By Charles Pekow — Bike lanes will be included in an extension project for Skyline Drive Roadway in Pleasant View City, Utah. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) gave final approval to the project as it passed the environmental review and the next step is arranging financing.
“Now it’s in the city’s hands,” says Brandon Weston, director of environmental services, for the Utah Department of Transportation.
The plan calls for installing six-foot-wide bike lanes (one in each direction) right next to the auto lanes. The plan also calls for “tie-ins to trails near the Ogden-Brigham Canal, Pleasant View Drive and 1100 West,” according to the environmental assessment. The lanes would run from U.S. Rt. 89 on the west (with a connection to Pleasant View Drive) to 4300 North/1100 West on the East (what a directional amalgam!).
These facilities would allow bicycle access to the planned Skyline Trail (not to be confused with Skyline Drive), Pleasant View Drive and nearby connecting trails, as well as existing pathways and sidewalks on 4300 North. Plans also call for four trailheads in the area that the links would connect to, but trailhead development isn’t part of the Skyline Project.
Now, the age-old issue of finding money comes up. The city may seek federal funding, possibly seeking help from the Weber Area Council of Governments or the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Weston suggests. These organizations have been supportive of the project.
“This has been a long process. We know the communities are supporting active transportation and are doing the best they can with limited resources,’ says Mark Benigni of Weber Pathways.
Bill Cobabe, city administrator for Pleasant View City, who is overseeing the project, did not respond to telephone messages.
Anyone who disagrees with the environmental assessment can file suit until Nov. 6.
Details at skylinedriveproject.com/.
