Park City and Summit County leaders plan to meet with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) about potentially changing the scope of the state Route 224 bus rapid transit project.
On Thursday the Park City Council got an update on the project, which covers unincorporated Summit County and Park City proper.
Several council members expressed concerns about widening the road within Park City limits, which begin at the McPolin Barn.
A traffic study presented Thursday shows that the most significant congestion today occurs between Canyons Village and Kimball Junction, outside of Park City.
Council member Jeremy Rubell said widening the road inside city limits doesn’t provide enough benefits.
“I’m not comfortable with the seven-lane highway concept,” Rubell said. “The one thing that’ll be nice is all our migratory population and residents from big cities would feel at home, right? We could say, ‘hey look it’s like the 405 or I-95 right here in beautiful Park City.”
High Valley Transit officials have disputed Rubell’s characterization of the project as a “seven-lane highway.”
A diagram of the project depicts S.R. 224 with bus lanes on each side, four travel lanes and a center turn lane. It also includes pedestrian improvements.
Councilmember Bill Ciraco said expanding the road in town could have a negative impact on the natural environment including wildlife, which have repeatedly been killed in vehicle collisions on S.R. 224.
Park City Mayor Nann Worel proposed meeting with state transportation officials to discuss a redesign.
“I would like to have a conversation, and maybe take our transportation liaisons with me and folks from the county down and have a conversation with UDOT about how much of the scope of this can we actually change without threatening federal funding,” Worel said.
Worel concerns come as President Donald Trump implements a slew of cost-cutting measures across the federal government.
Council member Ed Parigian expressed optimism about taking a new approach in collaboration with Summit County, which he said could lower the price tag for the city.
Summit County Council Vice Chair Canice Harte was also positive.
“We’re happy to partner and we appreciate the conversation and willing to explore all options as we go forward,” Harte said. “I’m sure we can work together to get the best end result.”
In December the city council was told the project budget was roughly $90 million. High Valley Transit has already received $25 million in federal funding and $30 million in state funding.
Park City is expected to contribute financially to the project, however an exact cost has not been finalized.
High Valley has entered into a $940,000 contract for pre-construction services. Preparation work and staging is scheduled to begin this fall.
