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Volunteers, coalitions and federal seed money drove Parleys Trail build-out, presenter says
Summary
A volunteer coalition and partner agencies guided the eight-mile Parleys Trail from concept to construction over decades, a presenter told the Active Transportation Committee, describing fundraising, interlocal maintenance arrangements and the project’s scale.
A long-running volunteer effort, local governments and federal funding combined to create the eight-mile Parleys Trail, a presenter told the Wasatch Front Regional Council Active Transportation Committee.
Juan Ace (presenter, Parleys Rails Trails & Tunnels Coalition) described how the idea for the Parleys Trail—linking the mouth of Parleys Canyon east–west through Salt Lake County—appeared on regional trail maps about 35 years ago and later was pursued by a grassroots coalition that engaged UDOT, the council and legislators. “A lot of the pieces are there,” Juan said of a broader regional loop concept that would connect multiple parkways and trails.
Juan said the coalition used outreach and relationships with elected officials, agency staff and property owners to clear obstacles; the group also pursued federal funding and was placed on the STIP, which enabled receipt of federal dollars. He said he believed the total build cost in today’s dollars would be roughly $50 million for about eight miles of trail and associated bridges and underpasses; he also said earlier seed funding totaled about $10.5 million from two congressional offices. The coalition retained about $24,000 in unspent funds, Juan said.
On maintenance, Juan said Salt Lake County generally owns the trail and enters interlocal agreements with jurisdictions so the cities it crosses maintain daily upkeep; some jurisdictions have dedicated crews and others rely on volunteers and nonprofit adopt-a-trail efforts. He noted winter maintenance is variable across jurisdictions and that there is no county-owned snowplow dedicated solely to clearing the trail.
Committee members asked about future extensions and about how the Parleys section fits into a larger regional “infinity loop” concept linking the Jordan River Parkway, Provo River Parkway, Legacy Parkway and other connections. Juan said extending trails requires continued coalition building and local buy-in and that earlier political opposition in one city had been overcome through later collaboration.
The presentation was informational; committee members praised the trail as a regional example of how long-term volunteer organizing and partnership with agencies can produce major active-transportation infrastructure.
