Latest news with #GeoffDupaix
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
UDOT seeking feedback on trail, road improvements along US 40 in Wasatch, Summit counties
PARK CITY — The Utah Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback on trail and road improvements along U.S. 40 in Wasatch and Summit counties. The improvements are aimed at addressing increased transportation volumes, further connecting the regional trail network and improving safety for trail crossings. UDOT is conducting an environmental study on connecting the Phoston Spur Trail and a segment of the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail. The study aims to improve 'multimodal, regional and transportation connections across the state,' the agency said. While the gravel trail network is already well-utilized in the area, proposed trail improvements include paving existing trails and adding new paths to further connect the trail system. The study will also look into trail overpasses to increase safety for users, as there are multiple major road crossings in the trail system. 'Additional trail connections could provide a higher degree of separation from roadways and a better level of comfort for users,' UDOT said. The trail study is one of 19 pilot projects by the Utah Trail Network program, which prioritizes transportation needs for nonmotorized users such as bikers and pedestrians. Through these projects, UDOT hopes to construct and operate a network of paved trails throughout the whole state to connect Utahns to their destinations. The trails also have the potential to connect people with local and regional transit stops for Park City Transit and High Valley Transit. 'We want to be good stewards and attentive listeners, so that we can understand this area's unique trail and connectivity needs,' UDOT project manager Eduardo Miranda said. In the same area, UDOT is conducting a U.S. 40 Corridor study to identify long-term solutions for traffic on the highway and improve the local network of routes reaching from I-80 to south of Jordanelle Reservoir. U.S. 40 is a 'key route' in connecting the Wasatch Back to eastern Utah and the Wasatch Front, UDOT regional planning manager Geoff Dupaix said. The corridor study is taking a 'holistic' look at U.S. 40 to see what improvements are needed to maintain mobility for the region and improve local connections for drivers, transit riders and trail users, he added. The agency will also look into potential wildlife crossings. Traffic volumes along U.S. 40 are projected to almost double in the next 25 years due to a massive increase in households in both Wasatch and Summit counties and large-scale developments that will bring employment and recreation opportunities to the area, UDOT said. 'Those (development) decisions that are being made have a direct impact on how U.S. 40 will function in the future. It's not just the corridor or the communities right along the corridor, we have to take that broader look ... for communities that will be needing to use U.S. 40 for regional connections as well,' Dupaix said. A significant number of trips taken on U.S. 40 between state Route 248 and I-80 are locals traveling just three miles or less. The lack of alternative local connections and routes in the area is a key point UDOT wants to address to lessen the traffic burden on U.S. 40, Dupaix said. 'It's important to identify potential solutions that enhance connections for all travel modes now so we can incorporate them into our long-term planning efforts,' Dupaix said. This study will allow UDOT to add potential solutions to the agency's long-range transportation plan for the area. 'Now is the perfect time to take a look at this corridor, so those changes could be, potentially be added into the long-range plan. That opens doors to use some tools for further analysis or to look at ways to figure out how we can fund the projects. All to make sure we can keep people moving in that part of Summit and Wasatch County,' he said. Information on the two environmental studies was presented at an open house on Tuesday in Park City. All information presented at the meeting is available on UDOT's website and the public can comment on the study through June 17 by emailing us40area@ The comment period deadline 'doesn't mean we will stop taking comments. It just means we can move on to some of these next phases of full studies ... so we can then start looking at some of these options and figuring out what potential options are viable for both studies,' Dupaix said. Both study teams will work on developing conceptual designs and recommend solutions for as early as the end of 2025, UDOT said.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drastic traffic changes on the table as UDOT studies Salt Lake City's Capitol Hill
