The Park City Council passed a resolution in a 4-1 vote Thursday to formally adopt dedicated bus lanes as its preferred Re-create 248 project alternative.
The project aims to reduce traffic on SR-248, promote public transportation and improve locals’ quality of life. The east-west route brings vehicles from U.S. 40 into Park City and is frequently clogged during peak traffic hours.
Through the Re-create 248 Transit Study, city staff found bus-based alternatives best balanced cost, feasibility, ridership, mobility benefits and would be completed in time for the 2034 Olympics. Bus lanes on the side of the road were specifically identified as the highest-performing alternative. They are also as compatible as possible with the area’s current system.
Councilmember Ed Parigian was the only no vote. He said he wanted more public input.
But Economic Development Director Chris Eggleton said by identifying exclusive bus lanes as the Locally Preferred Alternative, or LPA, the council is allowing the project to move forward to an environmental review where preliminary designs will be created and the public can provide feedback.
“If you can signal the LPA is a preferred direction, and provide that to the staff, they can go out and get the answers,” he said. “The community can decide, ‘Well, how are we impacted?’ Because they really don't know that just yet.”
Transportation Director Tim Sanderson said identifying an LPA now may allow the city to be reimbursed for the project in the future. That’s because the LPA makes the project eligible for Federal Transportation Administration grants.
“This project is going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and we want to get to the point where every dollar that we spend, we can get reimbursed at some point in time, should we be successful with federal funding,” he said.
Sanderson said the LPA is also not legally binding and does not define a final design or end result.
Staff say the environmental study and feedback process will take about two years. Construction will take another three years.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW. For a full list of financial supporters, click here.
