A Basin resident says that a crossing on Highway 224, at the so-called Blue Roof intersection, is a safety hazard that’s been too long unaddressed by the county.
She says she will take the issue to the County Council’s budget hearings.
Erin Ruzek told KPCW that she’s grown up in Utah, has lived in the Sun Peak neighborhood for 17 years, and she has seen the changes that have occurred to Highway 224.
The intersection—with Silver Springs Drive to the east, and Bear Hollow Drive to the west, has a stoplight and a crosswalk.
But Ruzek said the light doesn’t allow pedestrians enough time to cross. She noted there are six lanes and said that motorists drive way too fast.
Parley’s Park Elementary is near the crossing. Ruzek said evidently the School District agrees there is a problem, since they have a bus that picks up youngsters at the Sun Peak Clubhouse to transport them across 224 to classes.
She said that bonding from the Snyderville Recreation District promised to deal with the problem.
“In 2014, there was a bond that had $2 million towards off-grade pedestrian crossing at this particular intersection. Many residents voted for this. And this is why that bond passed, in a lot of community member’s eyes, because they were passionate about the safety of the pedestrians. And now there has been no action taking place, and funds that have since moved from that particular money that was allocated for that crossing to some other areas.”
However, County Transportation Manager Caroline Rodriguez has said UDOT data for the past decade hasn’t shown any pedestrian/car collisions at the crossing—and only one accident with a vehicle off on Silver Springs Drive.
But Ruzek scoffed at that claim.
“I find it actually a little laughable that they would have the ability to even make that statement. I have a Facebook page that I’ve had to dedicate to this particular intersection, “ Highway 224 Bear Hollow Silver Springs Safe Crossing”. And if you went to that particular Facebook page, there have been so many accidents that I have been able to document, that many actually have documented as well. And it’s scary. There’s been- I know that they talk about, no one actually died at that intersection, which I find that very disrespectful. There have been many auto-to-automobile accidents, and an auto-pedestrian accident at that particular intersection where, yes, maybe the individual did not pass away. But he was severely injured and almost lost his leg.”
In its Active Transportation Plan, the county mentions two other alternatives for a crossing. Ruzek said she has supported an option 300 feet to the south, near the Hyatt Hotel. She said a third option, near the entry to the Canyons Resort, doesn’t have support from the public.
County officials have also been looking at a 224 overpass, rather than a tunnel. Ruzek said she could support that.
“Well, I think that a tunnel is something that a lot of people would prefer. However, I think safety comes before, actual, they’ve mentioned visual impact. I’ve seen pictures of the bridge, and the bridge is beautiful, from studies that Basin Rec has done and created this design of a bridge. And it was beautiful and I find it could be a very welcoming monument to Park City.”
She said she has organized a committee and is ready to rally at the Council budget hearings.
“We’re gonna take this head on, because we’re disappointed that we’ve had to work this hard to provide adequate information to show the dangers of this intersection. We’re also going to be requesting a GRAMA report of the minutes of Basin Rec and Summit County Council, because I sat in on many of these meetings. And I know that this particular intersection had safe-crossing discussions. And I also have sat in other meetings, saying that they said that they didn’t really specify that it was this intersection. And many people were at those meetings and know that that’s not true.“
Sun Peak resident Erin Ruzek.
Meanwhile, County Manager Tom Fisher noted that 224 is a state road. He said UDOT probably won’t put in funding, given other priorities in the state. But in any event, the state agency has to be involved in planning.
“There’s the practicalities around where it should go, where it would get the most use, and then also, what’s on either side of that. And the Sun Peak area, of course, has an elementary school on one side of that road crossing. So I think our first conversations have to be with UDOT about how we would go about studying that to see where the best placement would be.”
Summit County Manager Tom Fisher.
