One of the worst bike gaps in Salt Lake City will close this year ... unless SB195 passes.
Roadblock
By Benjamin Wood @BjaminWood
Salt Lakers who travel on foot, on transit and by bicycle are set to see a significant improvement in their route planning with the construction of a barrier-protected bikeway on 300 West.
The project, scheduled to begin this year, will add a two-way bike lane on the west side of 300 West between 900 South and 300 South, adding cycling facilities where there currently are none and a needed buffer between the sidewalk and highway-style traffic to important blocks that include Pioneer Park and the upcoming redevelopment of the Fleet Block, while also establishing a safe, non-car link between two of the most important cycling and pedestrian corridors in the city—the 9-Line Trail and 300 South.
Currently, a fully-separated cycle track on 300 West dead ends at 900 South, with only cumbersome and unsafe detours, surrounded by high-speed vehicle traffic, to route bike-based commuters into downtown.
"The bikeway will integrate with existing and future bike infrastructure, linking the 300 West and 9-Line shared-use paths to the upcoming 400 South Viaduct Trail and protected bike lanes on 300 South," said Shadow Dow in a Wednesday email to community stakeholders. "Rather than reconstructing the roadway, curbs, or sidewalks, the bikeway has been designed within the existing footprint of the roadway."
Dow is a consultant spokesperson working with the city project. Dow's email also announced the release of finalized design documents, which can be viewed at slc.gov/transportation/300westbikeway.
But the email was silent on a threat from the state hanging over the project, SB195. The bill, in its current form, would impose a one-year moratorium on any Salt Lake City street projects that improve safety for non-drivers. While legislative leaders have defended the bill by suggesting the need for a study of planned development downtown, the bill is written in such a way that any reduction in the space offered to drivers, on any street throughout the city, or any change to the street that decreases driving speeds or encourages non-car travel, would be blocked, pending review by the Utah Department of Transportation.
Because the northern portion of 300 West is also UDOT's Highway 89, the highway department is already aware of and has already signed off on projects like the 300 West bikeway and 400 South Viaduct Trail. And other long term pro-pedestrian projects like the Green Loop have been tacitly approved by UDOT through their placement on the Wasatch Front's Unified Transportation Plan.
But car-based suburban lawmakers have nonetheless sought to insert themselves into the minutia of local urban street design—in particular, Taylorsville Republican Sen. Wayne Harper, the sponsor of SB195.
City, UTA, regional and UDOT representatives have declined to comment on ongoing deliberations around SB195, confirming only that such deliberations are ongoing.
But Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City's transportation director, did confirm Wednesday that, if the current version of SB195 were to be signed into law, work on the 300 West bikeway could not proceed as planned.
"We're fighting hard to exempt it," Larsen said.
About The Author
Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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