Springdale council adopts final 'Smart Travel' plan from Parametrix to expand multimodal options

The Springdale Town Council voted July 9 to accept the final “Encouraging Smart Travel Alternatives to Springdale” study prepared by Parametrix and presented by transportation planner Tyler Smithson.

Why it matters: The plan offers a menu of multimodal transportation recommendations — pedestrian and bicycle improvements, parking strategies, on‑demand services, transit coordination, and technology — intended to reduce vehicle congestion while preserving Springdale’s walkable character and tourism economy.

Tyler Smithson, transportation planner with Parametrix, summarized the report and said the plan documented existing conditions, public engagement results and a feasibility framework that balances convenience, cost and the town’s goals. “You have a great urban form,” he told the council, calling most of the community “walkable or transit accessible.”

Council members praised the report as a practical “glide path” and emphasized the need for partnerships with the county, the metropolitan planning organization and Zion National Park to secure land for remote park-and-ride locations and to coordinate services. Council discussion highlighted the risk of displacing congestion to neighboring Rockville and the importance of siting park-and-ride facilities beyond the immediate Springdale–Rockville corridor.

Action: Councilmember Randy Aton moved to adopt the final Parametrix report (the study distributed in early June) including the revisions responding to council comments; Kyla Topham seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The plan is advisory: staff noted adoption does not obligate the town to immediate expenditures but provides a prioritized action plan to pursue as funding and partnerships allow. Councilmembers asked staff to pursue land‑use conversations with county and MPO partners and to consider short-term pilot options to encourage visitors to park further out and use shuttle or on‑demand services.