Park City rolls out the red carpet year round and this summer is no exception. Main Street is bedecked with flowerboxes, restaurant patrons have spilled out onto the sidewalks and there is live entertainment almost every night. The hills are literally “alive with the sound of music.”
There is just one fly in the ointment: traffic.
Even without the construction commotion on State Road 248, Deer Valley Drive and Empire Avenue, there would likely be delays during the typical morning and evening rush hours. Orange cones, backhoes and jackhammers just add to everyone’s discomfort.
Recently there have been daily traffic jams on both of the major thoroughfares into and out of Park City. That is frustrating to locals, but even more disappointing to visitors who see their hard-won vacation days being chipped away at while sitting in stop-and-go traffic.
There are remedies, though.
The town already has an extensive public transit system and new efforts to boost ridership could help lessen the number of vehicles on the road. Those efforts should be directed at both tourists and locals.
Residents are probably the loudest critics of the current traffic overload, but from the looks of the local logos on many rush-hour vehicles, they also seem to be least likely to use alternative transportation. Staggered work hours, more satellite parking and a push to encourage carpooling might alleviate those backups.
It may also be time to establish some cross-county bus routes. The Park City/Salt Lake City bus is gaining momentum, but a lot of the daily traffic comes in from the East Side of the county. It may seem far fetched at the moment but at some point, it might be cost effective to establish small transit hubs in Coalville and Kamas. And it wouldn’t hurt to begin discussions with Wasatch County about running a rush-hour bus between Heber and Park City, with stops at some of the bigger housing developments along US 40.
Park City’s winter and summer traffic jams are annoyances today but as they compound they have the potential to discourage visitors, residents and prospective employees. Local officials should continue to expand the transit system and residents should participate by reducing their own traffic footprint.