The Utah Department of Transportation will install a permanent traffic signal this summer on the Marsac roundabout, which intersects Marsac Avenue, Deer Valley Drive and the Old Town Transit Center.
The signal is designed to slow southbound Deer Valley Drive traffic and prioritize city buses during peak times.
The state agency tested the system during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 winters. Deputy Park City Manager Heather Sneddon said there were previously issues with circulating buses.
“A lot of times, given the heavy traffic that's headed north through that roundabout, the buses are not able to exit the Old Town Transit Center in a timely fashion,” Sneddon said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 3.
UDOT considered the pilot a success: bus times and overall traffic flow improved.
Park City and UDOT collaborated on a design for the permanent signal. It will be mounted on black sign poles, rather than a large mast arm over the roadway like in the pilot. “Yield” and “stop here” signs will also be incorporated into the signal.
During the pilot, a police officer manually operated the signal. Now, it will be fully automated.
“The purpose of this permanent transit signal will really be just to identify when a bus is queued to enter into the roundabout,” Sneddon said. “When that happens, the signal will turn on and allow the bus to actually enter the roundabout without having to wait for the through traffic that's headed north.”
The Park City Council approved an agreement June 4 to contribute $160,000 to the project. The money will also support another UDOT project to install fiber optic cables along Deer Valley Drive.
The signal installation is expected to start in late June and be completed in late August.
