The newly sworn-in Park City Council will get an overview of key Park City issues at its first meeting Thursday.
At the top of the council’s work session agenda is an update on the Re-create 248 transit study, to ease traffic congestion. Deputy City Manager Heather Sneddon said the alternatives for state Route 248 travel include a dedicated bus lane in the center of the road, a bus lane on the side of the road and a light rail.
“Based upon the findings from our screening results, the bus-based alternatives really perform the best overall when you're balancing cost, feasibility, ridership, mobility benefits, delivery, timeline, those kinds of things, and particularly the bus side running,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Wednesday.
Though the light rail would allow more passengers, it comes with significantly higher costs and implementation challenges.
The council wants to identify an alternative as soon as possible so the project can be complete in time for the 2034 Olympics.
Park City councilors will also see the first five-year analysis of the Bonanza Flat Conservation Area Adaptive Management and Stewardship Plan, which aims to balance recreation use with environmental protection.
Acting City Manager Jodi Emery said Utah Open Lands, which manages the Bonanza Flat conservation easement, and Park City Municipal staff are not recommending any changes to the plan.
She said that’s because it’s been hugely successful: unsustainable trails were restored, sustainable trail systems were developed and parking and transit solutions were implemented.
“Transit ridership has increased, and we're seeing a 90% approval rating for riders,” Emery said. “We're averaging hundreds of riders per day on the weekends. It's just been a tremendous success from our perspective.”
Emery said many are also repeat riders.
The work session begins at 3:40 p.m. Thursday in City Hall.
