After pausing plans for Little Kate Road in April, the Park City Council is now moving in a new direction.
The city originally planned to construct an almost 1-mile mixed-use path, running from Holiday Ranch Loop to Luck John Drive. It switched gears after Park Meadows residents shared concerns about pedestrians and bicycles sharing the space.
The council decided on minimal upgrades to the two-lane road Thursday, which received the most community support.
The concept puts cyclists in a buffered, painted lane and widens the existing sidewalk from five to six feet, the city standard.
Transportation planner Anna Maki said the changes will improve safety.
“We often see cars veering over that 4-inch white line into the bike lane,” she said. “You'll also occasionally see folks who are walking on the sidewalk, if there's folks coming in the other direction, stepping off into the bike lane to avoid conflict with other pedestrians.”
The upgrades also feature traffic calming measures. Councilmembers preferred curb extensions to slow vehicles on the 20-mph road.
Maki said extending the curb narrows the perceived width of the road, which encourages drivers to slow down. However, they eliminate the bike lane on some stretches.
Park City Fire District Fire Marshal Mike Owens said emergency responders prefer curb extensions over speed bumps and raised sidewalks.
“Speed bumps just wreak havoc on our response time,” he said. “We have to come to a complete stop almost twice, both as the front of our vehicle and the back of it goes over.”
The project now moves to the design phase. Around November, the transportation team will get more input from the council and residents.
The city wants to start construction in March 2027.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
