WILL THERE BE ANY BIKE OR WALKING TRAIL SYSTEMS WITH THE NEW HIGHWAY?
The short answer to this question is that nothing is official yet when it comes to trail systems being built with the new Highway. UDOT has proposed/revamped/removed/added various trail options but underscored the fact that there is no guarantee that there will or will not be any guaranteed trail systems at this point. The most current proposals on the Glovers Lane route DO feature some trails, as well as horse crossings. However, until a final plan/route is approved, there are no guarantees of trails or locations.
THE LATEST NEWS WE HAVE REGARDING TRAILS IS AVAILABLE ON UDOT'S WEST DAVIS CORRIDOR WEBSITE. You can access that information here: http://www.udot.utah.gov/westdavis/
Ms. Shauna Burbidge of Metro Analytics has provided this website with some further information about the issue of trails associated with the highway, and more specifically: what was done when Legacy Parkway was built. (NOTE: Ms. Burbidge is a transportation professional who specializes in integrating transportation systems with public health. She is not affiliated with UDOT or the EIS in any way.)
Here are the comments from Ms. Burbidge and we thank her for sharing this info with us:
"I am still working with some UDOT people to identify specifics, but this is what I do know:
The lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club against the Legacy Highway resulted in several concessions on UDOTs part. Four of those concessions were the inclusion of the trail system, prohibitions on truck traffic, the use of quieter pavement, and lower speed limits. Many of these came as a part of Legacy’s designation as a “parkway” and all were supposed to help mitigate against environmental impacts.
The agreement which led up to UDOT including the trails system designated that the cities would be responsible for maintaining the facilities within their jurisdictions and that UDOT would not be responsible for snow removal or other maintenance. After the trail was constructed and opened to the public, the local municipalities reneged and claimed that they were never informed that they would be responsible for maintaining the trail system. This created a PR nightmare for UDOT. This led to the decision that unless all of the cities (mayors) along the West Davis Highway corridor would sign a memorandum of agreement to maintain the trails, UDOT would not install them. This has nothing to do with public opinion. Regardless of the public outcry for a trails system it has to come from the local officials. If the mayors won’t agree to maintain the system, UDOT will not put it in.
With regard to the other components discussed above, UDOT has no obligation to conform to the standards set with Legacy, because those concessions were made as a settlement agreement to a lawsuit. Also, this new highway is not a parkway, but a regular highway. What this means on the ground is that unless there is a significant public outcry (which may or may not help) there will most likely be truck traffic, regular pavement, and higher speed limits on this new road.
I am currently meeting with the Davis County mayors to let them know what their options are and how they can ensure this road is an asset and not a blight on our communities. I am not affiliated with the EIS or the project in any way and am just a concerned citizen that lives in the impacted area (in Kaysville). I am also a transportation professional who specializes in integrating transportation systems with public health and I am outraged at the potential health and welfare implications associated with this new project.
I hope this helps."
For questions or comments about this information, you can contact:
Shaunna K. Burbidge, PhD | Metro Analytics Principal, Transportation Planner [email protected]