Plans to transform S.R. 224 into a 96-foot-wide corridor from gutter to gutter, with two 12-foot bus lanes, a 4-foot shoulder on each side, a two-foot buffer, and four 11-foot car lanes separated by a 12-foot center median, are well underway and could be completed as soon as late 2028.The bus rapid transit project is touted as a solution for moving people through the community by reducing travel times, increasing frequency and improving the reliability of public transportation services in Summit County and Park City by creating dedicated transit lanes from Kimball Junction to Kearns Boulevard. Additional bus stops, new amenities at existing stations and traffic signal improvements are also included in High Valley Transit District’s project plans. “At HVT, we’re about providing access to our community without the use of cars and demonstrating that modern bus technology is a cost-effective, quality strategy for doing that,” Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez said. “S.R. 224 is the backbone of our regional system, enabling far more daily trips than any other corridor, and providing critical connectivity to both the Wasatch Front and the Wasatch Back.” Rodriguez and Gabriel Shields, the transit district’s bus rapid transit project manager, met with the Summit County Council and Park City Council on Monday for a joint meeting to provide an update on the endeavor.The bus rapid transit project is in the final design phase, and High Valley Transit plans to select a contractor by early December. Rodriguez needed confirmation from both the city and county that officials still wanted to pursue the project after almost a decade of work.However, there won’t be an accurate estimate on the final price tag until next spring.The worst-case scenario was estimated to cost a total of $70.9 million in 2022, but it’s now jumped to between $97 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.Park City Municipal expected to contribute around $6 million to the original project, and some city councilors were surprised to learn that it could more than triple if High Valley Transit is unable to bridge the funding gap. They questioned the reason for the increase and whether it was worth the cost to add or improve bus stops at certain locations such as Thaynes Canyon.Rodriguez said the $20 million request was a placeholder because the transit district was told “this conversation could not be had without a specific number.” She maintained everything was included in the project to improve the quality of life for residents and commuters while promoting connectivity to the Park City Transit system.High Valley Transit is partnering with Park City and Summit County to design and build designated and mixed flow bus lanes (BRT) from Kimball Junction to Old Town. Credit: Courtesy of High Valley Transit“We have always said we are working to lower this cost. It is not going to be an unfair burden on Park City,” Rodriguez said. There would be dedicated bus lanes with mixed flow traffic starting at the Kimball Junction Transit Center down to Kearns Boulevard with new bus stops along the way. Then there would be improvements such as turn lanes and more green lights for buses heading from the Fresh Market area into Old Town Park City. Shields estimated the time savings is more than 25 minutes.“On day one, we are ready to provide 5,000 rides every day,” he said. “That is seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight, including peak 10-minute service at those really high-demand periods. We recognize that the transportation solution for the community requires a holistic approach. That’s going to require dedicated transit such as BRT as well as regional park-and-ride and parking demand strategies. That is really the first step towards that vision,” Shields said.The bus rapid transit project was originally designed to be 115 feet wide, but it was reduced to help save money. Shields explained other changes have been made to optimize the design such as changing the entire corridor to a 45 mph zone, decreasing the lane, median and shoulder widths as well as including city and county trail projects — all of which mean cost savings.Bill Ciraco, Ed Parigian and Jeremy Rubell, the newest members on the City Council, debated the benefits of the bus rapid transit project and seemed to want to wait before committing more money to the road work. There were also discussions about the implications of ending the project at Canyons Village rather than going into the city limits.Rodriguez warned that if Park City backed out of the partnership, the region would become “a laughing stock” and future funding would be put at risk.“You can bet it won’t come here, not if we have to give back $25 million in federal funding or $30 million in state funding,” she said. “Let me rephrase: High Valley Transit and the county are not going to go back to [the Utah Department of Transportation] and say, ‘We promised we would deliver on this project where all the data says it will be successful in a benchmark.’ We’re not going to do that. So, one of our other partners is going to have to go back and say … we changed our mind.” Park City Mayor Nann Worel encouraged all parties to find a compromise because she was not willing to jeopardize the relationships that the municipal government has spent years building. “I’m not going to do that,” Worel declared.The city councilors reaffirmed their support for moving forward with the project at the end of the two-hour-long meeting despite initial suggestions that they should wait to take a vote.The post S.R. 224’s bus rapid transit project accelerates toward 2028 completion appeared first on Park Record.