The Park City Council reviewed four concepts to improve safety on Little Kate Road during its July 9 meeting.
The city originally planned to add a 12-foot-wide mixed-use pathway to the road. But after residents voiced concerns about cyclists and pedestrians sharing the sidewalk, the council paused the plans.
The council is now considering four different options, ranging from adding space for bike lanes with no physical buffer to placing raised bike lanes on the south side of the road.
Transportation manager Anna Maki said a survey found the majority of the over 90 respondents wanted minimal changes, with some wanting no change.
“The concerns really centered around roadway widening and property impacts,” she said. “We also heard from quite a few folks that they dislike bicyclists, specifically adults, using the sidewalk.”
While the project in any form is on city-owned property, senior transportation planner Julia Collins said mailboxes and landscaping for some property owners would be impacted.
Residents preferred option 1A, which has the fewest upgrades. Little Kate Road does have a small bike lane, but it’s used inconsistently; many bikers ride on the sidewalk. Option 1A would add small buffers marked on the road.
Councilmembers Molly Miller, Tana Toly and Diego Zegarra still want to see more traffic calming measures. Toly was also interested in painting the bike lane green for added visibility.
“My biggest concern about this, starting with it, was that we would have a safe route for kids to go to school, as well as calm the traffic. The traffic calming was the nexus of why we even started any of this,” Toly said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” July 10.
According to the city, Little Kate Road sees around 100 pedestrians and 170 bikers per day in the summer. Speeding drivers are also an issue — 85% of cars are traveling at or below 28 miles per hour on the road, faster than the 20 mile per hour limit.
Council has asked staff to present traffic calming measures that can be incorporated into option 1A when the project returns Aug. 14.
