Park City is preparing to redo a section of Main Street and a strategically situated intersection at the southern end of the street, a project that appears meant to turn a scrambled spot where multiple roads converge into one that is friendlier for pedestrians.
City Hall is considering a project involving the stretch of Main Street between the Swede Alley intersection and Hillside Avenue. It is a residential section of Main Street essentially bordering the shopping, dining and entertainment district.
The Hillside Avenue end of the project location is notable since there has long been concern about traffic there, as well as worries about pedestrian safety. Main Street, Hillside Avenue, Daly Avenue, King Road and Park Avenue effectively meet within steps of each other.
The traffic includes people heading to and from their residences, lodging guests, transportation firms and spillover from the Main Street commercial core. People who live there have for years pressed City Hall to limit the traffic. The municipal government has taken a series of steps over time to address the issue with varying degrees of success. There are lingering concerns about pedestrian safety, though. People who live on the surrounding streets and visitors staying in the vicinity regularly walk to Main Street via the intersection. There also can be heavy bicyclist traffic in the summer and fall with riders heading into and out of Empire Canyon, the steep terrain south of Old Town.
City Hall on Tuesday was scheduled to close the period for firms to submit bids for the work. The documentation posted by the municipal government indicated the project is expected to include the removal of the sidewalks, curbs, gutters and driveways there now. Wider sidewalks, crosswalks, new curbs, new gutters and redone driveways would be installed. A new overlay would also be included and City Hall wants stamped concrete to be put down “to better delineate” a zoning change. New signs, new striping and a conduit that could be used for lights in the future are also included.
It was not clear early in the week when Mayor Nann Worel and the Park City Council may consider a contract for the work. The documentation indicates City Hall wants substantial completion of the work by Oct. 31, meaning it is likely a contract will be put before the elected officials shortly.
The project would continue City Hall’s long-running efforts to improve pedestrian routes across the community. Leaders see investment in pedestrian and bicyclist routes as something that advances wider goals of reducing traffic and cutting emissions, since there are options other than driving.