High Valley Transit shared new information with the Park City Council Friday about the agency’s estimated $90 million project to implement bus rapid transit on state Route 224.
New designs show the project would widen the road by 10 feet between Kimball Junction and Thaynes Canyon Drive in Park City. The added space would be for new shoulder lanes exclusively for public transit.
High Valley Transit Chief Development Officer Gabe Shields said it’ll allow buses to travel the full corridor in 17 minutes.
“Every six minutes a bus moves down this corridor. That is phenomenal,” Shields said. “Have you been to one of these cities where transit is effective? Like Paris? It’s just bus, bus, bus, bus. This is what we’re delivering on day one. So 10 buses an hour, full seats, that’s 400 seats an hour that we’re able to provide.”
High Valley Transit Executive Director Caroline Rodriquez told the council at its last meeting the maximum cost for the city would be about $20 million of the more than $90 million price tag.
High Valley already has $66 million set aside for the project thanks to federal and state grants.
But Shields said Friday contractors told High Valley its projected $90 million total may be an overestimate. With updated figures, Shields apologized and said the $20 million overshot what Park City would be asked to pay.
Councilors decided not to discuss financial details until High Valley gets a more accurate estimate from a contractor early next year. High Valley Transit officials said they plan to have an accurate funding request for Park City by June.
Even without firmed up estimates, councilors have been receptive to the rapid transit proposal that has been discussed for about a decade now.
The only direct objection Friday came from Councilmember Jeremy Rubell.
He said he supports bus rapid transit, just not one aspect of the project.
“I am absolutely against road widening in Park City,” Rubell said.
His concern is the 1.5-mile stretch from the McPolin Barn to Thaynes Canyon Drive.
Rubell said it could have negative impacts for pedestrians, cyclists, wildlife and neighborhoods close to the road.
The Park City and Summit County councils will meet again early next year to further develop bus rapid transit plans.
