Park City Council approved moving ahead with the 500-stall park and ride at Quinn’s Junction known as the frontage road lot. The project design is about half finished and the council hopes to have it shovel ready by the end of September.
About a year ago, Park City Council asked staff to look at three lots in the Quinn’s Junction area as possible park and ride locations. The original task was to find the cheapest, easiest, quickest way to create a Bus Transit Route and lighten traffic on SR 248.
The existing Richardson Flat park and ride was part of the analysis however its remote location and lack of transit access has made it an untenable option. Two UDOT owned parcels near the US-40 interchange with 248 were evaluated. Staff presented council with their recommendation to continue the design of the frontage road parcel next to US-40.
Council Member Steve Joyce challenged the process and asked fellow council members to consider a broader project that would be more substantive and offer bigger solutions to the traffic congestion on 248.
“When we came out of the visioning process, the clear number one thing that people were concerned about was traffic and transportation, and they told us you know kind of go big or go home kind of thing. And so, I was just looking at this going God this is a step, but it's kind of a small step. It's important but there's not a lot of room for growth at that particular location.”
Joyce says the discussion about looking deeper into future needs was productive and he is comfortable with the choice to move forward on the frontage road park and ride design. The transit department has tapped into about $2.3 million in federal highway funds to develop the park and ride. Additionally, the city is partnering with UDOT on a land lease arrangement.
“Yes, we should be looking at those bigger answers. Yes, that should be the next step, but we've got a bunch of federal money sitting here already approved, lined up and ready to go. Let's build this park and ride lot. We desperately need it and we can start serving that with transit pretty immediately."
Park City Municipal owns a larger parcel near the film studio, but it comes with more complicated building restrictions which would require changes in the code.
“If you look at the flow right there around Richardson Flat. There's going to be a light there. I thought that would make it easier for ingress egress. We have more land there so the ability to grow overtime, it's closer into town so if you wanted to do something like a gondola or light rail or something down the road. The one we're looking at right now is not the space for our go big solution to really make a difference in traffic and transportation, but we need something now."
City staff is about 50% complete in the design work on the frontage road lot. Joyce says with the growth projections from Wasatch County and the Kamas area, the council must look for longer term park and ride solutions for Quinn’s Junction.
