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Provo councilor cites $200K–$300K study needed to remake Center Street ahead of Olympics
Summary
Councilor Rachel Whipple told a District 5 town hall that a full redesign of Center Street — including lane reductions, bike lanes and wider sidewalks — would likely require a $200,000–$300,000 study and major infrastructure work; smaller interventions like raised pedestrian tables cost about $90,000 each and are already in use.
Residents at a District 5 town hall pressed Councilor Rachel Whipple on transforming Center Street into a safer, more pedestrian-friendly corridor. Whipple said a comprehensive study and infrastructure replacement would be required to make long-term changes ahead of the Olympics and estimated the study would cost between $200,000 and $300,000.
Whipple described smaller-scale treatments that have already changed driver behavior: the city installed raised pedestrian tables at several crossings and staff estimate those improvements cost roughly $90,000 apiece. She said the next table is tentatively planned near 100 East, and that resurfacing scheduled for 2027 could be coordinated with further pedestrian improvements.
While some residents suggested lowering the speed limit or more enforcement, Whipple said speed-limit changes without physical calming are rarely effective and pointed to the need for physical measures. She also noted staffing constraints in the police department and said broader changes to Center Street would require repaving and underground infrastructure replacement (water, sewer) that would significantly raise costs.
The councilor linked the timing opportunity to the upcoming Olympics — a chance to think big and attract outside funding — but emphasized that the proposed study is not in the mayor’s current budget and would require either a supplemental request or council action to add it.
Whipple urged community input on potential short-term, low-cost changes (bus lanes, bike lanes, art installations) that could improve safety while larger plans are developed. She said the city needs public buy-in and careful sequencing to avoid spending on short-term fixes that would later be torn out during a larger rebuild.
Next steps: Whipple said Development Services would be the department to request a full study; if residents want the study in the immediate budget cycle the council would need to propose it during budget negotiations or wait for a supplemental request later in the year.
