promised land." The quote, as I first heard it, came from Ron Dunn, Founder of Salt Lake structural engineering firm Dunn Associates. While he was talking about the differences between founding and growing a company, the same principle holds true in developing a robust transportation infrastructure. In other words: "What got us here will not take us there." What has taken us here has been development dedicated to personal vehicles and last-mile freight—a stellar network of roads and highways from massive investments in horizontal construction. But what will get us "there" to the promised land? What will bring us to a future where Utahns can have the freedom to move without a car? Unified Plan for a Connected Utah? We'll certainly wander in the West Desert without a plan. Lucky us, we have hundreds of agreed-upon proposals across metropolitan planning organizations, cities and towns, counties, and even the Utah Department of Transportation. The Beehive State's guiding document toward long-term transportation plans, whether for cars or not, is found in the Utah Unified Transportation Plan, also known as the Unified Plan. The visionary document aims to prioritize funding across multiple transportation options and give residents choices, ranging from personal vehicles to mass transit and active transportation. Residents and metropolitan planning organizations across the state have added their input to further unify the state's trajectory. Key in Utah's Unified Plan, as documented, is analyzing and ultimately determining how transportation projects in Utah should be funded between 2023 - 2050. With projected needs across that timeline estimated at $153 billion in today's dollars, current revenue sources generating just under a projected $95 billion, and future revenue streams projected to generate just over $18 billion, we're going to be short. But where is that money going? Most often, it's funding roads. According to the Unified Plan, transportation needs from road capacity, maintenance, preservation, and operations project at a whopping $110 billion between 2023 - 2050, with a $29 billion funding gap in revenue. Funding future mass transit capacity ($14.8 billion) and operations ($19.8 billion) over the next 25 years costs a fraction of the projected costs for roads and highways. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison, admittedly, as massive funding for highways and freeways has created so much, but where do state priorities lead? Budget at a Glance Utah continues to tread the asphalt and concrete highway to prioritize highway funding. UDOT's FY2026 funding document shows $2.5 billion in funding. Estimated Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) expenditures, primarily used for improving or optimizing capacity, are projected at $1.2 billion. Within the TIF, Class B & Class C Roads, county roads and city streets, respectively, will receive $261 million, Highway Systems Construction $205 million, and Operations/Maintenance $254 million. It makes sense when $883 million in projected revenue for FY2026 comes from user-based fees, permits, and gas tax revenues (set to be 40 cents per gallon in 2026). On the other hand, UDOT-funded mass transit receives a bulk of its budget from the above-mentioned Transportation Investment Fund—35% of the index fuel tax sales tax goes into the Transit Transportation Investment Fund. For FY2026, transit and commuter rail projects will receive $103 million. John Gleason, UDOT's Sr. Public Information Officer, said there is a major shift happening within UDOT over the last decade-plus to give some "gas" to other forms of transportation. "All transportation is important to us. For every project we undertake, we are looking at the different components across all modes—cars, transit, bikes, trails," Gleason said. "We need to keep an eye on how the entire transportation system can function across the state." The words and shift in priorities are welcome, but what "Keeps Utah Moving", will not be more highway lanes or highway construction that receives the lion's share of transportation funding. Utah highways, like those in so many other states, are the victims of induced demand. The phenomenon is a matter of economics. For vehicle transportation, each lane added, highway developed, or road widened helps to expand capacity on these newly modified transportation corridors. However, expanding capacity does not mean solving traffic concerns. While capacity expands, more people are "induced" to use these freshly expanded corridors, lanes fill back to capacity, and commutes return to their sluggish nature. This never-ending quest to meet our transportation needs is set to play out again on I-15. UDOT is set to add another lane on I-15 from Farmington to Salt Lake, and do so at a multi-billion-dollar price tag. Surely this lane will be "The One" that fixes the traffic problem on Utah's busiest transit corridor? Utah may still be adjusting to roundabouts, but will we ever get out of this circle?