Each week, The Park Record asks For the Record, encouraging residents and visitors to weigh in on a topic of interest. This week, the public comment period has closed for a proposed expansion of S.R. 248 by the Utah Department of Transportation. The road-making authority envisions expanding the entryway to five lanes, which garnered responses from the city, the county and residents about the proposed project.
We wanted to know what the public’s thoughts are regarding the proposed expansion, and more broadly, what the underlying issues are when it comes to transportation in Park City. Comment with your own answer below, or consider sending a letter to the editor.
Diane Harrell, Park Meadows
“Tell everyone to quit buying (homes) here. I wish I had a solution with the influx of people and more traffic, but (expansion) has to be done. I’ve been here 30 years, like so many people I hate to see the (town) explode, but we have to take care of it.”
Julie Cooper, Park Meadows
“It’s complicated. The traffic is horrible right now, but I think outing more cars on the road is a mistake as well. I think I’d like to see carpool options and try and keep cars off the road as best we can. I know it’s bad, but I really don’t know what the answer is.”
Sam Chulick, Old Town
“This town’s infrastructure wasn’t built for the growth we’re dealing with. The roads were never big enough or planned to be expanded big enough to support the amount of growth. When we get those huge rushes of incredibly large crowds, I think even with an extra lane, you’re still going to have issues. It’s kind of a losing battle.”
Jet Reed, Prospector
“It’s July and (I’ve seen) so much traffic for like three weeks straight. I think (lane expansion) would be close to the solution, I don’t know. An extra lane allows more cars to go, it seems like a good idea.”
Quotations have been edited for clarity and length.