Park City leaders say their residents want the city to take bold action to address traffic congestion. That directive comes from the city’s Vision 2020 project, where more than 1,000 community members participated in surveys and focus groups to discuss the city’s future. So, the city council is revisiting a park-and-ride lot planned for the Quinn’s Junction area, near the interchange of U.S. 40 and S.R. 248. The lot would have 400 to 500 spaces intended to catch commuters coming in from Wasatch County and eastern Summit County. It would replace the Richardson Flat park and ride, which is not easily accessible.
Park City Councilmember Steve Joyce asked that council reconsider this project, which they’ve supported in the past. But Joyce thinks there might be some issues with the location, and after hearing citizen input, Joyce says there might be better solutions to explore.
“I think before we get too far and spend $2 million or $3 million on this, it’s really worth taking a look at how things would work down the way for other locations," Joyce said. "I do believe there are some other locations and what it would mean to have multiple operating park and rides, in other words, multiple, small places versus one big one.”
The whole project is estimated to cost $2.8 to $3.6 million, but Park City Mayor Andy Beerman says the Utah Department of Transportation would lease the land to the city basically for free, and the city has about $1 million in federal grants as well as revenue from the Summit County Transportation Tax.
“So, you’re looking at a cost of probably $6,000 to $8,000 per parking space, to get something in place that we can start using immediately,” Beerman said.
City staff report the park and ride would work if it’s frequently serviced by transit and if there’s a dedicated bus lane on S.R. 248 to pass traffic there. Beerman says there’s no silver bullet for the city’s transportation issues, but a park-and-ride lot at the Quinn’s Junction location could be part of the solution.
"I think this would be a small step forward, but a step in the right direction," Beerman said. "It would either complement a larger section, or it could be part of the system with multiple park and rides that can be accessible from different directions and different neighborhoods."
As of February 2020, the city has paid $121,000 to an engineering firm for analysis and design of the Quinn’s Junction park and ride.
