Park City officials and High Valley Transit District representatives met Friday to address lingering questions about a $90 million project designed to improve transportation options from the Kimball Junction Transit Center to Old Town.
The meeting was a follow-up about the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) project, which faced scrutiny from city councilors last month about rising costs and concerns about the value to Park City residents. Those who were skeptical about the plan showed more willingness to support the project, though they pressed for assurances that the investment would directly address the city’s unique transportation needs.
This week’s discussion centered around the financial viability of the project and the potential benefits for Park City residents as well as broader Summit County. Gabriel Shields, High Valley Transit’s BRT project manager, emphasized the long-term economic value of the project and the positive impact it will have on the community.
Shields acknowledged most of the bus rapid transit project occurs in Summit County, but there will be intersection improvements that benefit the Old Town area as well as new bus stops proposed near Thaynes Canyon or Kearns Boulevard.
He noted data from High Valley Transit and Park City Transit indicate that 75% of trips that start in Kimball Junction end up in Park City. An estimated 10,000 employees commute into the Wasatch Back, and at least half of them are expected to find quick, reliable and efficient transportation to the city limits by way of the bus rapid transit system.
“However you define value, it’s in this project,” Shields said.
City Councilor Jeremy Rubell wanted to wait before committing more money to the roadwork and said he isn’t questioning the project as a whole but rather the value each element might have. He said it’s missing quantitative benefits for Park City and questioned the need for turning the road into a “seven-lane highway,” saying it doesn’t feel right for neighborhoods in the area.
“Why do it?” Rubell asked.
High Valley Transit Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez was quick to push back on the characterization. A preliminary design shows a small shoulder on each side with a 12-foot bus lane in either direction, two 11-foot travel lanes in each direction and a turn lane down the center.
Shields explained the original design was 28 feet wider than what currently exists, but the current design was scaled down by 65% to help save money as the cost estimate has risen by 45%.
The bus rapid transit project was estimated to cost a total of $70.9 million in 2022, but it’s now jumped to between $90 million and $103 million with inflation. High Valley Transit has already secured $64 million through state and federal funding as well as the transit sales tax.
High Valley Transit is expected to have a more finalized cost estimate in the spring when the design is 30% finished. There will be more fidelity in the cost estimate by the summer at 60% completed. Funding commitments are expected to be made in the fall of 2025.
Park City Municipal expected to contribute around $6 million to the original project, and city councilors were irritated last month to learn it could be more if High Valley Transit is unable to bridge the remaining $12 million funding gap. Rodriguez warned it could be as high as $20 million at the time, though that was a worst-case scenario. It will likely be a lot less.
Rodriguez and Shields affirmed High Valley Transit has already proven the bus rapid transit project is effective. However, they encouraged Park City Municipal to complete its own analysis if there are still doubts.
Park City Mayor Nann Worel advocated for collaborating with High Valley Transit and Summit County because officials have been working on the Bus Rapid Transit project since at least 2012 and again in 2020 when the city and county separated transit services. Worel said the project has “long been in motion.”
A connection between Summit County and Park City, especially on an important road such as S.R. 224, has been regarded as critical by city and county officials as well as the public.
There will continue to be discussions between High Valley Transit, Park City and Summit County regarding the best strategy for the bus rapid transit project.