PARK CITY, Utah – Park City officials on Tuesday are scheduled to reconfigure a key stretch of road in Old Town, a project that is meant to make the street section safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The alteration involves the section of Park Avenue between the 9th Street and Deer Valley Drive intersections. The heavily developed stretch of road essentially covers what is widely known as lower Park Avenue.
City Hall will re-stripe Park Avenue for a bicycle lane on the west side of the road.
Officials intended to pursue the project in 2020 before a delay until this year based on weather. People who live along Park Avenue chose the option over others that were under consideration. It is a pilot project.
Some of the details include:
• a no-parking restriction will be introduced on the east side of the section of Park Avenue.
• parking between 9th Street and 12th Street on the west side of Park Avenue will be available to people holding Old Town resident parking permits and short-term parking for visitors with a two-hour limit.
• the parking spots on the west side of Park Avenue north of 12th Street will be available to people holding Old Town resident parking permits.
It is an important section of street that is heavily used by people who live in Old Town and drivers headed to or from Main Street. City Park and the Park City Library are some of the popular destinations along the stretch of Park Avenue. It is one of many streets in Old Town that have for years drawn traffic complaints.
The work schedule calls for the temporary removal of parking on Park Avenue between Deer Valley Drive and 9th Street on Tuesday followed by striping on Wednesday. The crews between Wednesday and Saturday are expected to paint the bicycle lane, which will force the intermittent closure of intersections.
“The pilot project will create a new neighborhood-centric streetscape that elevates pedestrian and bicycle safety, access to public transit, maintains on-street parking, and offers a more welcoming environment,” City Hall said in publicizing the upcoming work.
Park City officials have long taken steps designed to create a friendlier environment for pedestrians and bicyclists. Leaders argue the pedestrian and bicyclist improvements reduce traffic and provide environmental benefits.