Salt Lake City's downtown, Capitol Hill and University of Utah commutes are converging into regular residential traffic patterns, resulting in unique challenges for the northeast end of Utah's capital city. These challenges are exacerbated by the area's hilly topography, including barriers like City Creek Canyon and the multimodal transportation needs within the triangle. They've also worsened as the city grows, leading to traffic headaches for those zipping in and out of town and additional burdens for the many people living in the neighborhoods at the center of everything. It's why state transportation officials are exploring creative ways to handle a growing number of people using the roadways, adding to efforts at the city level. 'We're trying to balance the transportation network in this area to help people just get around,' said Geoff Dupaix, a Utah Department of Transportation regional planning manager. Following months of surveying, state transportation officials unveiled a series of proposals to address traffic circulation on Tuesday, as they near the end of the Capitol Hill Study. Scenario 1: Add pedestrian enhancements to State Street between North Temple and 300 North, and removing State Street's southbound right turn lane at North Temple. Scenario 2: Close the I-15 interchange at 400 South. Vehicles would enter northbound I-15 at 500 South and exit southbound I-15 at 600 South. Scenario 3: Adjust signal timing at the Victory Road and Beck Street intersection. Scenario 4: Convert Main Street to one lane in each direction between North Temple and 300 North. Scenario 5: Install a grade-separated pedestrian crossing at Main Street and North Temple. Scenario 6: Create a one-way couplet, potentially turning State Street and Main Street into one-way streets in opposite directions. Some two-way access would remain in and around the Capitol Hill area, while a pedestrian scramble — a way to allow pedestrians to cross in any direction during a pause in vehicle traffic — would be installed at North Temple and Main Street. None of the concepts has been funded, however, and they'd require additional study. Coordination with the city would be required in some cases, which means that the suggestions have a long way to go before becoming a reality. Dupaix said the project is more of a 'planning-level study' before more detailed work will begin. 'We're taking more of a 30,000-foot look at the entire area from I-15 all the way over to the University of Utah to determine where people are going first,' he told 'This is just the starting point for a much more in-depth process to really analyze, take into consideration and potentially fund any of these solutions to see what could work.' If the area's traffic patterns and topography aren't complex enough, different agencies also manage its roads. UDOT and Salt Lake City split many of the key routes, which require planning coordination. Those conversations are usually collaborative, keeping everyone on the same page, Salt Lake City transportation engineer Jon Larsen said. 'These roads are all interconnected,' he said, explaining that some streets are so closely intertwined between city and state ownership that projects don't start until they've talked. This is why UDOT included the city in conversations when it started its Capitol Hill Study last year. Since then, it and partners like Horrocks Engineers have reviewed the area's traffic patterns. They also found that downtown, Capitol Hill, and the University of Utah almost equally split destination traffic, although Capitol Hill traffic unsurprisingly triples during the legislative session. Streets like 600 North, North Temple and 300 West generated the most speed-related crashes, posing the top concerns. Initial surveys, which collected feedback from over 600 online participants plus responses from people at community events, found that residents would like to reduce commuter traffic that cuts through residential areas, improving walking/biking accessibility and connectivity in the area and increasing public transit access. All those data points were blended into the concepts displayed Tuesday evening. Project officials believe most scenarios would improve traffic volume or have very little impact on key roads in the area. Still, some of the ideas could negatively impact Main Street, North Temple, and 300 West. 500 South and 600 South could also experience big volume increases with the I-15 change, while 400 South and others would see a big decrease. The options could add to existing transportation projects proposed for the area, including an expansion of I-15, a fourth TRAX line by the university and a bus rapid transit system between Salt Lake City and Davis County. They could also be considered in Salt Lake City's plans for the area. The city still intends to add new bike lanes through a project added to the budget earlier this year. The proposal to convert Main Street to one lane in each direction, among the UDOT options, was complicated by SB195 this year, a bill requiring the city to work with the state on some projects. However, Larsen said it wasn't designed yet, much like the other solutions brought to the table Tuesday. Dozens of people attended UDOT's open house, but the agency is still accepting online public feedback on the six proposals through May 2. Project officials will sort through the feedback and post final recommendations this summer, offering items to study further. 'The ones that seem to rise more to the top we want to bring forward and discuss them with the community,' Dupaix said. Some projects could be implemented relatively soon. Signal timing changes could happen right away if transportation officials choose that, Larsen said. Large-scale projects may require long-term planning and funding, meaning they could take years to come to fruition. Residents will be kept in the loop regardless of what happens next. 'There will undoubtedly be some projects that spin off and get implemented, but there will be further engagement — whether it's a UDOT project or Salt Lake City project — before they're implemented,' he said. 'At this point ... it's very exploratory. If people really like or don't like some of these options, right now is the perfect time to let that be known.'
