Park City is moving ahead with an effort to identify street and sidewalk improvements and design changes that will improve the pedestrian experience on Main Street south of Heber Avenue and Swede Alley.
In addition, sustainability staff members are exploring opportunities to transition the city to highly efficient heating and cooling systems that utilize waste heat and assessing the potential for thermal energy networks in several areas, including the Bonanza Park neighborhood and the Main Street district.
And consultants have been engaged to produce an aerial transit feasibility study that will focus on two potential alignments, from Deer Valley’s Snow Park Village to the China Bridge parking garage area and also from Snow Park to the Richardson Flats parking lot.
The updates on the projects, which are part of the Main Street Area Plan, are outlined in a Park City staff report. The plan to help the commercial core remain competitive with outlying destinations was launched in May 2024.
Kimley-Horn and Associates, an engineering, planning and design firm, is conducting a feasibility analysis for the redesign of Main Street and Swede Alley. In October, a workshop was held on Main Street traffic and circulation with city staffers, members of the Historic Park City Alliance and other stakeholders to brainstorm ideas and design concepts.
The group identified core principles and priorities that include flexibility and adaptability, futureproofing, safety, destination appeal, transit priority, parking strategy, pedestrian experience, business activation, winter activation and snow removal, and event readiness. The project team is working to integrate the workshop feedback into potential concept designs, the report says.
The sustainability staff is negotiating a contract with The GreyEdge Group to advance to the next phase of the project, which includes further development of the Bonanza Park and Main Street districts and evaluation of snowmelt systems for street heating. The firm, which designs and engineers complex thermal energy systems, is working with Vail, Colorado, as it transitions its heated streets from natural gas systems to efficient, carbon-free alternatives, the report says.
The work is expected to begin in early 2026 and last approximately nine months.
Two consultants have been hired to produce the aerial transit feasibility study, Kimley-Horn and SE Group, which provides planning and design services for mountain communities.
Kimley-Horn is evaluating the feasibility of the aerial transit alignments; conducting right-of-way analyses of parcels across potential alignments; assessing landowner impacts and property ownership details for aerial spans and touchdown points; and estimating the probable cost of right-of-way acquisitions.
SE Group’s part includes evaluating the potential alignments for technical feasibility; creating an overall aerial transit concept design plan and detail plans for each aerial transit corridor; creating a station concept design plan for the potential terminal sites; preparing detailed analysis including advantages and disadvantages of the options for aerial transit technology; and providing detailed cost estimates for construction of the aerial transit system options, including costs for ongoing operations and maintenance
Staff members plan to present preliminary findings at a City Council work session in February and will be asking for further direction.