Lochner traffic study lays out tradeoffs for Fort Union town center; lane removal would slow eastbound travel by up to 1.5 minutes

Consultants from Lochner presented a traffic analysis to the Cottonwood Heights City Council on June 17 assessing how a proposed town center at 2300 East and Fort Union Boulevard would affect travel, safety and access.

Amy Coleman, a lead engineer on the study, said the analysis focused on multimodal access and long‑range operations. The study modeled a 25‑year horizon and tested six alternatives including no‑change, lane reductions and geometric improvements. “If you make the choice to go with something that has an F associated with it, you need to understand that your users will be very delayed and very inconvenienced,” Coleman said, describing the meaning of an LOS (level of service) F in the used Highway Capacity Manual metrics.

The firm converted the project program into trips using standard ITE rates, modeling a baseline that assumed 150,000 square feet of retail and 100 multifamily units. Under the consultant’s “minimize delay” package — which includes adding a dual northbound left‑turn lane at 2300 East and other spot geometric improvements — the corridor could be held near an LOS D and maintain reasonable vehicle delays. By contrast, a lane‑reduction approach that removes an eastbound through lane east of 2300 East but also includes other mitigations produces longer queues and higher delay; Lochner reported modeled eastbound travel time from Highland Drive to 2700 East of roughly 3.7 minutes with the minimize‑delay option and about 5 minutes with the lane‑reduction scenario (an increase of roughly 1.3–1.5 minutes).

Brandon Ploward, Lochner’s project manager, emphasized the tradeoffs: lane reductions can calm traffic and create space for pedestrian refuges and narrower cross sections, but they also increase queueing and can reduce pass‑by retail traffic and access to businesses. The firm noted roundabouts were evaluated but rejected for the primary intersection because of right‑of‑way and grade constraints in several corners and the operational complexity at very high volumes.

Council members pressed for more detail on which blocks would be affected and asked staff for diagrams of the specific streets included in proposed construction and reconfiguration plans. Public works noted the models assume growth and additional redevelopment in the study area and that some changes — such as adding turn pockets — could require right‑of‑way acquisitions.

The study is intended to inform the city’s broader general‑plan choices this summer, council members said. Staff will return with follow‑up materials on intersection geometry, right‑of‑way impacts, and how lane‑reduction options would interact with the town‑center design and retail viability.

Next steps: council asked staff to include study diagrams and cost estimates in the business meeting materials and to use the analysis to shape general‑plan deliberations this summer.