§ 72-1-203 — Deputy director -- Appointment -- Qualifications -- Other assistants and advisers -- Salaries.

(1) The executive director shall appoint the following deputy directors, who shall serve at the discretion of the executive director:
(1)(a) the deputy director of engineering and operation, who shall be a registered professional engineer in the state, and who shall be the chief engineer of the department; and
(1)(b) the deputy director of planning and investment.
(2) As assigned by the executive director, the deputy directors described in Subsection (1) may assist the executive director with the following departmental responsibilities:
(2)(a) project development, including statewide standards for project design and construction, right-of-way, materials, testing, structures, and construction;
(2)(b) oversight of the management of the region offices described in Section 72-1-205;
(2)(c) operations and traffic management;
(2)(d) oversight of operations of motor carriers and ports;
(2)(e) transportation systems safety;
(2)(f) aeronautical operations;
(2)(g) equipment for department engineering and maintenance functions;
(2)(h) oversight and coordination of planning, including:
(2)(h)(i) development of statewide strategic initiatives for planning across all modes of transportation;
(2)(h)(ii) coordination with metropolitan planning organizations and local governments;
(2)(h)(iii) coordination with a large public transit district, including planning, project development, outreach, programming, environmental studies and impact statements, construction, and impacts on public transit operations; and
(2)(h)(iv) transportation corridor and area planning;
(2)(i) asset management;
(2)(j) programming and prioritization of transportation projects;
(2)(k) fulfilling requirements for environmental studies and impact statements;
(2)(l) resource investment, including identification, development, and oversight of public-private partnership opportunities;
(2)(m) data analytics services to the department;
(2)(n) transportation corridor preservation;
(2)(o) employee development;
(2)(p) maintenance planning;
(2)(q) oversight and facilitation of the negotiations and integration of public transit providers described in Section 17B-2a-827;
(2)(r) oversight and supervision of any fixed guideway capital development project within the boundaries of a large public transit district, including those responsibilities described in Subsections (2)(a), (h), (j), (k), and (l), and the implementation and enforcement of any federal grant obligations associated with fixed guideway capital development project funding; and
(2)(s) other departmental responsibilities as determined by the executive director.
(3) The executive director shall ensure that the same deputy director does not oversee or supervise both the fixed guideway capital development responsibilities described in Subsection (2)(r) and the department's fixed guideway rail safety responsibilities, including the responsibilities described in Section 72-1-214.
(4) The executive director shall ensure that the same deputy director does not oversee or supervise both the authorization of a telecommunication provider to have longitudinal access to state right-of-way as described in Section 72-7-108, and the operations and duties of the Utah Broadband Center created in Section 72-19-201.
(5) The executive director may delegate to a large public transit district certain projects or acquisitions described in Subsection (2)(r) related to fixed guideway capital development if the executive director determines that the large public transit district is better positioned or equipped for that particular project or acquisition.

Legislative History

Amended by Chapter 512, 2025 General Session