Planning Commission backs exploring subregional traffic study for Spanish Valley/Highway 191 corridor

The Grand County Planning Commission on July 27 directed staff to pursue a subregional traffic analysis after members said recent subdivision reviews raised unanswered questions about vehicle trips and road capacity. The chair opened the discussion after a County Commission update, and multiple commissioners urged a broader study rather than isolated project-level reviews.

"It sounds like we need a traffic study," said S6 (Committee member), who asked whether subdivisions were being judged without a consistent traffic baseline. Andrew, the planning staff member leading the land-use audit, said the county would likely amend the existing contract with Horrocks to scope a traffic analysis for the affected subregion, including the Highway 191 corridor and Spanish Valley Drive. "...it would be a contract amendment to the existing contract for a traffic analysis of that subregion," he said.

Commissioners discussed short-term safety improvements flagged by UDOT—such as acceleration lanes on heavily used access points—and agreed that the study should identify both macro and micro interventions. Several members emphasized coordination with San Juan County to avoid duplicate studies on adjacent parcels. No formal vote to authorize the contract amendment was recorded at the meeting; the commission asked staff to place a proposal on the next county commission agenda for consideration.