A Proposal for Better Bicycling in the Marmalade – Rose Park – Fair Park Area in Salt Lake City

Better Bike and Pedestrian Facilities are Needed in North West Salt Lake City

Editorial by Dave Iltis – February 7, 2018  – The following is a proposal by Cycling Utah for better bicycling in the Rose Park, Fair Park, and Marmalade neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah how to better connect them, and how to make them safer, and to encourage more people to ride.

[Note: Cycling Utah recently learned that the Salt Lake City Council has allocated funding for a 600 N. Road Corridor study. There are no details currently.]

Marmalade – Fair Park – Rose Park – Connections and Ridership

The Marmalade – Rose Park – Fair Park Neighborhood would be a targeted area perfect for better bicycling. The area envisioned is North Temple to Wall Street and 200 West to 1200 West (plus 600/700 N to 2200 W). This would fit in with Mayor Biskupski’s stated goal of improving investment in the West Side.

While the area is mostly residential, it is bisected by 300 W, 400 W, and I-15, all of which create barriers to connectivity, especially for residents trying to travel by bicycle or foot from the West Side to the East Side and Downtown Salt Lake City. 300 North and 600 North are both problematic E-W connectors.

This is a starting point for discussion.

Key Points:

1. 300 West should have a bike lane from 600 N to N. Temple (and beyond). This would help to lower traffic speeds, and increase safety on this arterial. It would reduce the barrier effect that this roadway has which splits the neighborhood. West High School is a major destination, and cycling to the school should be safe for both students and employees. 300 N. also needs narrower travel lanes, and a lower speed limit.
2. 400 West should have bike lanes as well. With increased traffic over the last few years on this formerly lower volume street, bike lanes would improve traffic calming and connectivity for the residents. Narrower travel lanes and a lower speed limit would help this as well.
3. 600 North Safety Plan – 600 N. needs to be made safer for people on bikes and pedestrians. This is a key E-W connector, and is currently a nightmare for bicyclists and pedestrians wanting to cross I-15. With bike lanes on either side, making the I-15 overpass bicycle safe would help to connect Rose Park / Fair Park to Marmalade. Additionally, traffic calming and speed reductions on 600 N are needed, especially at 800 West (see http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/slow-down-6th-north )
   1. 600 North really needs to have a comprehensive plan from 200 West to 2200 West for better bicycling, traffic calming, better pedestrian safety, and slower speeds.
      1. Narrower traffic lanes in order to reduce traffic speed.
      2. Lower speed limit on 600 N.
      3. Integration with UDOT to make the overpass bicycle and pedestrian safe. It is not safe currently.
      4. A buffered or protected bike lane on 600 N.
      5. Regular sweeping of the 600 N. overpass
      6. Safer crossing of the 600 N. overpass for bikes and pedestrians and SPUI (Note: the 600 N and I-15 interchange is a SPUI – Single Point Urban Interchange) restriping/design.
      7. Continued traffic calming at 800 W and 900 W.

4. 300 North – This is a key E-W connector, but the bike lanes between 600 West and 200 West are intermittent and not well designed. With potential new bridge over the railway, completing this bikeway would help increase connectivity for bicycles, especially those traveling to West High School, or to Downtown Salt Lake City. 300 N. needs to have the bike lanes reinstalled between 300 West and 200 West as well.
5. 200 West / Wall Street – This key connector from North Salt Lake to Salt Lake City could be completed with bike lanes from Beck Street / 300 West to 200 West.
6. 600 West is a key connector from the Fair Park Neighborhood to Downtown Salt Lake City and a low-stress bike route here would help create connectivity.
7. There are several schools in the area that would benefit from increased connectivity including West High School, Jackson Elementary, Rose Park Elementary, and Washington Elementary. Safe cycling routes for school children and employees would help to create lifelong cyclists in the neighborhood.
8. With the new North Temple FrontRunner station, the North Temple Trax Station, and development around this, low-stress bike routes to and from the station, in particular on 300 N and 600 West streets, are imperative to allow people to travel throughout the region without needing a car.
9. With redevelopment and improvements slated for the Fair Park, creating a bicycle safe neighborhood will also help create a lower traffic, safe neighborhood.
10. Create a bicycle program at West High School in conjunction with the Bicycle Collective that would teach both cycling skills and bicycle job skills (http://projectbiketech.org/)
11. Increased bike connections and programs in this area would result in increased ridership for transportation, health, and recreation.
12. Additional Greenbike stations in this area, especially to connect to transit and N. Temple.
13. Working with UDOT will be a key part of this. Their cooperation will be needed.