One of the candidates for the Park City Council is strongly advocating for connecting Park City to Salt Lake City, Midway and Heber by railroad. Bill Ciraco proposes to use the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail for the route.
The Rail Trail is a 26.7-mile path that connects Park City to the Echo Reservoir. It was established in 1992 as a State Park (Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park) and in 2010 was named as the “Trail of the Month” by the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The Rail Trail is heavily used by adults and children in the summer for biking, walking, and jogging, and in winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The 1.5-mile stretch of the Rail Trail within the Park City limits extends from Bonanza Drive to Richardson Flat Road. This section traverses the quiet residential Prospector neighborhood and is heavily used because of its ready access from all parts of Park City. Both sides of the Rail Trail in Prospector are bordered by the backyards of many single-family homes, townhomes and apartments. Large animals including moose, deer, and elk cross the trail to reach the wetlands between the Rail Trail and S.R. 248.
The Rail Trail is a community resource, a meeting place, a wildlife refuge and recreational hub for Park City residents and visitors. Putting a train on the Rail Trail would be a travesty that will eliminate this recreational area and disrupt the Prospector neighborhood. Maintaining the Rail Trail alongside an active rail line is impossible since in many locations there is not sufficient space for both.
The concept of recreating and enjoying the outdoors while adjacent to a moving train is unappealing, unhealthy and dangerous. An operational train in this heavily populated area would require fencing the entire route to prevent accidents by individuals attempting to cross the tracks. Fencing would also prevent access to the area from both sides of the Rail Trail.
The Rail Trail is a beloved resource for all Parkites and should be preserved as such. Please do not elect Bill Ciraco to serve on the Park City Council where he will vocally advocate for running trains along the Rail Trail corridor.
Suzanne O. Rosenberg
Prospector