COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — A non-partisan, community coalition, Save Not Pave, holds march & rally 10am-12pm, May 22, at Golden Hills Park in Cottonwood Heights (cyclists & runners begin at mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and end at park).
Concerned SLCO residents will converge onto Wasatch Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights to celebrate quality of life and also outcry the need for safe roads. The peak period of the march will occur 10:20-10:40am between Bengal Blvd (7200 South) and 8300 South along Wasatch Boulevard.
Utah Department of Transportation’s imminent Wasatch Blvd. Expansion within their Little Cottonwood Canyon Environmental Impact Statement (LCC EIS) to turn 2.2 miles of SR 210/Wasatch Blvd from mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon through the turn off to La Caille into a high volume, fast-moving, multi-laned highway is being met by community push back.
Offering education and camaraderie for the community, Save Not Pave (SNP), with co-directors in Cottonwood Heights and Sandy, has arranged the opportunity for elected officials to begin cycling, running or walking from mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon Park & Ride to Golden Hills Park in order for them to experience this roadway from an active transportation perspective.
Dangerous arterials designated at 50mph (as currently approved by the city and state) run through residential areas. Within the past year, a boy and an elderly woman have been struck by a vehicle while in a crosswalk within Cottonwood Heights. Save Not Pave members, 680 strong, cite the need for change to city, Wasatch Front Regional Council’s (WFRC) 2050 RTP (Regional Transportation Plan), and the UDOT LCC EIS Wasatch Blvd Expansion.
“Clean air for Salt Lake Valley is reliant, in part, on reducing VMT (Vehicle Miles Travelled). Save Not Pave has become a strong advocate for “less asphalt, more transportation alternatives” for Salt Lake County,” says Aaron Dekeyzer of Sandy. “We accept growth and development, but we disagree with the direction WFRC and UDOT are taking for southeastern and southwestern Salt Lake Valley residents. On May 22nd, we’ll be enjoying the scenic beauty of Wasatch Blvd. and building awareness for the need to improve its roadway design for the safety of pedestrians, runners, drivers and cyclists.”
SNP instructs participants to observe traffic regulations, and practice social distancing andmask-wearing inside Golden Hills Park.
