People traveling through the S.R. 224 corridor during ski season might think traffic is bad today, but it’s expected to become a lot worse in the next decade.
The existing congestion is in part why many Parkites have opposed the prospective Dakota Pacific Real Estate development at the Park City Tech Center. Yet the developer’s new vision for the site could actually create less traffic than what’s projected in the original 2008 development agreement.
“S.R. 224: it’s the main road here, it’s the spine of the county in this area, and we all know it has some issues. Those issues continue to be issues as time goes along, as traffic continues to grow, as the area is predicted to grow with demand either from Park City or in the Salt Lake Valley, and that demand between those two places, and as development continues to go along here in Kimball Junction itself … that’s an issue today with or without the project,” said Preston Stinger, a principal at Fehr & Peers, a transportation consulting firm hired by Dakota Pacific.
The developers commissioned a traffic impact study that determined the latest mixed-use plan would generate around 7,488 daily trips compared to 8,032 estimated based on the current Tech Center agreement, which limits construction on the property to mostly tech-related buildings. The original development plan proposed by Dakota Pacific – which included 1,100 residential units and commercial space, including a hotel – was estimated to generate 11,262 daily trips.
The proposed development would also reduce traffic by around 44% in the morning and evening during peak hours compared to the current entitlement. Traffic counts were recorded in late April of 2022, but the numbers on S.R. 224 were adjusted up to help reflect the average weekdays and days during the winter season, the study said.
However, Corey Mack, an engineering consultant who works for the company hired by Summit County to do a peer review of the traffic impact study, noted side streets such as Ute Boulevard and Olympic Parkway were not adjusted. This means there would likely be additional traffic at key intersections during peak times.
Traffic counts were also down in April of 2022 compared to when they were completed in 2019. Fehr & Peers consultants suggested this was caused by a change in traffic patterns because of the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic may have previously peaked at a specific hour, such as 8 a.m. or 5 p.m., but it’s now spread out over a longer time. The study determined vehicles could wait for an additional two to 24 seconds at intersections.
A mixed-use development would help spread traffic out as residents come and go throughout the day compared to specific busy hours at the Tech Center under the current development agreement, according to senior county engineer Brandon Brady.
Malena Stevens, the vice chair of the County Council, indicated she preferred to know that traffic would be bad during a certain time because it’s easier to work your day around. Other council members indicated they, too, wanted more information about how traffic would be impacted over a prolonged period, like between 3 and 7 p.m. for example.
Dakota Pacific’s study also relied heavily on the Utah Department of Transportation’s redesigning of the S.R. 224 corridor to alleviate congestion, though a project hasn’t been selected yet. The developers anticipate all future operating conditions would meet standards under any of the three alternatives.
County Councilor Chris Robinson agreed that S.R. 224 is failing, but noted that many of the traffic solutions listed, such as UDOT’s alternatives and the Bus Rapid Transit project, are out of the county’s control – making it difficult to guarantee when they would be completed.
“The existing entitlement has been now in its 15th year and it’s built two buildings. Now, what would be the absorption in the existing entitlement compared to these others?” he asked. “I’m pointing out that in some ways it’s an unfair comparison because we’re comparing something that’s going to happen very slowly, likely, if the past is prologue, compared to what will be accelerated.”
Marc Stanworth, the chief executive officer of Dakota Pacific, said Dakota Pacific was planning to take a phased approach for a mixed-use development, while a large company, such as Pfizer, would complete construction on a tech facility much faster, creating congestion much sooner.
The developer’s study mentioned the addition of a northbound lane on S.R. 224 to help alleviate background congestion until UDOT selects and completes a project, but doesn’t include specific plans to construct one.
Overall, the peer review was consistent with the developer’s traffic impact study. Mack indicated some critical elements were missing such as a safety analysis of crash patterns, additional strategies to alleviate congestion and adjusted counts for weekends. He also suggested establishing mitigation milestones that must be achieved before the project can continue. This would help ensure a phased approach that meets the roadways’ capacity.
Community members will have their first chance to weigh in on the project during a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, as well as on March 1, at Ecker Hill Middle School.